The Legendary Ben & Jerry's Flavor That Beats All Others Year After Year

Ben & Jerry's is known for its unique ice cream flavors, so you may be surprised to learn that the first flavor the ice cream brand created was vanilla and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough was the first to hit frozen shelves (via Thrillist). New and interesting flavors quickly followed, and sales soared. In the 1980s, without any test marketing, ice creams like Rainforest Crunch, Chunky Monkey, and Economic Crunch were scooped up by consumers (per Live About). Some flavors paid homage to musicians and artists like Phish, Chance the Rapper, Freddie Mercury, and the list goes on (via Three Snackateers). Ben & Jerry's has always found flavor inspiration in the world around them, and a percentage of sales have been directed to various social causes over the years, like climate change and racial justice (via Quartz).

Although Ben & Jerry's is constantly producing new flavors, as noted by Go Puff, American states tend to stick to their favorites. Americone Dream was the most purchased flavor on the delivery platform in Arkansas, while Non-Dairy Chocolate Fudge Brownie was a big hit in California, and Peanut Butter Fudge Core sales skyrocketed in Colorado and Indiana. Despite these regional preferences, there's one flavor that is nabbed from the frozen food aisle with reckless abandon year after year, regardless of location.

Each year, Ben & Jerry's compiles a list of top-selling ice cream flavors. In 2020, Half Baked claimed the number one spot and in 2021, the chocolate and vanilla ice cream pint loaded with brownie pieces and chocolate chip cookie dough remained the top best seller. On the heels of Half Baked's 2021 popularity rests Cherry Garcia, the flavor that has tempted ice cream eaters since its 1987 conception. The Dairy Reporter notes this flavor has remained in one of the top three best-selling positions since it hit shelves.

Now whether it is Ben & Jerry's big chunks of unbaked cookie dough, gooey brownie bits, or crisp chocolate chips, the ice cream brand notes the desire for Half Baked has sent these pints into 14 different countries. In case Ben & Jerry's sales numbers weren't enough to convince you, Parade agrees that Half Baked undoubtedly tops the Ben & Jerry's flavor ranking and describes it as "total ice cream magic."