The UAE's ice cream craze: Which flavours are flying off the shelves right now? Beyond chocolate and vanilla

You’re handed the entire delicate masterpiece that is in a cup, with a waffle, a few sprinkles if you wanted. And oh yes, there’s an extra scoop of raspberry sorbet if you feel like it too.

It’s a soap opera, not an ice cream. Whew.

Now that’s a proper order. Enjoy.

Why we’re still loyal to the classics but eying the new ones

No doubt, there’s something undeniably delightful about eating ice cream, especially in the UAE—where it cools you down, lifts your spirits and often takes you back to simpler, sunnier days. But once we get past the pretty scoops and creamy chaos, one debate remains: What flavour wins the UAE’s heart?

Well, while rich classics continue to dominate, UAE ice cream lovers like to mix things up a bit, embracing bold textures and fruity bursts.

Rich, creamy, and familiar, flavours like chocolate and cheesecake continue to hold their ground in the UAE’s ever-evolving ice cream scene. And yes, for those who didn’t know that cheesecake is a flavour—now you do. It’s as delicious as it sounds, even without the thick crust, delivering that strong richness in every scoop.

At places like The Big Chill, it’s clear that the classics still have a stronghold. Their go-to crowd-pleasers:  Chocolate Noir, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Tiramisu. As Aseem Grover, founder of The Big Chill Café (with outlets in Dubai and India), puts it: “Ice cream brings comfort, nostalgia and joy in every bite. People love the full-bodied texture and honest flavours.”

But even as traditional favourites continue to be a winner, the landscape is shifting—UAE consumers are getting bolder and want something new, quirky and fresh too.  According to Grover, this summer’s breakout hit has been the Mango and Raspberry Swirl, a vibrant and tangy tropical mix that’s proven perfect for the scorching heat. People love the fruity freshness, it’s sweet but light, and the colour alone draws people in, as Dubai-based Mandira Singh, a homemaker, who enjoys bringing ice-cream for her two children, every few weeks. “Apart from the light taste, they also like different and bright colours, and it’s something that I have noticed among their friends too. So, whenever we organise their birthday parties in summer, we look for mango, raspberry and strawberry,” she says.

But it’s not just fruity ice-creams that take centrestage. Some like a little touch of exotic. For those looking to shake things up, Grover points to Ferrero Rocher, Coffee Oreo, and Date Ice Cream as prime examples of where flavour meets creativity. There’s a craving now for variety and surprise.  People don’t just want plain anymore they want texture, layers, mix-ins, and something they haven’t tried before.

Indeed, swirls are everywhere, ribbons of raspberry, chunks of brownie, notes of cinnamon or cereal, and UAE parlours are responding with inventive mashups that feel part dessert, part ice cream, part edible adventure. There’s a mix of seasonal fruits with the classic twists. Life is a lot more than a single-note scoop.

Why texture in the new flavour driver

A little chunk here, a bit of cereal crunch there, texture is the new obsession.

There’s a sense of hypnotic charm when you sit and watch an ice-cream parlour owner batter ice-cream scoops with a spatula, mix in soft brownies and serve in the cup. Sometimes you feel a little under-dressed, compared to your ice-cream.

But that’s all part of texture, folks. That’s what people crave, too. In the case of Temple Creamery, founder Zade Ismael explains from his observations, that people love a classic brownie swirl.  “We use freshly baked Valrhona brownies and swirl them into vanilla ice cream to create a brownie batter-style scoop,” he says. “It’s the one flavour that never slows down.”

Moreover, other bestsellers include the blondie swirl and cinnamon toast crunch swirl, which is proof that layered, chunky, cereal-inspired textures are hitting the nostalgia sweet spot.

How seasons shape the trends

Seasonal changes in the UAE bring more than a shift in weather, they influence what’s in the freezer, too. At Temple Creamery, fruity flavours like their fruit swirl and mango coconut cake spike in summer, as Ismael explains. In winter, they roll out gingerbread, mince pie, and sticky date pudding, often tied to occasions like Ramadan and Eid.

Over at The Brooklyn Creamery, the trend is just as clear. “Mango always spikes in summer,” says founder Shivaan Ghai, “but flavours like chocolate and cookies and cream are more evergreen, they sell well all year.”

Why classics still reign

Even as new flavours enter the mix, familiar favourites remain the foundation. “The classics still rule,” says Ghai. “Vanilla, chocolate, and cookies and cream continue to be our top performers.” But there’s also a  shift. Consumers want more than just taste, they’re looking for an experience. “Flavours like blueberry cheesecake and our 99-Calorie Caramel Crunch Sundae are gaining popularity,” he adds. “Texture, layers, and mix-ins now matter just as much as flavour itself.”

The final scoop

Across the UAE, ice cream lovers are looking for more than a sugar fix. They like the brownie batter swirls, mango-laced refreshers, caramel crunch sundaes. It’s not just about flavour sometimes; it’s an experience, the texture and the memory of it all. Maybe, an ice-cream that goes crunch.

From classic comfort to seasonal twists, the UAE’s favourite flavours are telling a bigger story, one swirl at a time.