Skip to Content

100 Interesting Facts About Ice Cream (2024)

Sharing is caring!

I scream you scream, we all scream for ice cream! We have all heard this catchy phrase before right? What started out as a popular song in the 1920s has been used by many people and even companies to describe their enthusiasm for what some say is America’s Favorite dessert, ice cream. Come along as we discover 100 interesting facts about ice cream.

Photo by Lukas

100- You Don’t Have To Have An Ice Cream Maker to Make Ice Cream

Ice Cream can be made in many different ways. You don’t have to have an ice cream maker to make it. While an ice cream maker might produce the best results, you can make it in something as simple as your blender. You can also use a plastic bag to make ice cream. There is even an Ice Cream Ball you can buy to make ice cream in. I am sure your kids will have fun rolling the ball around to make ice cream.  

99- Americans love Ice Cream So Much That we Dedicated a Whole Month To Celebrating it

According to the IDFA website, in 1984 President Ronald Regan declared the whole month of July as National Ice Cream month. Along with this proclamation, he also declared the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day. Americans love Ice cream so much that we have a whole. 

98- National Ice Cream Day is on Sunday, July 16th, 2023

Not only do we have a whole month dedicated to Ice Cream, but we also have a day. 

97- Americans Consume about 23 pounds of Ice Cream Per Year Per Person

23 pounds per average person? I was blown away by this statistic here. I am not sure if I eat that much even though I sure love some ice cream. 

96- Most Ice Cream Companies are family owned

Here’s to all those small businesses still making it work. I was really surprised by this statistic but it makes me almost as happy as ice cream does! 

95- The US Produces more than 6.4 Billion Pounds of Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Per Year!

You read that right, 6.4 billion pounds of ice cream per year. Wow, that is so surprising. 

94- The World Record for the Tallest Ice Cream Cone was 3.08 meters

According to the Guinness book for world records, the tallest ice cream cone in the world was 3.08 m or 10ft 1.26 inches tall. This was completed by Hennig-Olsen and Trond L Woien from Norway at Kristiansand, Norway on July 26, 2015. 

93-  The Month of July has the Highest Ice Cream Sales

As summer reaches its peak, so do ice cream sales. According to Instacart, July is the peak for ice cream sales in the US. 

92- Vanilla is by Far the Most Popular Flavor

Vanilla is the most basic flavor of ice cream. It is also the most boring but it accounts for more than a quarter of the sales. Vanilla is also used figuratively to describe something or someone as unexciting or boring. Maybe everyone knows they like vanilla and they want to try other flavors but can’t really decide so they just stick with what they like. Who knows the real reason but all we know is that it is the most popular flavor by far.

91- The average American eats 45.8 pints of Ice Cream Per Year

That is a lot of ice cream! 

90- What Causes an Ice Cream Headache?

Have you ever had a brain freeze? Well according to the Cleveland Clinic, “When your body senses a sudden, extreme cold in the mouth or throat, it tries to react and warm up. Blood vessels throughout the head expand to let extra blood into the area for warmth. That quick change in blood vessel size causes sudden pain.” 

89- Ice Cream Companies Really Help Support the US Economy

According to the IDFA website, ice cream companies pump more than 13 billion dollars into the economy each and every year. That is a lot of money!

88- What is Ice Cream?

According to Britannica, Ice cream is a frozen dairy food that is made from milk, sugar, cream, or butterfat and is often mixed with flavorings. 

87- In order to make 1 gallon of Ice Cream, you need 3 gallons of milk

86- Ice Cream was served by many Presidents and First Ladies

Among the ones that served ice cream were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Dolley Madison (First Lady).

85- Paris, France is credited with creating Cream ice which led to the creation of Ice Cream

Photo by Lukas

84- The Ice Cream Cone was first introduced at the world fair in 1904

This was a cool invention(pun intended). It allowed for ice cream to be more portable and a handheld snack. It was first introduced at the world fair in St. Louis, Missouri. 

83- The Most Popular Ice Cream Topping is Hot Fudge(or Chocolate Syrup) 

82- Refrozen Ice Cream Loses its Texture

Have you ever noticed how ice cream does not have the same texture once you have put it in the freezer after it has slightly melted? When Ice cream is made, it has lots of tiny air bubbles. Once it starts to melt and then is refrozen, those tiny air bubbles are gone as well as that awesome texture we love. 

81- The Average number of licks to finish a scoop of ice cream is 50

80- 90% of All US Households Eat Ice Cream

That is a pretty high percentage. Where do you fall in that category? Leave us a comment below.

