Vanilla Ice Cream Soda Recipe

Recreate this old-fashioned soda fountain classic with a few simple ingredients at home.

Overhead shot a tall glass of vanilla ice cream soda and a straw with a bottle of seltzer on the side.

Serious Eats / Alexandra Penfold

Why It Works

  • Four simple ingredients are all you need to make an awesome ice cream soda at home to rival the soda fountain version.
  • Splurging on homemade vanilla bean syrup and high-quality ice cream makes all the difference.

Up until the late 80s, the pharmacy in my hometown had a soda fountain. Yes, a real old-fashioned soda fountain. This soda fountain was especially special because it was the one my mom grew up with. The same spot where she and her sisters would get an ice cream sundae for a quarter after picking up the latest Superman comic book. My personal favorite thing to order was the vanilla ice cream soda: fizzy soda water straight from the fountain, vanilla syrup, a splash of milk, and a couple generous scoops of ice cream.

An ice cream scoop in the middle of scooping ice cream.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Alas, the pharmacy sold off the soda fountain and I no longer have a spot to get my ice cream soda fix. While the social aspect of the ice cream soda (or in my case spinning around and around in those high stools at the Formica counter) was always part of the charm, with very little effort you can make an awesome ice cream soda in your own kitchen. The ingredients are easy enough to come by: seltzer, milk, vanilla syrup, and vanilla ice cream, but as with any deceptively simple dish, it's worthwhile to splurge on the top-of-the-line stuff; for me that means making a quick vanilla bean simple syrup (the leftovers are great for cocktails or iced coffee!) and using either homemade ice cream or my favorite store-bought vanilla. Creamy and sweet, this makes for a nice cool-down treat on a hot day, just make sure you have a straw or two on hand for optimal sipping enjoyment.

July 2013

Recipe Details

Vanilla Ice Cream Soda Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean syrup (or to taste)

  • 1/4 cup whole milk

  • 1/4 cup homemade or best quality store bought vanilla ice cream

  • 1/2 to 1 cup seltzer

Directions

  1. In a tall glass, add vanilla syrup and milk and use a long spoon to mix together thoroughly. Top with several scoops of ice cream and 1/2 to 1 cup of seltzer depending on the capacity of your glass. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Large glass, long spoon

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
156 Calories
6g Fat
24g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 156
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 54mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 128mg 10%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 146mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)