The 15 Best New Ice Cream Flavors From Major Chains In 2026 (So Far)

The best thing about ice cream is that it never needs to be the same treat twice. Sure, we all have a favorite flavor, an old standby we return to again and again, but the ice cream makers of the world do not rest on their sweet, creamy laurels. Every year, new ice cream flavors debut, and 2026 was no different. Scoop shops across the country pushed the envelope this year with flavors ranging from subtle spins on familiar classics to innovative twists on favorites and entirely unexpected creations.

Every flavor we chose for our list of the best new ice cream flavors received positive feedback in reviews and on social media from people who had tried it. Some of these flavors were only available for a limited time, but others are still around. If you don't have a scoop shop nearby that sells them, a few are also available to order online so you can have a pint shipped to you.

We looked for variety when putting this list together, taking into account everything from familiar flavor bases to more unexpected combinations that offer something different from the usual scoop. That's why you'll only see one Blizzard on the list. Yes, Dairy Queen releases multiple new Blizzard flavors per year, but they all use the same vanilla soft serve as a base. We wanted to focus more on the actual ice cream, not just what might have been mixed into it later. That helped us narrow the selections to flavors that stood out for their originality and fan appeal.

Baskin-Robbins debuted its Biscoff Crème Brûlée ice cream in September along with several other products in a Biscoff Cookie Collection that included a shake, a sundae, and a boxed cake. The ice cream is French custard with cookie pieces and caramelized sugar-flavored swirls.

"The best biscoff ice cream I've ever had!" said one Redditor. "It tastes like cookie butter, but it's also got that caramelized Crème Brûlée flavor," said a reviewer on TikTok. Tasting Table ranked Biscoff as the best cookie butter on the market, so that flavor in ice cream is a real winner.

Marketed as a twist on the British dessert banoffee pie, Baskin-Robbins' Banana Dulce de Leche ice cream was its flavor of the month in March. It featured banana custard and brown butter ice cream mixed with toffee pieces and swirls of dulce de leche.

The Impulsive Buy praised the ice cream's natural-tasting banana flavor, writing, "It's not an in-your-face, overly artificial banana," and gave it a 9 out of 10. "I will be going back to Baskin Robbins just for more of this flavor, and I recommend any banana lover to do the same," raved one Redditor.

Taco Bell teamed up with Salt & Straw to produce the Tacolate in 2025, and it sold out very quickly. An updated version debuted in 2026 that included churro-flavored ice cream in a waffle cone shell topped with puffed rice and coated in dark chocolate.

"The churro ice cream has a nice cinnamon flavor," said one YouTube reviewer. Tasting Table also reviewed the churro ice cream taco, and our taste tester enjoyed the cinnamon spice flavor. A reviewer on Facebook simply said, "It was delicious!"

Cold Stone Creamery is known for its fun toppings and mix-ins, but it also has a wide variety of unique flavors that you can enjoy even before getting to those extras. Lemon Cake Batter ice cream was a new spring flavor that became an instant hit.

"This flavor slaps," said one Redditor. "I had to get it again before it goes away," said another poster. "It's amazing and tastes like lemon custard," said a third.

Graeter's has dozens of shops across five states and also sells its ice cream online. In summer 2026, the chain introduced a series of "bonus flavors," including Marrakesh Coffee. Unlike a traditional coffee ice cream, it was flavored with cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.

"Heavy on the ginger but I absolutely loved it!" said one Redditor. "I had the Marrakesh coffee in a milkshake yesterday. Incredible," wrote another. In our 2025 ranking of Graeter's ice cream flavors, we criticized the Vienna Coffee variety for not having a strong coffee flavor. This version is very strong, so keep that in mind.

Another of Graeter's summer bonus flavors that garnered some attention from fans was Peanut Butter and Clouds. It combined peanut butter ice cream with marshmallow pieces, making it essentially an ice cream version of a fluffernutter sandwich, although Graeter's never used that name. It did describe it as tasting like childhood.

One Reddit review said the limited-edition flavor was better than Graeter's year-round peanut butter ice cream and ranked it 9 out of 10. Another reviewer with Entertaining Options praised the marshmallow in particular and said, "The silken white clouds remained remarkably fluffy, even though they were frozen."

One more Graeter's bonus flavor makes the list, and this one earned a lot of high praise for its fun twist. Released to celebrate America's 250th birthday, Cherry Sparkler featured wild cherry ice cream mixed with red and blue popping candy.

