The 21 most popular ice cream flavors in America (2024)

(STACKER) – Ice cream is a beloved treat that’s enjoyed by people of all ages, be it families to teens to kids. From classic flavors like vanilla and chocolate to more creative combinations like rocky road and Neapolitan, ice cream aficionados have a plethora of choices, and the sweet treat’s popularity continues to soar.

According to theInternational Dairy Foods Association, ice cream makers churned out 1.38 billion gallons of ice cream, generating nearly 29,000 jobs and $1.8 billion in wages. You could say that ice cream is a deliciously cool catalyst for the economy. This confection has so enamored the country that the majority of U.S. ice cream manufacturers have been in the business for more than 50 years (and counting).

YouGovasked 1,000 U.S. adults about their favorite ice cream flavor, and many Americans ranked vanilla and chocolate at the top. Closely following America’s most popular flavors were strawberry, cookies and cream, and chocolate chip.

Stackeranalyzed data from the research and analytics firm to rank the 21 most-liked ice cream flavors in the U.S. by the percentage of adults that said they liked the flavor. Ties were broken by the percentage of adults who said it was their favorite flavor.

#21. Cake batter

– Percentage of adults who like it: 15%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 1%

#20. Butterscotch

– Percentage of adults who like it: 16%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 1%

#19. Raspberry

– Percentage of adults who like it: 18%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 1%

#18. Birthday cake

– Percentage of adults who like it: 20%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 2%

#17. Peanut butter

– Percentage of adults who like it: 21%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 2%

#16. Peach

– Percentage of adults who like it: 22%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 1%

#15. Cherry

– Percentage of adults who like it: 23%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 2%

#14. Pistachio

– Percentage of adults who like it: 23%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 4%

#13. Coffee

– Percentage of adults who like it: 23%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 5%

#12. Chocolate peanut butter

– Percentage of adults who like it: 26%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 5%

#11. Rocky road

– Percentage of adults who like it: 29%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 4%

#10. Neapolitan

– Percentage of adults who like it: 30%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 2%

#9. Caramel

– Percentage of adults who like it: 33%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 3%

#8. Mint chocolate chip

– Percentage of adults who like it: 33%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 9%

#7. Chocolate chip cookie dough

– Percentage of adults who like it: 34%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 6%

#6. Butter pecan

– Percentage of adults who like it: 35%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 8%

#5. Chocolate chip

– Percentage of adults who like it: 39%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 2%

#4. Strawberry

– Percentage of adults who like it: 43%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 6%

#3. Cookies and cream

– Percentage of adults who like it: 43%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 7%

#2. Chocolate

– Percentage of adults who like it: 51%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 10%

#1. Vanilla

– Percentage of adults who like it: 59%
– Percentage of adults who say it’s their favorite: 11%

The 21 most popular ice cream flavors in America (2024)

FAQs

What is the #1 selling ice cream in the United States? ›

With unit sales of approximately 176 million, Ben & Jerry's was the leading brand of ice cream in the United States in 2023. While Ben & Jerry's was the leading brand, private labels sold a total of over 401 million units that year.

What are the original 31 flavors of ice cream? ›

Original 31 Flavors
  • Banana Nut Fudge.
  • Black Walnut.
  • Burgundy Cherry.
  • Butterscotch Ribbon.
  • Cherry Macaron.
  • Chocolate.
  • Chocolate Almond.
  • Chocolate Chip.

Who had 28 flavors of ice cream? ›

Howard Johnson's was America's biggest restaurant chain in the 1960s and 1970s and as much as anything else it was its “unique” ice-cream (with 28 flavors) that people drove miles for.

What is America's #1 ice cream flavor? ›

With 21 states favoring vanilla, this classic, reliable flavor holds true. According to Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart's trends expert, “It's no surprise most states in the country are partial to vanilla ice cream because it's arguably the most versatile of them all.

What is the number 3 most popular ice cream? ›

Cookies 'n cream ice cream is the third most popular flavor and was invented in 1979 when a South Dakota State University dairy plant manager sought to invent a new ice cream flavor and had students crush Oreo cookies into ice cream. The world thanks them for their discovery.

Which 3 states eat the most ice cream? ›

States That Eat Most (And Least) Ice Cream
RankState
1California
2Oklahoma
3New Jersey
4New York
46 more rows
Aug 17, 2022

What are the top 3 ice cream brands? ›

Ice cream brands in the U.S.

Private-label products sold 401 million units, over double Ben & Jerry's 176 million units sold. Ben & Jerry's is number one in. Leading Breyer's and Blue Bunny in second and third place, respectively.

What is the oldest ice cream Flavour? ›

It appears, from the Wikipedia article, that the first flavors were Rosewater and Grape along with Honey, various Nuts. The first recipes for what we know as Ice Cream date from the early 18th century and are flavored with Lemonade.

What are the five most popular ice cream flavors? ›

What are the top ice cream flavors in the world? Looks like the top five ice cream flavors are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint chocolate chip, and cookies & cream.

What is a 99 ice cream called? ›

Apparently it is so called because the majority of ice cream merchants in the fifties were Italian. The King of Italy had an elite bodyguard consisting of 99 men. So anything elite was called 99s by Italians. So they called the elite ice cream a 99.

What is 100% real ice cream? ›

Real ice cream is made from 100% dairy – milk, and products made from milk (including cream, skim milk powder, and whey powder). Frozen desserts are made with vegetable oils, like palm, kernel, or coconut oil.

What are the top 3 best ice cream Flavours? ›

We'll now explore the reasons behind the irresistible charm of these top-notch flavors.
  • Vanilla: The Classic Favorite. ...
  • Chocolate: Rich and Decadent. ...
  • Strawberry: A Fruity Delight. ...
  • Mint Chocolate Chip: A Refreshing Indulgence. ...
  • Cookies & Cream: A Cookie Lover's Dream. ...
  • Vanilla Toppings. ...
  • Chocolate Toppings. ...
  • Strawberry Toppings.
Feb 14, 2024

What is the most loved ice cream flavor? ›

YouGov asked 1,000 U.S. adults about their favorite ice cream flavor, and many Americans ranked vanilla and chocolate at the top. Closely following America's most popular flavors were strawberry, cookies and cream, and chocolate chip.

What are the top five favorite ice cream flavors? ›

The top five ice cream flavors that reign supreme are:
  • Vanilla.
  • Chocolate.
  • Strawberry.
  • Mint chocolate chip.
  • Cookies & cream.
Feb 14, 2024

What is the most popular ice cream flavour? ›

What's the most popular ice cream flavor worldwide? We promise we didn't plan this one… it's vanilla! After looking into the top searched ice cream flavors worldwide, we found this classic to be #1 in almost every country.

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