How Vanilla Ice Cream Became A Summer Favorite In America

We live in a cookies-and-cream world.

We love our intricate flavors (ever had Superman Ice Cream, or Blackberry Truffle?).

But as much as we love to mix it up, Vanilla ice cream is still America's favorite.

Data from InstaCart shows that vanilla was the most-ordered ice cream flavor on the platform in summer 2024. It also topped the list for summer 2023.

Figures show vanilla made up 27-percent of all ice cream sales last summer.

Chocolate and cookies-and-cream made second and third on the list.

But we're beyond vanilla, aren't we. I mean, it's so ... vanilla.

Why Vanilla?

The InstaCart study, which takes into account grocery orders, but also restaurants and ice cream shops, doesn't differentiate the orders, it just accounts for the ingredients in the orders.

For instance, you order a root beer float, the two ingredients are root beer and vanilla ice cream.

You order an ice cream sundae, it might have hot fudge, bananas, strawberries, caramel, cookie bits, nuts, pineapple -- any of those. But it always has vanilla ice cream.

You buy a ice cream bar, it has chocolate coating and -- you guessed it -- vanilla ice cream.

See, vanilla isn't just a good flavor like chocolate and butter pecan, but it's also the base for hundreds of ice cream treats.

No one makes a milkshake with banana ice cream or a malt with strawberry. No, they start with vanilla.

In a way, the InstaCart study ranking vanilla No. 1 isn't just a ranking, but a tribute to the versatility that is vanilla ice cream.

Personally, I love me a twist cone with vanilla and chocolate swirled together (the twist at Digby's Marketplace in Santa Clara is the best around). And as good as the chocolate is, the vanilla is what makes it shine.

So here's to vanilla. Pundits may use it as an adjective to describe something that is mundane or boring ("That's so vanilla."). But I'll always love the sweet creaminess and unobtrusiveness that is good old vanilla.