There’s been a noticeable uptick in Americans looking for ice cream that pitches itself as a healthier choice. Yet, data indicates that people still tend to gravitate towards familiar brands and classic flavors.
To mark National Ice Cream Day, Instacart shared insights on the most popular flavors among shoppers.
According to their findings, vanilla took the top spot in 2025, making up about 21% of all ice cream purchases. It’s deemed the “most popular flavor” across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Steve Christensen, the executive director of the North American Ice Cream Association based in Missouri, mentioned that ice cream is a great way to bring folks together. He recommends starting with vanilla: “If the vanilla is good, everything else will follow.”
Second place went to chocolate, responsible for 7.9% of orders, while cookie dough came in third at 6.9% of purchases.
Instacart highlighted that these results suggest “comfort usually prevails over novelty” when it comes to ice cream.
The remaining flavors in the top ten were mostly longstanding favorites: chocolate fudge/brownie at 5.1%; peanut butter and mint chocolate chip, both at 4.7%; followed by coffee at 4.5%, strawberry at 3.7%, and cherry at 3.1%.
Meanwhile, specialty and premium brands experienced significant growth compared to the prior year.
Halo Top, which markets its ice cream as a “comfort treat” lower in calories and sugar while being higher in protein than many leading brands, emerged as the most searched ice cream from April 2025 to April 2026, based on Google search data from Innerbody Research. However, search trends don’t necessarily translate to actual sales. In 2025, brands like Briers, Blue Bunny, and Turkey Hill led in dollar sales.
Haagen-Dazs topped the list for the most purchased brand among Instacart users, with Bryer’s following closely behind, even surpassing Ben & Jerry’s by capturing about 24% of the orders.
The data also revealed that regional brands have a strong customer base. For instance, Tillamook is favored in the West, while Bluebell is a hit in the South, and Blue Bunny appeals to those in the Plains states.
Specialty brands such as Alec’s Ice Cream and Rebel, among others, are seeing the most significant growth year-over-year.
Aside from the classic flavors, regional specialties are also popular. For example, Rocky Road is a favorite in the West, coffee ice cream is a hit in New England, and folks in the South love butter pecan. In Wisconsin, the peanut butter and chocolate mix known as moose tracks is beloved. Over in Tennessee, cheesecake flavor is the choice of many, whereas cherry ice cream is preferred in Colorado and Wyoming.
Instacart pointed out that despite regional preferences, the essence of ice cream in America is about comfort. Vanilla, chocolate, and cookie dough seem to have a place in nearly every freezer, and the most prominent brands continue to thrive. The blend of classic and local flavors, along with new premium options, is finding its way into the mainstream.
