Top Ice Cream Flavors Around the World - Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (2024)

Each year, July brings warm weather, sunny days, and our one of our favorite food holidays of the year – National Ice Cream Month. What more could you ask for than a reason to indulge in sweet, frozen treats all month long? It’s easy to turn to classic flavors when it comes to your ice cream selection, and yes, classics are great for a reason, but it’s always fun to try something new. In honor of the world coming together on a global stage to celebrate sports this month, we’ve decided to elevate ice cream month by looking at ice cream favorites all around the world.

We dug into top searched ice cream styles across the globe and found favorites ranging from fried ice cream, to mochi and gelato. Check out our graphic below for some of our favorite global ice cream flavors and confections that beat the heat, and read on for more inspiration so you can bring your best creativity to ice cream month.

Top Ice Cream Flavors Around the World - Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (1)

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. Our favorite recipe is our very own Vanilla Ice Cream, which uses the classic flavor of Pure Vanilla Extract. Alternatively, you can switch it up and try out a new flavor profile by swapping in a vanilla that originates from all around the world, like our Ugandan Pure Vanilla Extract, Indonesian Pure Vanilla Extract, or the popular Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract.

If you’re interested in taking your taste buds on a culinary adventure beyond the classics, check out some other fun ice cream forms that are popular around the world:

1. Mochi Ice Cream: A traditional Japanese dessert of soft rice dough wrapped around frozen ice cream balls, this unique treat is growing in popularity all around the world. Try our mochi ice cream recipe that incorporates the traditional flavor of green tea.

2. Donodurma: This Turkish dessert, made of milk, sugar, salep, and aromatic resin, is known for its chewy consistency and its resistance to melting in hot temperatures.

See Also
Butter Pecan

3. Stracciatella: A variety of gelato that originated in Northern Italy, it consists of rich chocolate shavings, perfect for someone with a sweet tooth. Check out our Vanilla Bean Gelato recipe for a rich, vanilla base that can be easily customized to create a delicious stracciatella.

4. Kulfi: Similar to ice cream but with a denser texture, this traditional Indian frozen custard-like dessert is popular in both India and Colombia.

5. Ube: A Philippine dessert made from boiled and smashed yam, Ube is known for having a sweet, nutty flavor and a bright purple color. This treat has made its way into many desserts in recent years, and is delicious as an ice cream flavoring.

6. Puter: Looking for something tropical? Often referred to as “stirred ice cream”, puter is a delicious traditional Indonesian ice cream made from coconut milk. Try our No-Churn Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream recipe for a similar flavor profile that comes together easily without an ice cream maker.

We hope you feel inspired by some of these fun international ice cream ideas and are excited to see your creativity! Let us know which recipes you’re trying out to elevate ice cream month by sharing your creations on social media using #NielsenMasseyInspires.

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    Top Ice Cream Flavors Around the World - Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the most popular ice cream flavor around the world? ›

    Vanilla reigns supreme as the most popular ice cream flavor around the globe.

    What are the ice cream flavors survey? ›

    You can find results from the 2022 and 2019 surveys on IDFA's website. Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry are the ice cream flavors most often included in Americans' “Top 5” lists. However, Mint Chocolate Chip rounds out the top 3 when respondents are pressed for their #1 favorite.

    Is vanilla the most popular ice cream in the world? ›

    In comparison to other ice cream flavors, vanilla is more popular. The reasons behind this are undoubtedly many, but some common things that make vanilla more popular than other ice cream flavors are listed below. When it comes to recipes and cooking, vanilla is considered the most.

    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.

    What is the favorite ice cream flavor by gender? ›

    We found that women were much more likely to prefer chocolate flavor, while men favored vanilla or strawberry [Figure 2]. Older people were less likely to enjoy strawberry (P-value: 2.6*e-81).

    Who had 28 flavors of ice cream? ›

    Howard Johnson's soon became known for its 28 flavors of thick ice cream that had double the butterfat of most competitors' products. "During the post-war boom, Johnson began expanding rapidly, so by the company's peak in the 1960s, there would have been dozens of restaurants on the South Shore alone," Elliott said.

    What is the least popular flavor of ice cream in the US? ›

    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.

    What are the bad ice cream 2 flavors? ›

    Depending on the player's choice in the game's menu, they may be brown, white or pink coloured, representing chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavours. In Bad Ice Cream 2, there are three new flavours: sorbet (yellow), mint-choc-chip (green), bubble gum (blue).

    Who had 31 flavors of ice cream? ›

    As one of the top ice-cream franchises in the US, Baskin-Robbins has been serving scoops since 1945. The chain was originally known for its 31 flavors of ice cream, but between seasonal rotations and menu updates, it's offered more than 1,000 flavors over the years.

    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.

    Which is the number one ice cream in the world? ›

    Baskin-Robbins

    Baskin-Robbins is one of the best ice cream brands out there. This classic American ice cream shop has been serving up sweet treats since the 1940s. Their wide selection of over 50 flavors makes Baskin-Rob-bins the perfect place to visit if you're a flavor explorer.

    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.

    What is the most popular ice cream flavor in Asia? ›

    Vanilla ice cream was rated the most popular ice cream flavor in Japan. According to a survey conducted in October 2023, around 29 percent of Japanese respondents chose the vanilla flavored version as their favorite frozen treat.

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