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This Is the Most Popular Ice Cream Flavor in America, New Data Shows

It's not vanilla. (But there's a catch!)
FACT CHECKED BY Joseph Neese

It's National Ice Cream Month . . . and for good reason! Ice cream sales skyrocket every July as summer hits full stride. That's particularly the case for vanilla ice cream, which is always a crowd-pleaser.

Grocery delivery service Instacart just revealed exactly which flavor millions of Americans around the country order when they step outside of their comfort zones. Vanilla is "hands down the most purchased ice cream flavor in every state," so Instacart decided to dig a little deeper.

To determine the most popular ice cream flavor (excluding vanilla) in all 50 states, Instacart figured out "which ice cream flavor each state buys the most compared to the national average." From green tea to rainbow sherbert, it uncovered some pretty interesting trends. The new most popular flavor of ice cream might surprise you! (Related: This Is the Best Supermarket in America, New Survey Says)

Coffee

bowl of coffee ice cream
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The five U.S. states farthest to the north and east all like java-flavored ice cream the most, according to the data. Who could argue with having coffee for breakfast and dessert?

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Birthday Cake

Birthday cake ice cream
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Cake and ice cream are a winning combo, but it turns out that birthday cake ice cream is also a popular ice cream flavor. Five states favor this flavor: Virginia, South Dakota, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Green Tea

Green tea ice cream
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Green tea is another drink that Americans crave in ice cream form. Instacart shoppers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, and Alaska all order green tea ice cream the most after vanilla.

Rocky Road

Rocky Road ice cream
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Americans in certain regions appear to have similar tastes in ice cream, and the Southwest is no different. Five states in the vicinity (plus Wyoming!) all love the combo of chocolate, marshmallow, and nuts known as Rocky Road.

But the most popular flavor in America is . . .

Moose Tracks

Moose Tracks ice cream
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Twelve states—West Wisconsin, Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Alabama—all buy Moose Tracks ice cream the most.

But what exactly is this flavor? Vanilla ice cream is mixed with chocolate fudge and melty peanut butter cups. That sounds like a winning combo to us!

For more favorites across the 50 states, check out: 

Amanda McDonald
Amanda has a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in digital journalism from Loyola University Chicago. Read more about Amanda
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