Each State’s Favorite Ice-Cream Flavor Tells Us A Lot About The People That Live There

If you’ve ever wondered what your state’s most popular ice cream is, you’re in luck! A study from grocery deliveries firm Instacart has revealed which flavors are purchased most often in individual states in comparison to the national average. And we’ve got the results right here. So sit back, relax, and enjoy: there are some surprises on the way…

Alabama: Moose Tracks

To kick things off, we’ll of course be starting in The Heart of Dixie state. According to Instacart’s information, Alabama’s ice cream flavor of choice is Moose Tracks. Now in case you didn’t know, that’s a delicious vanilla-flavored treat that also includes fudge and peanut-butter cups. Need we say more?

Alaska: Green tea

As it turns out, Alaskans just can’t get enough of green tea ice cream. Who knew? This flavor maybe be a little polarizing, but it tops The Last Frontier’s list of favorite ice creams. Fun fact: did you know that green tea ice cream didn’t actually get its start in the United States? Instead, its origins trace back to Japan.

Arizona: Rocky Road

Ah, Rocky Road. What a flavor! Combining chocolate with marshmallows and little diced almonds, it’s perfect for ice cream lovers who have a sweet tooth. And apparently that includes Arizonans! Given how hot it can get in Alabama during the summer, a fat scoop of Rocky Road sounds pretty ideal to us.

Arkansas: Rainbow sherbet

So, what tantalizes the taste buds in Arkansas? Well, rainbow sherbet holds the ice cream crown in the southern state. It’s a combination of three different but equally delicious flavors: orange, lime, and raspberry. No wonder the lArkansas ocals love this colorful snack.

California: Rocky Road

Thinking about how lavish and indulgent a bowl of Rocky Road is, perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising that it tops California’s list of favorite ice creams. Here’s an interesting tidbit, though: although we often think of this as a stereotypically American flavor, it wasn’t dreamed up in the U.S. It was actually invented in Australia. We'll take a bit of Rocky Road Down Under!

Colorado: Green tea

Much like Alaska, Colorado is also big on green tea ice cream. No other scoops can touch it for popularity in The Centennial State. But what gives the flavor its unique bite? Well, most of it comes from matcha, a brightly colored green tea powder with a very distinct sort of earthy taste.

Connecticut: Pistachio

Do you like nutty ice cream flavors? Well, you’d fit right in in Connecticut. Pistachio ice cream is the scoop of choice there. We can see why, with that glorious green color and velvety-smooth texture. But did you know that a lot of pistachio ice cream also tends to include almond as an ingredient as well?

Delaware: Cherry

Research shows that the most popular ice cream flavor in Delaware, The First State, is cherry. Doesn't sound too controversial right? Who doesn't love a bit of fresh, tangy cherry? Well, surprisingly, no other state in America shares Delaware's passion for cherry: the flavor doesn’t top the list in any other region!

Florida: Rum raisin

Surely our friends down in Florida are going to be fans of a tropical ice cream flavor, right? You bet! It seems the Sunshine State can’t get enough of rum raisin. We can think of nothing better than tucking into a scoop of that while chilling out at the beach on a hot summer’s day. Road trip anyone?

Georgia: Rum raisin

It turns out rum raisin is a popular choice: it also tops the ice cream popularity charts in Georgia. The flavor itself emerged once Prohibition ended and American chefs were allowed to include alcohol in their dishes. It was a combination of vanilla gelato and Malaga raisins bathed in rum. Delicious!

Hawaii: Mango

If you could guess what Hawaii’s favorite ice cream is, we're betting Mango would come to mind. This tropical flavor perfectly fits those surroundings, so we shouldn’t be surprised that the locals adore it. We definitely wouldn’t turn down a bowl while relaxing on a gorgeous, sun-kissed Maui beach. Time for a vacation!

Idaho: Green tea

Who knew that green tea was such a popular flavor! It tops Idaho’s ice cream rankings, too. But how’s this for an interesting fact? Apparently, while green tea ice cream first emerged in Japanese kitchens back in the 1860,s this particular treat didn’t arrive in America until over a century later: in the 1970s, in fact.

Illinois: Moose Tracks

Jumping over to The Prairie State, Moose Tracks holds the honor of being Illinois’ favorite ice cream. Excellent choice! As per website PR Newswire, the tasty flavor has been delighting people for decades, with married couple June and Wally Blume concocting the idea during the 1980s.

Indiana: Moose Tracks

Moose Tracks again? Just like Alabama and Illinois, Indiana natives adore Moose Tracks; no other ice cream came close in the survey. And here’s a figure that’ll blow your mind: going into 2018 it was reported that more than 30 million tubs of the stuff were purchased annually. Holy smokes!

Iowa: Moose Tracks

We can now add Iowa to the list of states that can’t get enough of Moose Tracks ice cream. But what’s the ice cream’s nutritional profile? Well, according to the Turkey Hill website, a serving of two to three scoops sits at about 230 calories. Worth every bite!

