Banana pudding, lemon poppy pound cake, and Greek yogurt with strawberries and granola were judged to be the most innovative ice cream flavors at the International Dairy Foods Association's Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Contest. The competition, held earlier this month, shows the creativity of U.S. ice cream and frozen dessert makers. It is a part of the annual Ice Cream Technology Conference put on by the International Dairy Foods Association, Washington, D.C.

Shishir Ranjan, Wells Enterprises, accepts award for Most Innovative Novelty from Amy Vodraska (left) associate publisher of Dairy Foods as IDFA's Cary Frye looks on.

Southern Banana Pudding, created by Publix Super Markets, was selected as the most innovative ice cream flavor. Wells Enterprises Inc., the maker of Blue Bunny ice cream and novelties, won the most innovative novelty for its Greek frozen yogurt bar with a strawberry swirl and granola coating. Judges honored SensoryEffects, a flavor company serving the ice cream and frozen dessert industry, for an ice cream with lemon poppy seed swirl and pound cake pieces. Its Lemon Poppy Pound Cake was named the most innovative prototype flavor.

"Flavors that captured the taste of popular snack foods such as peanut butter s’mores, caramel popcorn, mini doughnuts, vanilla malted pretzels and cotton candy were popular this year,” said Cary Frye, IDFA vice president for regulatory and scientific affairs. “We also sampled some new tastes that added heat to ice cream product, including Mexican ‘Hot’ Chocolate and Sweet Fire Ice Cream. This contest is a great way to spot new trends and highlight the industry's creativity."

The contest is sponsored by Dairy Foods. See all of the competition entries here.The Ice Cream Technology Conference was held April 8 and 9 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Fla.

See photos from the event on the Dairy Foods Facebook page.