A review of Cherry Sparkler ice cream from Axios said, "The popping candy sensation was much more intense (in a fun way) than expected." Another review from Entertaining Options, which ranked it the best of all Graeter's summer flavors, said, "It's not just a marvelous flavor, it's a celebration for your mouth!"

Handel's operates over 175 locations, selling its homemade ice cream, which you can also order online. It offers dozens of flavors on its standard menu and comes up with limited-time offerings as well. One such flavor was Raspberry Sheet Cake, which featured a white cake-flavored base mixed with chunks of yellow cake and a raspberry swirl.

"So good," said one Redditor. "I love anything from Handel's but this is a great flavor." A reviewer on TikTok said it was "so bomb" and added, "I'm obsessed with this flavor."

You're going to see a lot of Jeni's Ice Cream on the list from here on out. The Ohio-based company was founded in 2002 and has specialized in unique flavor combinations ever since. In 2026, Jeni's released a pair of flavors inspired by the show "Bridgerton," the first of which is Queen Charlotte Sponge Cake. The ice cream combined a brown sugar and almond buttercream base with raspberry-rose jam and pieces of honey sponge cake, all tinted lavender.

"It's a fun flavor that would fit perfectly with Valentine's Day," said one Redditor. "Nicely balanced, and well conceptualized," said another.

When Tasting Table reviewed both of Jeni's Bridgerton-inspired ice cream flavors, our taste tester was surprised by the Earl Grey Crème Brûlée flavor, which grew on them after taking a few bites to really appreciate it. The ice cream featured a salted custard base mixed with Earl Grey tea, burnt sugar candy, and bergamot.

"It tastes ultra-sophisticated and is something entirely different than what I'd expect from a pint of ice cream," our taste tester said. "I really really love this flavor," said one reviewer on Reddit.

"Bridgerton" may be done, but Jeni's is not. Appalachian Acorn Pie was a limited-edition fall flavor launched in October 2026, after five years of development. The company had to build its own acorn supply chain to make it happen since there wasn't one in the United States previously.

Tasting Table reviewed Jeni's Appalachian Acorn Pie ice cream. Our taste tester loved it and said, "It's undeniably warm and tastes rich and autumnal, with some salted, caramel notes thrown in for good measure." On Reddit, one reviewer said, "It feels like a perfect fall flavor."

So many Blizzard flavors were released this year, making it difficult to choose just one to feature. As mentioned in the intro, Dairy Queen's soft serve is essentially the same across its Blizzards, so it's the mix-ins that make a Blizzard unique. Still, some Blizzards stand out, and the Biscoff Cookie Blizzard was one of the best new options this year.

"The cookies are amazing," said one reviewer on Facebook. The word "amazing" popped up again in a Reddit review. The Impulsive Buy scored it a 9 out of 10 and said, "I was really looking forward to this Blizzard, and it delivered as expected."

Salt & Straw operates dozens of scoop shops across several states where you can stop in for a cone or a pint. It's known for pushing the envelope with flavors and creating unique combinations, so it's no surprise that one of its big hits for 2026 was a flavor you've probably never imagined before: Jasmine Milk Tea Almond Stracciatella Ice Cream.

Luxe Beat Magazine ranked the ice cream 5 out of 5 and called it an "instant favorite." The review also added, "Think chocolate chip ice cream, but infinitely more refined and aromatic."

Jeni's is back again, proving the chain's unique approach to flavor combinations is a winner among ice cream fans. The Basque Cheesecake with Brambleberry Jam flavor was part of its spring collection and featured burnt sugar caramel and cheesecake ice cream with brambleberry jam.

"It really did taste like a cheesecake and the bramble berry jam was nice," said one Redditor. "Trying all of the components together made for a really delicious spoonful," said another Redditor who scored it a 9 out of 10.

Jeni's fifth appearance on the list is a deceptively simple-sounding flavor that has impressed many who have tried it. Its Key Lime Pie ice cream was made with both key lime puree and key lime oil to give it a potent citrus flavor.

"I was honestly surprised at how much I loooove this flavor," wrote a reviewer with the Birmingham Parent. A reviewer on Reddit, who also loved it (and used just as many O's to say so), added, "Perfect balance of tangy and sweet and I got a thick graham cracker swirl. Definitely my fav by far."