Kansas: Rainbow sherbet

It seems only fitting that rainbow sherbet is Kansas’ favorite ice cream. After all, we can’t forget the rainbow connection in The Wizard of Oz — one of the most famous depictions of the state. Maybe Dorothy wouldn’t have been so sad if she’d tucked into a scoop of this delicious dessert?

Kentucky: Chocolate-chip

Instacart's study confirms that Kentucky’s ice cream of choice is an absolute classic: chocolate chip. Yum! Is there anyone who doesn't like choc chip? On the nutritional front, the Baskin Robbins website revealed that a standard serving contains about 250 calories, while a whole 14oz tub comes to 650.

Louisiana: Birthday cake

We'd personally like to thank whoever came up with Birthday cake ice cream. It's everything we never knew we wanted. And it turns out Louisianans absolutely love it, too. But what’s actually in it? Real cake? Well, someone from Halo Top told the Vox website, “The flavor is vanilla cake and sprinkles mixed in. [It’s] basically the texture of eating vanilla cake batter with sprinkles!”

Maine: Coffee

Coffee ice cream is a real treat: in fact, in Maine no other flavor can top it. This might come as something of a surprise, though: the moreish dessert is thought to have appeared on the ice cream scene way back in the late 1860s, and it first popped up in a food publication in 1919.

Maryland: Cookie dough

When it comes to Maryland’s favorite ice cream flavor, cookie dough sits atop the mountain. We approve! This tasty dessert made its bow in the mid-1980s, with Fabulous Phil’s Gourmet Ice Cream welcoming it to the world. Ben and Jerry’s Burlington Scoop Shop also played a role here. What an iconic flavor.

Massachusetts: Coffee

Jumping to Massachusetts, the survey results revealed that The Bay State can’t get enough of coffee ice cream. In fact, this flavor is so popular that it even has its own day of celebration: national Coffee Ice Cream Day annually falls on September 6.

Michigan: Moose Tracks

This is arguably the least surprising result in this 50-strong list. Why’s that? Well, Moose Tracks got its start in Michigan back in the 1980s. According to the Moose Tracks website, the flavor’s unusual name was inspired by a crazy golf course close to the store that eventually sold the first servings. The more you know!

Minnesota: Moose Tracks

No wonder millions of Moose Tracks tubs fly off the shelves each year at supermarkets. Minnesota is another state in this list to rank the mouth-watering flavor as its favorite. The dreamy mix of fudge and peanut-butter cups is clearly too hard to resist in The Land of 10,000 Lakes! We can totally understand why!

Mississippi: Birthday cake

Like Louisiana, Mississippi is big on Birthday Cake ice cream, too. But when did it first pop up on the ice cream scene? Tom Gibson, who holds the enviable title of chief flavorist at beverage development firm Flavorman, told Salon.com, “My best guess is that the flavor, as we know it today, appeared between the late ’60s and early ’70s.”

Missouri: Cookie dough

Instacart's study found that the number-one ice cream flavor preference in Missouri is cookie dough. It’s certainly a popular choice in America. And get this: the Ben and Jerry’s website reported that more than 1.6 million pints of the stuff are consumed every year. That's a whole lot of cookie dough!

Montana: Rainbow sherbet

Rainbow sherbet finds itself at the top of Montana’s ice cream rankings. This particular dessert first dropped back in the 1950s, when a Pennsylvania worker uncovered a method to store various types of sherbet gelato in a single container. And thus the beautiful three-in-one flavor combo was born. Talk about a game-changer!

Nebraska: Moose Tracks

The Cornhusker State is our next stop, and yes, Moose Tracks is the favored flavor there, too. Mind you, Nebraska isn’t a big ice cream-eating state per se. Gravy Analytics revealed that it came just above the bottom ten, in 35th place.

Nevada: Rocky Road

In Nevada, Rocky Road is evidently the ice cream to beat. And the flavor boasts quite the history. As per website Braums, in the past, most consumers could only get their hands on three particular varieties: strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. But Rocky Road changed all that, becoming the fourth option.

New Hampshire: Coffee

So which dessert delights the people of The Granite State, then? Well, it’s coffee ice cream. Bearing that in mind, September 6 must be a fun day in New Hampshire! We can only imagine the number of scoops that get served in shops during that period.

New Jersey: Pistachio

If you like pistachio ice cream, head over to New Jersey: you’ll be in good company there, as it’s the state’s favorite flavor. But the tasty treat was actually created a little further north. Yes, as per website The Nosey Chef, a man named James Wood Parkinson dreamed up the recipe in Pennsylvania during the early 1940s.

New Mexico: Chocolate chocolate-chip

If you don’t know the difference between chocolate-chip and chocolate chocolate-chip ice cream, remember this. The former is made from vanilla, while the latter largely consists of cocoa. New Mexico prefers the double offering, but it’s the only state in America to name it as a favorite flavor.

New York: Pistachio

Just like their friends over in The Garden State, New York loves pistachio: it tops the flavor rankings there, too. And something tells us that a lot gets consumed across the year. According to Gravy Analytics, The Empire State is among America’s top-five ice cream eaters.

