What's Hot in Ice Cream (2024)

Flavors

According to IDFA's 2024 Ice Cream & Frozen Novelty Trends Survey, Vanilla is America's flavor of choice in ice cream, followed by Chocolate and Strawberry.

America’s top 10 favorite ice cream flavors:

  • Vanilla
  • Chocolate
  • Strawberry
  • Butter Pecan
  • Cookie Dough
  • Cookies and Cream
  • Mint Chocolate Chip
  • Chocolate Chip
  • Rocky Road
  • Peanut Butter/PB Cup

However, ice cream flavors are only limited by the imagination. Manufacturers, scoop shops and chefs constantly come up with new and exciting flavors for their customers.

Here are a few:

  • Chile Lime Mango
  • Nutella Cookie Crunch
  • Coffee Caramel Crunch
  • Lemon Poppy Seed
  • Earl Grey Raspberry Stracciatella
  • Exhausted Parent
  • Saffron

New Product Trends

Respondents in IDFA’s 2022 survey of ice cream makers and retailers identified six top trends guiding their product development efforts:

  • Nostalgic and comforting
  • Gourmet and indulgent
  • Demand for plant-based and/or non-dairy ingredients
  • Clean labeling
  • Convenience or on-the-go
  • Natural products
  • Health and wellness products

Consumers still look for an indulgence when eating ice cream. Therefore, ice cream manufacturers make sure to offer a full selection of premium and super-premium products in innovative flavors and with such mix-ins as cookies, brownies, candies and cake.

Innovation and Technology

The winning ice cream products in IDFA’s annual Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition in 2024 were Peanut Butter Overload by Windy Knoll Farm Market, Banana Pudding Eclair by Hershey’s Ice Cream, and Insta Graham from The Ice Cream Club. But don’t go looking for Insta Graham just yet. It’s a prototype, and we hope it hits shelves soon.

What's Hot in Ice Cream (2024)

FAQs

What's Hot in Ice Cream? ›

Spicy ice cream is a unique twist on the classic dessert that involves adding spices to the ice cream base. Some common spices used in spicy ice cream include cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.

What is the spicy flavor in ice cream? ›

Spicy ice cream is a unique twist on the classic dessert that involves adding spices to the ice cream base. Some common spices used in spicy ice cream include cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.

What is the top ice cream flavor? ›

Vanilla, the most popular ice cream flavor in the world, is often considered as America's favorite flavor due to its simplicity and compatibility with a wide range of desserts and toppings.

Is spicy ice cream real? ›

So when I tell you this stuff is spicy, you can trust me. Marco's ice creams are made in New York and are spiced up both with locally sourced ingredients, as from their partners at the Brooklyn Spice Company, as well as global ingredients.

Is Superman ice cream blue moon? ›

Their version included three flavors: lemon, Red Pop (based on a local strawberry soda), and Blue Moon. The exact makeup of the latter flavor is a lingering Midwestern mystery.

What is the hot version of ice cream? ›

Unlike traditional ice cream, hot ice cream is made with methylcellulose, which is a thickener that works at high cooking temperatures. Hot ice cream is poached, which also differs from the way conventional ice cream gets made. Whereas regular ice cream melts as it gets warm, hot ice cream melts when it cools down.

What is the hottest ice cream? ›

The flavor, called Devil's Breath, is the world's spiciest ice cream! It's made with the world's hottest chili pepper, the Carolina Reaper. Chilies are spicy because they contain a chemical called capsaicin (kap-SAY-uh-suhn).

What is the #1 ice cream in America? ›

1. Vanilla. Above all types of ice cream flavors, vanilla is America's favorite for a reason: it's simple and it goes with everything.

What is the least popular flavor of ice cream? ›

Rocky Road, 4% Only four percent of Americans count Rocky Road Ice Cream as their favourite flavor. It is a chocolate-based ice cream with chopped almonds and marshmallow pieces mixed through. The ice cream flavor is often said to have originated in Australia.

Is there such thing as hot ice cream? ›

Hot ice cream is made by cooking your ice cream solution (which contains methyl cellulose) in the microwave. In this section, you will prepare 3 solutions. All will start from the same base recipe: a mixture of water, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla extract.

Is Hot Cheeto ice cream real? ›

Available now, the new Cheetos Flamin' Hot Ice Cream is the dream combination for those who like their treats hot and sweet. Made with Marble Slab Creamery's signature sweet ice cream base, the latest flavor variety is then finished with pieces of Flamin' Hot Cheetos mixed in.

What flavor is playdough ice cream? ›

Bright yellow vanilla ice cream with hot pink and blue sugar cookie gems.

What flavor ice cream is cookie Monster? ›

This sweet and fantastically blue flavor features sweet cream ice cream and is stuffed with a mix of chocolate sandwich cookie pieces, chocolate chip cookie pieces, and a cookie dough batter flavored swirls. Each scoop is creamy, crunchy, chewy, and perfectly satisfies those cookie cravings… until you want more!

What is Supermoon ice cream? ›

The fourth flavor, Supermoon, is a retired flavor that's returning to scoop shops and pints, known for having a cereal milk flavor with marshmallows, candied violet and plenty of glittery moon dust.

Why is Mexican ice cream spicy? ›

What makes Mexican chocolate ice cream spicy? To give this frozen dessert its spice — just like with Mexican hot chocolate — there are two main ingredients you'll add: cayenne pepper and cinnamon.

What type of flavor is spicy? ›

Spicy foods are piquant and bold. They are often hot but are most notable for delivering a flavorful, one-two punch that's dominated by the zingy way it lifts the palate. Spicy flavors tend to mellow fairly quickly into a gentler finish on the tongue.

What is spicy and spooky ice cream? ›

Introducing our NEW Flavour of the Month, Spicy 'n Spooky! 👻 This scarily delicious flavour includes a blend of white chocolate ghost pepper flavoured ice cream with black coloured chocolate ice cream and spicy blood orange flavoured flakes.

What is the cold version of spicy called? ›

It appears that the cool‑mint and hot‑chili‑pepper metaphors are biologically hardwired from birth. The main active ingredient in mint is menthol, while its equivalent in chili peppers is a chemical called capsaicin.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Annamae Dooley

Last Updated:

Views: 6052

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Annamae Dooley

Birthday: 2001-07-26

Address: 9687 Tambra Meadow, Bradleyhaven, TN 53219

Phone: +9316045904039

Job: Future Coordinator

Hobby: Archery, Couponing, Poi, Kite flying, Knitting, Rappelling, Baseball

Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.