Ice Cream Soda Floats

Unexpected flavor combinations and sweet garnishes make these fizzy soda floats the perfect warm-weather treat.

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Published on February 12, 2020

Sweet Ice Cream Soda Floats

We have three fresh takes on classic ice cream float combinations. Prescoop the ice cream and freeze it ahead of time for a cool dessert that stands up to the summer heat.

How to Make Ice Cream Soda Floats

Sweet soda floats are a welcome treat on the hottest summer days. Be creative and experiment with a variety of ice cream float combinations! No matter what soda or ice cream you choose, follow these steps to make refreshing floats for your family, your friends, and yourself:

If desired, make your floats a little fancier by rimming your ice cream soda glasses. Cut through the sweetness of the float by adding salt to the rim, or use colorful sprinkles for special-occasion floats. Dip the rim of your glass in water, then salt. Or try other combos like dipping the rim of your glass in melted chocolate, then sprinkles.
Once the glasses are ready, scoop in your desired ice cream, sherbet, or sorbet. Use an ice cream scoop to keep each spoonful of ice cream the same size. Depending on the size of your glass, you may want to use 2 to 4 scoops of ice cream.
Add soda to your glass. Choose your favorite flavor of soda, make a classic root beer float, or try a new combination with your ice cream or sorbet. Just be careful when you're pouring—you don't want your floats to overflow!
If desired, add a topper to your ice cream soda. Add slices of fresh fruit, a drizzle of chocolate or caramel, or top off your drink with a handful of colorful sprinkles.

How to Serve Ice Cream Floats

There's no right or wrong way to enjoy an ice cream soda, but we do have a few tips for sprucing up your treat. To achieve the layers of ice cream scoops that soda floats are known for, use glasses that are tall and thin. Or, if you want to give your ice cream floats a rustic look, try serving them in tall Mason jars.

Garnishes can also make your ice cream soda look a little prettier (especially for a soda selfie!). Try adding berries to the top of your float, or using fruit slices, like pineapple or thin apple slices, to garnish the rim. You can never go wrong with a cherry on top! For chocolate-lovers, add chocolate curls on top, or finish with a drizzle of hot fudge or caramel sauce. You can even add a sugar cone or waffle cone on top to make an ice cream cone float! For a quick trip to the tropics, use fruity flavors and add a mini umbrella to your glass.

Get the recipe: Sparkling Rose Blueberry Floats