North Carolina: Birthday cake

Following the lead of both Louisiana and Mississippi, North Carolina can’t get enough of birthday cake ice cream. But what’s the flavor’s nutritional profile? Well, as per Turkey Hill, a standard serving comes in at 210 calories. Meanwhile, its total fat covers exactly 13 percent of the recommended daily intake.

North Dakota: Moose Tracks

Nope, the Moose Tracks love-in isn’t over just yet. Survey results highlighted that North Dakota is a big on the flavor as well. Given how adored this ice cream appears to be, we can see it enduring for many more decades to come. The Blumes must be delighted!

Ohio: Chocolate-chip

On to Ohio now, and our pals in The Buckeye State are said to be huge fans of chocolate-chip ice cream. Much like Kentucky, they have a preference for the standard flavor, as opposed to the double helping of chocolate that’s beloved in New Mexico. One batch is enough.

Oklahoma: Cookie dough

Regarding Oklahoma’s flavor of choice, research revealed that cookie dough reigns supreme. And of the 1.6 million pints that get consumed each year, we sense that The Sooner State might have a large hand in that. You see, according to Gravy Analytics, only California eats more ice cream.

Oregon: Green tea

Should you ever find yourself in Oregon, keep an eye on the ice cream the locals are eating. You’ll probably see plenty of green! Yep, green tea is the state’s favorite flavor. On the caffeine front, a standard serving is said to contain 50 percent less than a dark coffee.

Pennsylvania: Mint-chip

Given the historical ties to rainbow sherbet and pistachio, you’d think one of those would be Pennsylvania’s favorite ice cream, right? But that’s not the case. Instead, the survey uncovered that mint-chip tops the rankings. No other state feels as strongly about the tasty flavor, though, surprisingly.

Rhode Island: Coffee

As it turns out, Rhode Island is another state that loves coffee ice cream. People just can’t seem to get enough of it. You might be wondering how much caffeine the dessert actually contains? Well, according to Bon Appétit magazine, half a scoop of the Häagen-Dazs variety contains over 21 milligrams.

South Carolina: Moose Tracks

If you’ve never tried Moose Tracks before, something tells us that might change by the end of today! It’s clearly got a huge fan base. And now, we can add South Carolina to the list. The Palmetto State appears to have a real taste for the gorgeous, gooey ice cream.

South Dakota: Birthday cake

The study results revealed that South Dakota was among the list of states whose residents adore the birthday cake flavor. But broadly speaking, The Mount Rushmore State doesn’t really consume that much ice cream compared to most others in America: Gravy Analytics ranked it 42nd out of 50.

Tennessee: Moose Tracks

The list just keeps on growing: Tennessee is another state to nail its flag to the Moose Tracks mast. In fact, the flavor is so popular that it’s jumped to other products as well. For instance, you can find it in Greek yogurt and cheesecakes.

Texas: Rainbow sherbet

Yes, the people of The Lone Star State evidently like more than one flavor in their ice cream. Rainbow sherbet tops Texas’ dessert rankings. And on the nutritional front, it’s actually a little less fattening than some of its counterparts. Baskin Robbins noted that a standard serving contains roughly 170 calories.

Utah: Rocky Road

The research revealed that Utah’s ice cream of choice is Rocky Road. Now, while we’ve already covered some interesting facts about this flavor, one question still remains: when did it appear in shops for the first time? Well, as per Braums, the delicious dessert made its bow back in 1929.

Vermont: Coffee

Yep, coffee ice cream is a really popular choice, with Vermont also showing its love in the study’s findings. No wonder the flavor has its own day in America! Who knows whether anyone predicted the dessert’s remarkable rise back when it first appeared in the 1860s?

Virginia: Birthday cake

After popping up on numerous occasions, this marks the very final appearance of birthday cake ice cream in our list. Virginia is the fifth state to declare its love for the flavor, making it the joint-second most popular choice in our epic round-up.

Washington: Green tea

On to Washington now, and The Evergreen State’s favorite ice cream just so happens to be pretty green itself. Yep, green tea tops the rankings there. Despite boasting a pretty strong taste compared to some of its counterparts, this snack has developed a truly loyal following since arriving in America.

West Virginia: Moose Tracks

So what excites the taste buds of our pals in West Virginia, then? Yep, it’s Moose Tracks. But while the flavor has definitely left a mark on The Mountain State, its citizens aren’t huge lovers of ice cream in general. Going back to the Gravy Analytics list, West Virginia sits at 46th.

Wisconsin: Moose Tracks

If you’ve read every entry so far you won’t be shocked to learn that Moose Tracks has outperformed every other ice-cream flavor in this round-up. With Wisconsin joining the existing list of names, that makes it the number-one choice in 12 states. Seeing that the flavor’s recipe originates from a business in The Badger State, the connection between these two shouldn’t be that astonishing.

Wyoming: Rocky Road

For those living in Wyoming, no other flavor can topple Rocky Road from the top spot. Not even Moose Tracks! Yet the dessert as a whole isn’t hugely popular in the state according to Gravy Analytics. As per that study, only Alabama and Minnesota consume less ice cream in America.