What’s the Scoop? IDFA Releases New Ice Cream Trends Survey with America’s Top Flavors, Toppings, and Ways to Eat Ice Cream
May 22 2024 - 1:28PM
National Ice Cream Month will be here before you know it! In
celebration of America’s favorite frozen treat, the International
Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) has partnered with Morning Consult
to survey America’s love for all things ice cream and frozen
desserts. In addition to this broad survey of the general American
population, IDFA conducted a separate survey of staff on Capitol
Hill to get their take on flavors, toppings, and what ice cream
best describes the U.S. Congress.
So, what’s the scoop? 97% of Americans love or like ice cream.
While traditional ice cream flavors still dominate IDFA’s list,
newer flavors like Butter Pecan and Cookie Dough are shaking up the
top five. According to the survey, America’s favorite flavor is
Vanilla, while staff on Capitol Hill prefer Cookie Dough. But
before you lose your sprinkles, let’s compare the two groups:
Top 5 flavors among the general American
public:
- Vanilla
- Chocolate
- Strawberry
- Butter Pecan
- Cookie Dough
How does this lineup compare to previous years? You can find
results from the 2022 and 2019 surveys on IDFA’s website.
Top 5 flavors among Capitol Hill staff:
- Cookie Dough
- Cookies and
Cream
- Mint Chocolate
Chip
- Birthday Cake
- Coffee
“It’s no surprise that America loves ice cream,” said IDFA
President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M. “And America’s favorite
frozen treat is more than dessert—it also supports nearly 30,000
jobs and pumps $11.4 billion into our nation’s economy each year
according to IDFA’s Dairy Delivers data. This July, celebrate
National Ice Cream Month with a cone, pint, or half-gallon of your
favorite flavor and know that you’re also supporting dairy farmers
and manufacturers across this great nation.”
More results from the IDFA-Morning Consult survey:
What type of container do consumers prefer?
- Waffle cones beat
out sugar cones 29% to 12% among consumers, but 27% of consumers
prefer to eat their ice cream out of a bowl.
What type of toppings do consumers prefer?
- Hot fudge is the top
ice cream topping at 35%, beating out caramel sauce at 24% and
chocolate sauce at 21%. Whipped cream is the second most popular
topping at 29%.
When weighing ice cream options, what consideration is most
important to consumers?
- 94% of respondents
said that ice cream flavor is the most important consideration,
though four fifths of adults think size and price are important as
well.
Where is your favorite place to eat ice cream?
- 63% of Americans say
their favorite place to eat ice cream is at home; 21% of young
adults (18-34) are more likely than other groups to say outdoors is
their favorite setting.
When asked what flavors best describes the U.S. Congress, 30%
among the general American population respondents and 50% among
Capitol Hill staff picked “Rocky Road: Anything but Smooth.” Other
popular responses were “Banana Split: Split Down the Middle” and
“Butter Pecan: Rich and Nutty.”
To see the full results, visit here. For more facts, sales
and trends, history, and other information about of ice cream and
ice cream products, visit here.
IDFA will kick off our celebration of National Ice Cream Month
with the 40th Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party on June 12, 2024.
Join us for free ice cream to celebrate America’s favorite frozen
treat!
# # #
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington,
D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing
industry, which supports more than 3.2 million jobs that generate
$49 billion in direct wages and $794 billion in overall economic
impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational
organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and
cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting
edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together,
they represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and
cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in
the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe
and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer
benefits to people of all ages.
- America's Favorite Ice Cream Flavors - May 2024
Andrew Jerome
International Dairy Foods Association
press@idfa.org