As the nation celebrates National Ice Cream Day, vanilla remains the most popular flavor, accounting for roughly one in five ice cream purchases. However, several premium and specialty brands are gaining a larger share of the market, with some experiencing significant growth in the past year.
Specialty Brands on the Rise
Van Leeuwen, a Brooklyn-based ice cream company, has seen its share of Instacart ice cream orders rise by 37% from 2024 to 2025. The company is known for its French-style ice cream made with more than double the usual amount of egg yolks. Other brands, such as Graeter’s in Cincinnati and Alec’s Ice Cream in California, are also experiencing growth, with Graeter’s share of Instacart ice cream orders rising by 31% and Alec’s by 50% over the same period.
These specialty brands are offering unique and high-quality products that are attracting consumers who are looking for something different from traditional ice cream flavors. With the rise of online grocery shopping, these brands are able to reach a wider audience and compete with larger, more established companies.
National Ice Cream Day
National Ice Cream Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of July every year, and it is a day to appreciate the joy of ice cream and the people who make it. The ice cream industry is a significant contributor to the economy, with U.S. ice cream makers producing about 1.23 billion gallons of ice cream in 2025 and supporting nearly 27,000 jobs.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