79- The Largest Ice Cream Shop In The World is in the United Kingdom

Sitting at 851 Square Meters (9160.09 sqft), The Ice Cream Farm in Tattenhall, UK is listed as the largest Ice Cream Shop. 

78- Chocolate Ice Cream was Invented Before Vanilla

77- There is an Ice Cream Flavor that tastes like Hot Dogs, Ewww

I personally do not like hot dogs and I know I would not love hot dog-flavored ice cream. I might have to try it though just to say I did. How about you? 

76- The Very First place to Produce Ice Cream Commercially was Boston, MA

Boston, Massachusetts the first place where ice cream was produced commercially back in 1851. 

75- The World Record Ice Cream Scoop weighed 3,010 lbs.

The world record was set by Kemps, LLC in Cedarburg, Wisconsin back in June of 2014. 

74- Ice Cream Became Very Popular During World War I

During the first World War, A German Officer was quoted as saying “ We do not fear that nation of ice cream eaters.” This sparked a huge response in the US to ice cream sales after his remarks were printed in Newspapers across America. 

73- Food Historians say that ice cream started with ancient flavored Ice 

72- The Largest Producer of Ice Cream in the US is California 

71- The Largest Ice Cream Cake weighed 22,333.6 lbs.

That is a lot of cake and ice cream! The world record was broken by Dairy Queen of Toronto, Canada back on May 10, 2011. 

70- The First Hand Crank Ice Cream Churn was invented by Nancy Johnson

The first-hand-cranked ice cream church was invented by Nancy Johnson. She filed for a patent on her design on September 9, 1843. This made ice cream in the home an easy and viable solution. 

69- Ice Cream Sundaes were invented to increase sales of ice cream on Sunday

Although historians argue over the originator of the Ice Cream Sundae, one version states that back in 1890, a law was passed that prohibited the sale of soda water on Sundays. This affected the soda shops so they created the Sundae Ice Cream dessert to help increase sales on Sunday. 

68- Distilleries Made Ice Cream During Prohibition

When prohibition was put into effect in the US, this affected Alcohol sales for distillers. Many switched to making ice cream and other items in order to stay afloat

67- Immigrants tried the new American Food by Spreading it on Bread Like Butter

In the 1920’s Immigrants that were on Ellis Island were given food that was considered regular American food. What seemed like frozen butter to them was spread on their bread when they were given Ice Cream. 

66- World Record for the Largest Ice Cream Sundae

The world’s largest ice cream sundae weighed in at a whopping 24.91 metric tons or 54,917.15 lbs. Palm Dairies out of Edmonton, Canada currently holds that record. 

65- Sunday is the Most Profitable Day for Ice Cream Sales

Photo by Somben Chea

64- President Roosevelt Loved Ice Cream

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once admitted that he liked to have ice cream at least once a day.

63- A Regular Serving of Ice Cream has 7.26 Grams Of Fat in it

62- At the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, the world’s Largest Ice Cream Cone was on Display

A large triple-decker ice cream cone that was filled with helium made its debut at the 1945 Macy’s Day Parade. At that time, it was considered the world’s largest cone. 

61- According to Cornell University, 9% of the US Produced Milk is used to make Ice Cream 

60- One Cow Produces Enough Milk in One Day to make Around 2 Gallons of Ice Cream

59- Most of the Vanilla that is used to make Ice Cream comes from Madagascar and Indonesia

58- The Largest Collection of Ice Cream Freezers is in Arkansas

Dr. Steven C. Wilson is credited with the Guinness book of world records for the largest collection of ice cream freezers. In 1998 had won the record with 132 individual ice cream freezers. 

57- New Zealand Consumes the Most Ice Cream per Capita

New Zealand consumes approximately 7.5 gallons of ice cream per person per year.

56- The United States comes in second For Ice Cream Consumed per capita

The US consumes approximately 5.5 gallons per person each year. 

55- The United States consumes the most Ice Cream Overall

Photo by Teejay

Overall, the US consumes the most ice cream of any country. Followed by Australia than by Norway. 

54- In Order to Make Ice Cream, Milk must have at least 10% Fat

53- Milk Must Also Contain 20% Milk Solids

52- Finished Ice Cream should Weigh roughly 4.5 lbs per Gallon of Finished Product

51- The Most Popular Ice Cream Flavors

Vanilla, Chocolate, Cookies ‘n Cream, Strawberry, and lastly Mint Chocolate Chip. Which one is your favorite?

50- The Very First Ice Cream Parlor Opened in New York City

The very first ice cream parlor was opened way back in 1776 in New York City.

