No summer holiday is complete without a trip to an ice cream parlour, beach stall, or restaurant to cool off with your favourite frozen treat. Many of us associate ice cream with happy childhood memories, special events, and holidays. Thanks to its many flavours and ability to complement other sweet treats, this dessert has remained a staple in almost every country across the world.
Whether you prefer to keep things vanilla or love to branch out and try local flavours while travelling abroad, we’ve got you covered. Our team of experts has analysed Google search data for 80 different ice cream flavours around the world to reveal each nation’s favourite.
Read more below to get the scoop on every country’s favourite flavour, breakdowns of flavours by continent, and our ice cream parlour recommendations.
Get the scoop: the world’s most popular ice cream flavours
The world’s most popular ice cream flavours
Vanilla ice cream, which is typically made with Madagascan vanilla beans but can come in Tahitian and Mexican varieties, tops the rankings as the world’s most popular flavour. Good quality vanilla ice cream is often made from whole beans that are split and scraped to create a paste, which is then added to cream and sugar.
A staggering 46 countries would choose vanilla over any other flavour scoop, including 25 countries in Africa, as well as Greece, Monaco, Sweden, and India. In second place is Neapolitan, a multi-layered ice cream, which usually includes vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Neapolitan receives 1.6 million global annual searches, setting mouths watering most in the UK as well as 28 other countries. The triple-flavour ice cream is believed to have been introduced in 1962 in Naples, Italy, and clearly still holds a place in the hearts of foodies today.
Chocolate rounds off the top three and comes in a variety of milk, dark, or white, using either melted chocolate, or chocolate powder. Lovers of more decadent ice cream flavours can indulge in chocolate chip, double chocolate, or chocolate fudge, which are just some of the mouthwatering options available.
Rank |
Flavour |
Annual Global Search volume |
Number of Countries |
1 |
Vanilla Ice Cream |
1,759,430 |
46 |
2 |
Neapolitan Ice Cream |
1,615,840 |
29 |
3 |
Chocolate Ice Cream |
1,639,580 |
22 |
4 |
Strawberry Ice Cream |
1,256,230 |
12 |
5 |
Pistachio Ice Cream |
1,232,050 |
11 |
6 |
Melon Ice Cream |
361,880 |
8 |
7 |
Mango Ice Cream |
1,048,280 |
6 |
8 |
Matcha Ice Cream |
646,290 |
4 |
9 |
Rocky Road Ice Cream |
650,910 |
3 |
=10 |
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream |
391,730 |
2 |
=10 |
Hokey Pokey Ice Cream |
154,490 |
2 |
=10 |
Guava Ice Cream |
59,790 |
2 |
=10 |
Kulfi Ice Cream |
292,660 |
2 |
=14 |
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream |
561,380 |
1 |
=14 |
Yogurt Ice Cream |
480,350 |
1 |
=14 |
Coffee Ice Cream |
458,160 |
1 |
=14 |
Bubblegum Ice Cream |
389,170 |
1 |
=14 |
Green Tea Ice Cream |
340,280 |
1 |
=14 |
Avocado Ice Cream |
311,800 |
1 |
=14 |
Fig Ice Cream |
272,240 |
1 |
=14 |
Pineapple Ice Cream |
213,520 |
1 |
=14 |
Liquorice Ice Cream |
155,930 |
1 |
=14 |
Tiramisu Ice Cream |
154,150 |
1 |
=14 |
Amarena Ice Cream |
105,690 |
1 |
=14 |
Lemon Sorbet Ice Cream |
56,820 |
1 |
=14 |
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream |
235,330 |
1 |
=14 |
Cinnamon Ice Cream |
149,690 |
1 |
=14 |
Taro Ice Cream |
144,610 |
1 |
=14 |
Maple Walnut Ice Cream |
34,950 |
1 |
The UK’s favourite ice cream flavours
Three is the magic number for UK ice cream lovers, as Neapolitan's mix of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate is the nation’s most searched for flavour. While most parlours offer a triple-scoop serving of the three flavours, Manchester-based Grandpa Greene’s, which has been serving up award-winning scoops since 1920, takes it to the next level. Flavours include luxury chocolate, vanilla pod, and wild strawberry, made using dairy from Pedigree Friesian cows - a Neapolitan to remember!
In second place and ranking just ahead of the world’s most popular flavour (vanilla), pistachio ice cream makes a surprising second-place entry. Those looking to get their pistachio fix can head to Swoon Gelato in Bristol, Bath, Oxford, Cardiff or London. The parlours are run by a family who’ve passed down their recipes for generations – and make their pistachio with real Sicilian pistachio nuts from Mount Etna!
The UK still enjoys traditional ice cream flavours, with vanilla and chocolate ranking in third and fourth place, while bubblegum – a more contemporary ice cream – rounds off the top five.
If you happen to be staying at our Aberystwyth seafront Premier Inn in Wales, why not take a trip down the coast to visit Creme Pen Cei in New Quay, which even offers a ‘Shrek Bubblegum’ green option!
Ice cream flavours that originated further east have also influenced Britain’s tastes. Among these are Kulfi from India, which comes in malai (cream) flavour; Ube (purple yam) from the Philippines; and Matcha (green tea) flavour from Japan. Those craving Matcha ice cream, a flavour that balances earthy and bitter elements with a sweet aftertaste, can head to Tsujiri in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Leeds. Tsujiri have been experts in Matcha since 1860 and now offer soft serve matcha to the hordes of ice cream lovers congregating outside their shops daily.
