How to Make a Root Beer Float

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 16, 2022 References Tested

The root beer float is a long-time favorite for summer refreshment. Consisting of both root beer and vanilla ice cream, it is easy to make and creates an amazing mix of flavors and texture. If you already know how to make a basic float, consider making a blended root beer float or a root beer freeze instead.

Ingredients

Basic Root Beer Float

4 scoops vanilla ice cream
12-ounce (350-milliliter) can root beer
Whipped cream (optional, for garnish)
2 maraschino cherries (optional, for garnish)

Serves 2

Blended Root Beer Float

4 scoops vanilla ice cream
12-ounce (350-milliliter) can root beer
Whipped cream (optional, for garnish)
2 maraschino cherries (optional, for garnish)

Serves 2

Root Beer Freeze

2 cups (288 grams) vanilla ice cream
12-ounce (350-milliliter) can root beer
1 to 3 cups (140 to 420 grams) ice (if needed)
Whipped cream (optional, for garnish)
Chocolate sauce (optional, for garnish)
Sprinkles (optional, for garnish)
2 to 4 maraschino cherries (optional, for garnish)

Serves 2 to 4

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making a Basic Root Beer Float

1
Freeze your glasses ahead of time, if desired. Rinse 2 tall glasses with water first, then freeze them for 10 to 20 minutes. You don't have to do this, but it will help keep your float from melting too fast.^{[1]
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- Don't dry the glasses first. The water will freeze on the glass and give you a frosty film.
- If you are worried abut the glasses breaking and don't care about the frosty finish, stick the glasses into the fridge for 3 to 4 hours instead.^{[2]
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2
Place 2 large scoops of ice cream into each glass. Take the glasses out of the freezer first (if you put them in earlier). Add 2 large scoops of vanilla ice cream into each glass. Adding the ice cream first will help prevent overflow later on.^{[3]
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3
Divide the root beer between the 2 glasses. Plan on using about ¾ cup (180 milliliters) of root beer for each glass.^{[4]
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Research source} Make sure that you pour the root beer slowly into each glass at an angle. This will help reduce fizz and overflow.^{[5]
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You will still get a good amount of fizz, but you won't get so much that it overflows and goes to waste.
4
Pop the glasses back into the freezer for another 10 minutes, if desired. Again, you don't have to do this, but it will help slow down the melting process and give you an extra cold treat.^{[6]
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5
Garnish the root beer float, if desired, then serve it immediately. Take the root beer out of the freezer first. Add a swirl of whipped cream onto each float, then top it off with a maraschino cherry. Serve the root beer floats immediately with straws and long, slender spoons.
- You can also serve the root beer floats as-is, without any garnishes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making a Blended Root Beer Float

1
Place half of the ice cream and root beer into a blender. Add 2 scoops of ice cream and ¾ cup (180 milliliters) of root beer into a blender. Save the rest of the ice cream and root beer for later. This recipe is thicker than a regular root beer float, but not as thick as a root beer freeze.^{[7]
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2
Blend the root beer until it is smooth. If you use a high speed setting, this should only take 15 to 30 seconds. If you need to, pause the blender from time-to-time, and scrape down the inside walls with a rubber spatula. This will get any un-blended mixture towards the bottom.
3
Divide the root beer between 2 tall glasses. Make sure that the glasses are big enough for the rest of the ice cream and root beer. You should also account for any fizzing that may happen.^{[8]
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4
Top the glasses off with more root beer and a scoop of ice cream each. Divide the rest of the can of root beer between the 2 glasses. Top each glass off with a generous scoop of ice cream.^{[9]
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- If you are using a bottle of root beer, measure out another ¾ cup (180 milliliters), and divide that between the glasses instead.
5
Garnish the root beer floats, if desired, then serve them immediately. Add a swirl of whipped cream on top of each float, then top it off with a maraschino cherry. Serve the root beer floats with straws and long, slender spoons.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making a Root Beer Freeze

1
Place the ice cream and root beer into a blender. You will need 2 cups (288 grams) of vanilla ice cream and 12 ounces (360 milliliters) of root beer. This recipe is different from blended root beer in that it is much thicker--like a milkshake.^{[10]
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- 2 cups (288 grams) of ice cream is roughly equivalent to 3 large scoops.
2
Blend the ice cream and root beer until they are smooth. This should only take 15 to 30 seconds if you are using a high speed setting. If the root beer freeze is not mixing evenly, pause the blender, and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the inside walls.
3
Add some ice if you want a thicker treat. The ice cream will have made the root beer freeze pretty thick to begin with, but if you want something that's more like a milkshake, you will need to add ice to it. Add and blend 1 cup (140 grams) at a time until you get the consistency you desire. Don't use more than 3 cups (420 grams) of ice, however.^{[11]
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4
Divide the root beer freeze between 2 tall glasses. You can also divide the root beer freeze between 4 glasses if you'd prefer smaller servings. If you want a frizzier drink, pour some more root beer into each glass.
5
Garnish and serve the root beer freeze. You can get as fancy as you'd like here. For the ultimate treat, add a swirl of whipped cream onto each freeze. Top it off with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, a dash of sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry. Serve the root beer freeze immediately with straws and long, slender spoons.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Trying Other Variations

1
Make a chocolate root beer shake. Prepare a root beer freeze in a blender. Drizzle some chocolate sauce into each glass, making sure to coat the sides. Pour the blended root beer into each glass. Top it off with whipped cream, more chocolate sauce, and chocolate sprinkles.^{[12]
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2
Try it with other sodas and ice creams. Feel free to experiment with different ice cream flavors and sodas, but keep in mind that some combinations work better than others. For example, mint chip ice cream would not taste very good in root beer, but it would taste great in Sprite! Here are some tasty combinations for you to try:^{[13]
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- Make a "Brown Cow" by pairing chocolate ice cream with root beer or coke.
- Make a "Boston Cooler" with ginger ale and vanilla ice cream.
- Pair lemon-lime soda with mint or vanilla ice cream.
- Pair flavored soda, such as orange, grape, or strawberry, with vanilla ice cream.
3
Add a splash of alcohol to make it a spiked root beer float. Pour half of the root beer into the serving glass first. Stir in 1 ounce (30 milliliters) of alcohol, then add it ice cream. Top it off with the remaining root beer.^{[14]
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Research source} Great choices for alcohol include:
- Bourbon
- Dark rum
- Kahlua
- Vodka
4
Mix up a root beer martini for a fancier treat. Pour ½ cup (120 milliliters) of root beer and ¼ cup (60 milliliters) of root beer float flavored vodka into a cocktail shaker. Close the lid on the shaker, then shake it to mix. Add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream into a martini glass, then top it off with the spiked, shaken root beer.^{[15]
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- You can also use butterscotch schnapps instead.^{[16]
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5
Turn a root beer freeze into popsicles. Prepare a root beer freeze. Instead of pouring it into tall glasses, pour it into popsicle molds. Insert the popsicle sticks, then freeze them for at least 2 hours. De-mold the popsicles by dipping them into a bowl of warm water.^{[17]
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- How many popsicles you make depends on the size of the molds. You should be able to get 5 to 10 popsicles, however.
- Store the leftover popsicles in their molds in the freezer.

Community Q&A

Question

Is a root beer float big, or can it be small?

Community Answer

You can make it as big or as small as you like. There is no set size.
Question

Do other flavors of ice cream work?

Community Answer

Vanilla works best. Others flavors, like strawberry, give the root beer float an unpleasant taste.
Question

Can I melt the ice cream and then add the soda?

Community Answer

Yes, you can do it in whichever order you prefer. The taste may be slightly different, but should be mostly similar.