49- Ancient Greeks enjoyed a dessert similar to Ice Cream

Back in the fifth century, BC Greeks were making a similar dessert. That is where the Ice Cream story begins. 

48- An Early Creation of Ice Cream was brought to Europe by Marco Polo 

47- When Ice Cream was first brought to the Americas, it was only Enjoyed By The Elite

Once ice cream reached America in the 1700s, only the fancy elite could enjoy this rich and decadent cold treat. 

46- There are more than 1.4 Billion Gallons Of Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts produced in the US

More than 1.4 Billion gallons of ice cream and frozen desserts are produced each year in the US. That is a lot of ice cream and sorbet. 

45- The Ice Cream Isn’t The Only Thing That is Rich

Photo by Miranda

The Ice Cream industry is rich in more than milk fat, they are valued at more than 39 billion dollars just in the US alone. 

44- If there is at least 1.4% Egg Yoke, Ice Cream Can Be Called a Custard or “French”

43- So What is Soft Serve Ice Cream?

Soft Serve Ice Cream is served straight from the ice cream machine (freezer) where the water in the ice cream isn’t in a solid state. In other words, it isn’t hardened off the way typical ice cream is. It is also made in a machine that infuses lots of tiny air bubbles in it. Which is your favorite? Soft Serve or Hand-Dipped hardened ice cream?

42- The Most Expensive Ice Cream Maker is?

The Guinness Book of World records for the most expensive ice cream machine maker is The G Series ice cream makers which are made by NitroCream LLC. These machines are customized and signed by the artist. The prices start at $75,000 dollars. 

41- Ice Cream Testers Use Gold Spoons

The people that have the awesome job of testing out ice cream flavors are said to use gold spoons. This allows them to be able to taste the product without having any off-flavors from your typical ordinary metal spoons. 

40- One Taste Tester Has His Tongue Insured for 1 Million Dollars

John Harrison, who is the taste tester for Dreyer’s ice cream, has been rumored to have had an insurance plan taken out for 1 million dollars on his tongue. 

39- Thomas Jefferson’s recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream is said to be the Oldest Recipe for Ice Cream in the United States

38- What is the Record for the Most Varieties of Ice Cream on Display?

The Department of Tourism in Abu Dhabi, UAE is said to have had the world record for the most varieties of Ice Cream on Display. This event took place on July 2, 2021. This begs the question, I wonder what all the flavors were.

37- 1 in 10 People Lick their Bowl Clean after Eating Ice Cream

36- 1 in 5 People Share their Ice Cream with their Pet

I love my Brownie Girl (our Boykin Spaniel), but I think that is where I would have to draw the line. Do you let your pet lick your ice cream? This is a no-judgment zone, haha. 

35- What Is The Most Ice Cream Eaten in a Minute?

1 lb 12.43 oz was eaten in under a minute by Australia’s Isaac Harding-Davis back on July 16, 2017. Can you say, Brain Freeze?

34- Ben and Jerry’s Waffle cones each have 259 Little Squares

33- Ben and Jerry’s first Ice Cream Shop not only Sold Ice Cream

They also sold crepes, soup, and even pottery. 

32- Most Ice Creams are Made From Milk

Although, there is a big trend in the last few years for dairy-free options. 

31- On September 17, 2021, 288 People from Germany were Eating Ice Cream together Online

Covid taught us that we could do things together online such as work and school. But on September 17, 2021, over 288 people from Germany got together to break a Guinness book of world records for the most people online eating ice cream at the same time. Talk about interesting facts about ice cream. 

30- A recent Study Claims that Eating Ice Cream in the Morning Helps one to be Alert

I am all for trying that one out. Who doesn’t love Ice Cream for Breakfast?

29- There are believed to be more than 1000 Ice Cream Flavors in the World

Which one is yours? Ever tried any unique flavors?

28- Although it is mentioned that Ice Cream Cones First Debuted at the World Fair in 1904, that Might not Be 100% True

Ice Cream Cones were mentioned in a cookbook by Mrs. Marshall back in 1888, 16 years before the world’s Fair debut. Could it be that is where the idea came from originally? There are some who say that it may go back further than that but the world fair debut is what made it mainstream. 

27- Ice Cream on a Stick AKA Ice Cream popsicle was first introduced in 1920

26- Once Refrigeration Became Mainstream, So Did Ice Cream

25- More than 3.3 Billion Gallons of Ice Cream are Consumed Worldwide Every Year

Photo by Lukas

24- 3.3 Billion Gallons of Ice Cream is Enough Ice Cream to Fill Up over 5,000 Olympic Size Swimming Pools

23- Ice Cream Can Be Flavored in Many Ways

It is said that there are over 1000’s flavors of Ice Cream but in reality, there is no limit on what flavor you could or can make. It is just up to you whether you would want to or not haha.

