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"At their core, frozen treats are about enjoyment. Ingredient, textural and format innovations can amplify joy and help consumers find personal moments of indulgence."
Sydney Riebe, Analyst - US Food and Drink
The US ice cream and frozen novelties market is valued a just over $19bn with enjoyment as a cornerstone, with 85% of consumers in agreement ice cream feels fun. Consumer behaviors are evolving, with 52% of ice cream buyers now alternating between full-calorie and BFY options, highlighting a clear appeal for variety and balanced indulgence. Notably, the frozen novelties segment continues to outpace classic tubs, driven by consumer craving for portioned convenience and novelty, especially among younger consumers and highly engaged parents.
While egg prices have stabilized, inflation remains sticky for key ingredients. Chocolate costs remain high, with manufacturers slow to pass through recent cocoa price relief as they recover past volatility and offset tariffs. These pressure points are contributing to price-sensitive habits, with some consumers starting to trade down on format or pack size if not on treat type. Despite this, demand for fun, experience and comfort sustains category resilience.
Looking forward, the greatest opportunity is in maximizing seasonal, sensorial and global-flavor LTOs as 77% of heavy frozen treat shoppers say they actively switch habits by season. These launches encourage premium trade-ups and excitement. The biggest threat is sustained ingredient inflation, which could further erode margins and risk pushing price-sensitive shoppers towards cheaper treats or alternative indulgences, emphasizing the need for brands to reinforce both value and enjoyment through innovation.
This Report examines retail sales of ice cream and frozen novelties (often referred to as “frozen treats” for the sake of brevity). For the purposes of this Report, the ice cream and frozen novelties market has been segmented as follows:
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