Our Strawberry Ice Cream Sodas are fruity, creamy, and deliciously refreshing—the taste of summer in every sip!
My next-door neighbor has an edible garden that’s the stuff of idyllic countryside dreams. Yes, we live in a suburb, but when I walk into this beautiful space, a sense of peace and serenity washes over me. That, and I get incredibly hungry. The bounty of fruits, vegetables, and fragrant herbs is almost overwhelming. In fact, it is. Which is why he regularly invites me over to help myself to his harvest.
And that’s how I ended up with six pounds of glistening strawberries one afternoon last summer. Ripe strawberries, as you probably know, don’t do well sitting around, so I decided to freeze half and put the other half to good use during a day of recipe testing. I made a strawberry crumble, strawberry scones, and these refreshing strawberry ice cream sodas. All three were a success, but the sodas became a huge hit with his kids, who happily volunteered to be my testers. Strawberry season may be long gone, but those kiddos don’t hesitate to come by and ask me to make these sodas. It’s a good thing I froze some berries!
And who can blame them? Creamy, fruity, and deliciously thirst-quenching, this is the essence of a carefree summer day captured in a glass!
Make it your own
If you’d like to make this drink just a tad fancier, consider adding one teaspoon of edible lavender flowers to the syrup. You can also add a touch of warmth and highlight the sweetness of the fruit by infusing the syrup with a vanilla pod (split open and with the seeds scraped out and added to the mixture). For an even more refreshing sip, try doing the same with a sprig or two of fresh mint. If you want to change up the flavor, you can also replace the vanilla ice cream with either chocolate ice cream, forest fruits ice cream, or even lemon sorbet. All of these options will complement the strawberry flavors beautifully. Finally, if you’re lactose intolerant or vegan, feel free to use plant-based ice cream in this recipe.
How do I store leftovers?
Though the syrup will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be frozen for up to 3 months, this isn’t a drink that stores well. My advice? Drink it immediately!
Serving suggestions
Double up on the strawberry goodness by serving these delectable ice cream sodas with our melt-in-your-mouth buttery Strawberry Cookies. If you suddenly find yourself with a bounty of sunny strawberries like I did that summer day, there’s no shortage of recipes here to ensure they serve their purpose! Try them in a bubbling and fruity Strawberry Cobbler or showcase them in all their ruby-red glory and make this gorgeous Strawberry Pie Recipe!
Strawberry Ice Cream Sodas
Ingredients Â
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
- 1 pint strawberry ice cream
- 1 pound fresh strawberries cleaned and hulled, save 4 for garnish
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- Sparkling water to top
InstructionsÂ
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 4 scoops of each ice cream flavor on the baking sheet and freeze while you get on with the rest of the recipe.
- Place the strawberries in a medium saucepan with the sugar and jam. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the berries have broken down and are soft.
- Put the strawberry syrup through a strainer and then transfer it to a bottle.
- Slice a strawberry almost all the way through and attach it to the side of each glass.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each glass. Pour about 2 tablespoons of strawberry syrup over the ice cream. Top with the strawberry ice cream and another 2 tablespoons of the syrup.
- Top with sparkling water and serve immediately.
Easy to follow, easy to make, even easier to eat! Thanks Mike
So glad to hear! Thanks for reading.