22- The Top 5 Most Liked Flavors are?

Vanilla is First, Chocolate is second, Butter Pecan is third, Strawberry is fourth, and Neapolitan rounds out the top 5.

21- Who Love Rocky Road Ice Cream?

Rocky Road is most enjoyed on the West Coast

20- Rocky Road Made its Debut in 1929

It was created by William Dreyer and Joseph Edy.

19- Rocky Road is one of the most widely Available Flavors

18-  The Most Widely Available Flavors Are?

Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry

17- Ice Cream Sundae Ingredients Are?

The Ice Cream Sundae Consists of vanilla ice cream that is then topped with a flavored sauce, usually chocolate syrup.  It is then topped with Whipped cream and a single Maraschino cherry. 

16- The Most Ice Cream Eaten in under 30 Seconds

The world record for the most ice cream eaten was 457 grams in under 30 seconds. Joel Hansen from Canada completed this on July 1, 2019.

15- Crazy Ice Cream Flavors from Around the World

Photo by Lukas

Raw Horse Flesh, Foie Gras, Jelly Fish Flavor, Haggis, Roasted Garlic, Mint leaves with sea urchin meringues, mushy peas and fish, Octopus, Lobster, and Mamushi Snake. 

14- The Most Expensive Ice Cream Dessert?

There is a Restaurant in New York City that has a dessert Called the Frozen Haute Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae. It cost a whopping $25,000 dollars. Wow, I bet that is a rich dessert, haha.

13- A Few Ice Cream Companies are Known for the Crazy Flavors they Offer

One such company is Ben and Jerry’s with fun and interesting flavors such as Cannoli. Van Leeuwen offers Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Flavor and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream offers Goat Cheese and Red Cherries. 

12-Longest Career As A Ice Cream Man

Allan Ganz holds the record for the longest career as an Ice Cream man. He Ran an Ice Cream Truck Business for 67 Years. 

11-Salt is Added to Ice To Make Homemade Ice Cream

The process is called Freezing-Point Depression. Salt lowers the point at which water can freeze. This allows the ice cream mixture to cool down extremely fast in order to freeze to make ice cream.

10- There are 11,028 Ice Cream Store businesses in the US

9- When asked What Nasa Astronauts Missed the Most, Ice Cream Was at the Top of the List

8- Most Scopes of Ice Cream Balanced on one Cone?

An Italian Ice Cream Fan named Dimitri Panciera balanced 121 Scoops of ice cream on one cone.

7- The Number of Ice Cream Stores has increased by 0.9% each year from 2017 to 2022 according to IBISWorld.

6- According to Taste of Home, Kemps Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches are the Best Classic Ice Cream Sandwich

5- Most ice Cream Scoops Thrown and Caught by Two People were 25 scoops

4- Blue Bunny Ice Cream Sandwiches have the most ice cream among the cookie sandwiches

3- It is said that Christopher Columbus Discovered Ice Cream more than 250 years before it was brought to America. 

2- The World’s Largest Ice Cream Dessert Was Nearly a Mile Long

Texas is home to the world’s longest ice cream dessert. It measured 4,549ft and was 3.36 inches long. 

1- Ice Cream can take many shapes and forms

Some of the types of ice cream are ice cream, frozen custard, sherbet, gelato, reduced-fat ice cream, frozen yogurt, and more.

I hope you enjoyed checking out this list of 100 interesting facts about ice cream. If you haven’t yet, leave us a comment below, and while you are at it, check out some of these recipes.

Marinade for Smoked Beef Jerky
Chicken Bog | A Traditional South Carolina Dish
Southern Food Junkie Chili
Brunswick Stew
Home

Sources

-, S. F. R., By, -, & SouthFloridaReporter.com. (2019, July 21). Americans consume an average of 44 pints of ice cream annually. South Florida Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://southfloridareporter.com/americans-consume-an-average-of-44-pints-of-ice-cream-annually/

15 ice cream fun facts that you didn’t know – my/mochi blog. My/Mochi™ Ice Cream. (2021, January 27). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.mymochi.com/blog/fun-facts-about-ice-cream-that-you-didnt-know/

65 ice cream facts that are seriously cool. Free Ideas For Family Fun & Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://kidadl.com/articles/ice-cream-facts-that-are-seriously-cool

Bellis, M. (2019, May 30). Ice cream sundaes: Delicious and controversial. ThoughtCo. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-ice-cream-sundae-1991763#:~:text=The%20ice%20cream%20sundae%20was,the%20dish%20after%20the%20day.

