The diverse and ever-evolving world of ice cream has always held a special place in the hearts (and freezers) of Americans, with U.S. ice cream makers producing more than 1.38 billion gallons of ice cream annually and more than 94% of American adults purchasing ice cream, frozen treats or frozen yogurt last year.
While niche flavor trends, such as plant-based and functional options, are gaining traction in the market, the majority of American consumers still prefer traditional ice cream flavors.
July is National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday in July is designated as National Ice Cream Day. With over a thousand flavors of ice cream recorded and with the average American consuming approximately 48 pints of ice cream each year, there’s no better time to enjoy the country’s favorite treats.
Traditional flavors
A recent survey of more than A study of 2,200 U.S. adults by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and Morning Consult found that 97% of Americans like or enjoy ice cream, and traditional tastes continue to dominate. Vanilla has clearly become the favourite, with over a third (38%) of those surveyed choosing it as their favorite flavour. Chocolate follows closely with 32%, while strawberry garners 25% of the vote. Butter Pecans and Cookie Dough are tied for fourth place with 21% each. Other popular choices in the top 10 included Mint Chocolate Chip, Rocky Road and Peanut Butter Cup.
While traditional flavors continue to dominate the IDFA list, newer entries such as butter pecan … [+]
Google searches reveal more eclectic tastes
Another study by Affordable Seating, which analyzed Google search data on more than 100 different ice cream flavors in every U.S. state, found more adventurous tastes among the American public. Among the top twenty flavors are eclectic flavors such as Blue Moon (No. 11), Ube (No. 12), and Moose Tracks (No. 8), an ice cream recipe consisting of vanilla ice cream with cups of peanut butter and Moose Tracks fudge. Neapolitan ice cream leads the pack with an impressive 60,200 searches per month, while classic vanilla takes the second most popular position, and Superman, a three-flavor ice cream that usually appears in red, blue and yellow, comes in third position.
Moose Tracks Ice Cream
TikTok’s point of view
TikTok’s most enduring food trend involves a surprising twist on vanilla ice cream: drizzling it with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling it with flaky sea salt. The unusual flavor combination shot to fame when Grammy-winning singer Dua Lipa revealed in a BBC Radio 1 interview last November that it was her favorite way to enjoy ice cream. The trend quickly caught on, with Halo Top Creamery even creating a TikTok video featuring their vanilla ice cream paired with these unique toppings, riding the wave of this newfound ice cream obsession.
Vanilla ice cream, sea salt and olive oil
The last word… Instacart
With Instacart controlling at least a fifth of the online grocery market, there’s no more insightful way to determine America’s favorite ice cream flavor than by taking a look at its data of sales. Instacart delivers 22% more ice cream per customer in July than the annual average, and based on sales volumes, vanilla comes out on top. Vanilla accounts for 30% of all Instacart purchases, with 21 states in favor. Chocolate is the second most popular flavor, preferred by 15 states on the East Coast. Mint chocolate chip tops in four states, including the Pacific Northwest and Pennsylvania, while coffee ice cream is a favorite in four states, from Hawaii to Rhode Island.
This look at America’s favorite ice cream flavors highlights the timeless appeal of vanilla. Whether determined by surveys, online search data, social media trends, or spending habits, it’s clear that this classic flavor holds a cherished place in American culture.
“It’s arguably the most versatile of them all,” says Instacart trends expert Laurentia Romaniuk of vanilla ice cream’s popularity. “The delicious vanilla flavor effortlessly enhances a variety of desserts, whether nestled in a chocolate sundae, fashionably paired with a slice of pie or cobbler, or simply savored in its pure form with a delicious topping sprinkled. As such, it holds the title for America’s favorite ice cream, and we don’t predict it will lose its lead anytime soon! »
As summer heats up, it might be the perfect time to indulge in your favorite flavor or maybe discover a new one.
