Interest in healthier ice cream options is growing among Americans, but established brands and flavors remain popular. In honor of National Ice Cream Day, Instacart has revealed the top ice cream flavors bought by Americans.
Vanilla Dominates
Vanilla was the most-purchased flavor in 2025, according to Instacart data. It represented roughly 21% of all ice cream orders and emerged as the preferred choice in every U.S. state and Washington, D.C.
Steve Christensen, executive director of the North American Ice Cream Association, highlighted ice cream’s ability to unite people, advising, “Try the vanilla first. If the vanilla’s good, then everything’s good.”
Chocolate ranked second with 7.9% of sales, while cookie dough was third with 6.9%. Familiar comfort flavors like these dominate consumer choices.
Top Ten Flavors
Besides vanilla, the other popular flavors included cookies & cream (5.8%), chocolate fudge/brownie (5.1%), peanut butter (4.7%), mint chocolate chip (4.7%), coffee (4.5%), strawberry (3.7%), and cherry (3.1%).
Brand Preferences
Halo Top was the most-searched ice cream brand from April 2025 to April 2026, known for being a lower-calorie, lower-sugar option. Nevertheless, searches didn’t equal sales.
In 2025, Breyers, Blue Bunny, and Turkey Hill led in sales by dollar amount, according to Dairy Foods Magazine. Häagen-Dazs topped Instacart orders, accounting for 24% of purchases, beating Ben & Jerry’s, with Breyers ranking third.
Regional Favorites
Local brands hold strong appeal. Tillamook is a favorite in the West, Blue Bell in the South, and Blue Bunny in the Plains states. Specialty brands such as Alec’s Ice Cream and Van Leeuwen are seeing significant growth.
Beyond vanilla, regional preferences include Rocky Road in the West and butter pecan in the South. In Wisconsin, Moose Tracks, a peanut-butter-and-chocolate mix, is adored, while cheesecake-flavored ice cream appeals to Tennesseans. Coloradans and Wyoming residents enjoy cherry.
Instacart noted that vanilla often serves as a neutral base for diverse ice cream creations, and classic flavors continue to anchor freezers nationwide.
Despite the classics, local and premium flavors are slowly making their way into the mainstream ice cream market.
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