Brain freeze: What it is, symptoms, treatment. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21478-brain-freeze#:~:text=What%20causes%20brain%20freeze%3F,vessel%20size%20causes%20sudden%20pain.

Brewers and distillers found creative ways to survive scroll to read more. Prohibition. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://prohibition.themobmuseum.org/the-history/prohibition-potpourri/prohibition-products/

Buddies, S. (2014, April 25). Scrumptious science: Making ice cream in a bag. Scientific American. Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scrumptious-science-making-ice-cream-in-a-bag/#:~:text=Why%20is%20this%3F,is%20called%20the%20freezing%20point.

Bureau, U. S. C. (2021, October 8). National Ice Cream Month and day: July and July 18, 2021. Census.gov. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/ice-cream-day-month.html

Cruz Creamery. (2017, November 10). Three more fun facts about ice cream! Cruz Creamery. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.cruzcreamery.com/blog/ice-cream-santa-cruz/three-more-fun-facts-about-ice-cream/#:~:text=To%20get%20the%20delicious%20creamy,favorite%20ice%20cream%20each%20year!

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Ice cream. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/ice-cream

Home. Guinness World Records. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/. (n.d.).

Industry market research, reports, and Statistics. IBISWorld. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/number-of-businesses/ice-cream-stores-united-states/#:~:text=Questions%20Clients%20Ask%20About%20This%20Industry&text=There%20are%2011%2C086%20Ice%20Cream,increase%20of%200.9%25%20from%202021.

Instacart Scoops up America’s ‘flavorite’ ice cream in every state ????????. Instacart Corporate. (2022, April 7). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.instacart.com/company/updates/scoops-up-americas-flavorite-ice-cream-in-every-state/?irgwc=1&utm_source=instacart_impact&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_term=partnertype-mediapartner_adtype-TEXT_LINK_adname-Yummly%2BTest%2BLink&utm_campaign=partner-Skimbit%2BLtd.&utm_content=clickid-SwxSagzevxyIRbBy4Ny0hXW6UkD2%3AZTB2VIC0w0_campaignid-7412_partnerid-10078_adid-480950_sharedid-travelandleisure.com

Interesting facts about ice cream: Just fun facts. Just Fun Facts | Fun and interesting site. (2020, May 27). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-ice-cream/

July is National Ice Cream Month. IDFA. (2021, July 12). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.idfa.org/july-is-national-ice-cream-month

kls342. (2018, July 5). Main menu. Ag Informer. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://blogs.cornell.edu/agnewscenter/2018/07/05/heres-the-scoop/#:~:text=Almost%209%25%20of%20all%20milk,used%20to%20make%20ice%20cream.

Kumer, E. B. (2021, August 5). You can now get a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Ice Cream, and we don’t know how to feel about this. Taste of Home. Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/craziest-ice-cream-flavors/

Lau, A. (2021, January 1). Best ice cream toppings of all time [updated 2021]. Ordinary Reviews. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.ordinaryreviews.com/best-ice-cream-toppings

Milk facts. Ice Cream Production | MilkFacts.info. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from http://www.milkfacts.info/Milk%20Processing/Ice%20Cream%20Production.htm

National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. (2018, June 26). Here’s the scoop – Americans really love ice cream. Here’s the Scoop – Americans REALLY Love Ice Cream. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heres-the-scoop–americans-really-love-ice-cream-300481398.html#:~:text=HARRISBURG%2C%20Pa.%2C%20June,other%20day%20of%20the%20week.

southernhomeexpress, A. (2021, June 27). 29 interesting facts about ice cream. Southern Home Express. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://southernhomeexpress.com/facts-about-ice-cream/

Stradley, L. (2017, January 5). Ice cream history, whats cooking america. What’s Cooking America. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://whatscookingamerica.net/history/icecream/icecreamhistory.htm

U.S. production of ice cream and frozen yogurt totals 6.4 billion pounds per year. USDA ERS – Chart Detail. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/gallery/chart-detail/?chartId=95003#:~:text=U.S.%20production%20of%20ice%20cream,6.4%20billion%20pounds%20per%20year

What is the history of ice cream? What is the History of Ice Cream? | IceCream.com. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.icecream.com/us/en/experience-ice-cream/history

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sharing is Caring

Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!