Rank |
Flavour |
UK’s Annual Search Volume |
1 |
Neapolitan Ice Cream |
124,700 |
2 |
Pistachio Ice Cream |
941,00 |
3 |
Vanilla Ice Cream |
81,600 |
4 |
Chocolate Ice Cream |
61,200 |
5 |
Bubblegum Ice Cream |
55,800 |
6 |
Coconut Ice Cream |
54,800 |
7 |
Strawberry Ice Cream |
49,300 |
8 |
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream |
42,500 |
9 |
Kulfi Ice Cream |
40,200 |
10 |
Mango Ice Cream |
36,800 |
11 |
Coffee Ice Cream |
30,600 |
12 |
Ube Ice Cream |
24,600 |
13 |
Salted Caramel Ice Cream |
23,300 |
14 |
Matcha Ice Cream |
20,600 |
15 |
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream |
16,380 |
Europe’s favourite ice cream flavours
Europe follows global trends by placing vanilla as their flavour of choice. Over a third of European countries that we analysed search most for vanilla, including Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, France, and Finland.
Strawberry ice cream ranks in second place, featuring a little higher in Europe than in other continents and favoured in Austria, Croatia, and Slovakia, among others.
Chocolate and pistachio are joint tied for third place, while refreshing melon is preferred in Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey.
While the UK is the only country in Europe to favour Neapolitan ice cream, it’s one of 29 countries that do so globally.
On the flip side, several European nations are alone in their favourite ice cream tastes: Iceland with coffee, Denmark with liquorice, North Macedonia with tiramisu, Armenia with taro, and Portugal with lemon.
Rank |
Flavour |
Number of Countries |
1 |
Vanilla Ice Cream |
11 |
2 |
Strawberry Ice Cream |
7 |
=3 |
Chocolate Ice Cream |
5 |
=3 |
Pistachio Ice Cream |
5 |
5 |
Melon Ice Cream |
4 |
6 |
Rocky Road Ice Cream |
2 |
=7 |
Neapolitan Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Coffee Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Liquorice Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Tiramisu Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Taro Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Lemon Sorbet Ice Cream |
1 |
Asia’s favourite ice cream flavours
Asia is another continent that follows the global trend by placing vanilla as their ice cream flavour of choice; seven nations including India, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Maldives, love the sweet, simple flavour.
Mango ice cream is more popular in Asia than anywhere else in the world, capturing the tropical nature of much of the continent’s climate.
The delicacy is usually made by combining the pulp or puree of mango with cream, milk, sugar, and sometimes egg yolk – setting mouths watering in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
Chocolate rounds off the top three, while matcha is preferred by the Japanese, Chinese and Singaporeans, ranking in fourth.
Several countries are the only ones to prefer their favourite ice cream flavour: Guava is most searched in Sri Lanka, Cookies and Cream is the top scoop in the Philippines, Bubblegum makes a sole appearance for Kyrgyzstan, and Indonesians are the only ice cream lovers to opt for fig.
Rank |
Flavour |
Number of Countries |
1 |
Vanilla Ice Cream |
7 |
2 |
Mango Ice Cream |
5 |
3 |
Chocolate Ice Cream |
4 |
4 |
Matcha Ice Cream |
3 |
=5 |
Strawberry Ice Cream |
2 |
=5 |
Melon Ice Cream |
2 |
=5 |
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream |
2 |
=8 |
Guava Ice Cream |
1 |
=8 |
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream |
1 |
=8 |
Bubblegum Ice Cream |
1 |
=8 |
Green Tea Ice Cream |
1 |
=8 |
Avocado Ice Cream |
1 |
=8 |
Fig Ice Cream |
1 |
Africa’s favourite ice cream flavours
Vanilla ice cream also reigns supreme in Africa. A staggering 25 countries opt for vanilla when selecting their ice cream scoop, including Madagascar, where a lot of vanilla beans originate.
Angola, Liberia, and Morocco are among seven countries that adore chocolate flavour ice cream, while strawberry rounds off the top three, favoured by four countries.
Several ice cream flavours are preferred by just one nation: Maple Walnut in Ethiopia, Yogurt in Cape Verde, and Amerena in Rwanda.
Rank |
Flavour |
Number of Countries |
1 |
Vanilla Ice Cream |
25 |
2 |
Chocolate Ice Cream |
7 |
3 |
Strawberry Ice Cream |
4 |
=4 |
Neapolitan Ice Cream |
2 |
=4 |
Melon Ice Cream |
2 |
=4 |
Kulfi Ice Cream |
2 |
=7 |
Pistachio Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Mango Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Matcha Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Guava Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Yogurt Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Amarena Ice Cream |
1 |
=7 |
Maple Walnut Ice Cream |
1 |
So, whichever ice cream flavour is your favourite, check out our travel guides for some staycation inn-spiration and enjoy a tasty scoop near one of our hotels this summer!
Methodology:
A list of 79 ice cream flavours was compiled using desk research, with annual search data for the flavours gathered per country via Google Keyword Planner. Any countries that had no data, or where the search volume was returned as 0, were removed. Certain countries were excluded from data collection due to their current political climate. In the event of ties, the first returned ice cream flavour has been used for the purposes of this campaign and data collection.
All data correct as of July 2024.