Recipes & Cooking Drinks Shakes & Floats 13 Easy-to-Make Ice Cream Floats to Keep You Cool All Summer Try one of these fun twists on the classic favorite for a warm-weather indulgence. By Andrea Beck Andrea Beck Andrea Beck served as garden editor at BHG and her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 17, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Peter Krumhardt Hot summer days and ice cream floats are a summer indulgence everyone enjoys. All you need is a couple of scoops of ice cream with a generous pour of cold, fizzy soda on top. Don't limit your choices to just vanilla and root beer, though. These ice cream floats combine all kinds of summer favorites, including popular ice cream flavors, sorbet, and even green tea! 32 of our Favorite Summer Refreshing Drinks to Beat the Heat 01 of 13 Sparkling Rosé Blueberry Float View Recipe Andy Lyons These pretty floats will impress guests at your barbecue while cooling them down. Refreshing blueberry granita and creamy coconut gelato pair with sparkling rosé to create these showstoppers. The rosé version of these ice cream floats is for adults only, but you can easily sub in club soda if you want to replace the wine. 02 of 13 Green Tea Float View Recipe Carson Downing Chilled green tea and matcha ice cream add up to a doubly green, doubly delicious ice cream float. A generous pour of ginger ale adds plenty of bubbles (and makes this dessert even more refreshing). And the best part? You only need those three ingredients to make this stunning float! 03 of 13 Fruity Floats Matthew Clark Choose your refreshing sorbet and favorite fruit juice, and you're well on your way to making a delicious summery float. Use a few ice cream float ideas to get you started, such as cherries and cream or raspberry-limeade. Add a straw and fruit slice for a grand presentation. Raspberry Sorbet 04 of 13 Champagne Float Hannah Bigot Pour yourself a glass of bubbly, and this time add a little extra sweetness! A far cry from a traditional root beer float, this grown-up ice cream float features lemon sorbet and raspberries with champagne poured on top. It's a sophisticated version of a classic float but just as tasty. Garnish with a lemon twist before sipping to make each glass more elegant. 05 of 13 Black Cow View Recipe Matthew Clark This is the classic soda shop float you've been craving! Start with a generous drizzle of chocolate syrup, then add a little root beer and mix the two before adding vanilla ice cream. And naturally, this root beer ice cream float isn't complete unless there's a cherry on top. 06 of 13 Ginger Beer Shandy Floats View Recipe Jessica Merchant Put a twist on a summery lemon shandy by turning it into a beer ice cream float! In place of lemonade, ginger beer makes this float super fizzy, while the addition of fruity wheat beer makes it great for sipping poolside while soaking up the sun. Big scoops of vanilla ice cream turn this drink into a float that will make any adult feel like a kid again. The 6 Best Ice Cream Makers of 2024, According to Testing 07 of 13 Hot Chocolate-Stout Float View Recipe Andy Lyons No worries, this ice cream float is much chillier than the name implies. The recipe gets its hot chocolate name from an easy fudge sauce, which is heated with chocolate stout before making the float. Scoop vanilla ice cream into your glass, then pour on the fudge sauce and chocolate stout. Top with edible rose petals if you're feeling fancy. 08 of 13 Ginger-and-Mint Lime Floats View Recipe Jason Donnelly Fresh ginger, lime juice, and club soda make this float fruity and fizzy. Using lime sorbet instead of traditional ice cream ensures this drink is extra refreshing. And tossing a few sprigs of fresh mint into this ice cream float doesn't hurt, either. 09 of 13 Sparkling Grapefruit Sorbet Fruits View Recipe Blaine Moats Make this float for the 21+ crowd with Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) or kid-friendly with sparkling cider. Both are delicious with a combo of grapefruit sorbet and vanilla ice cream. Finish this pretty ice cream float with a curl of grapefruit peel as a garnish. 10 of 13 Vanilla-Chocolate Float View Recipe Jason Donnelly This so-easy ice cream float combination will satisfy any sweet tooth in a matter of minutes. Think of it like a clever twist on a root beer float! Chocolate ice cream and cream soda create an irresistible treat for the whole family. Cream Soda-Toffee Cupcakes 11 of 13 Fizzy Mint-Chocolate Soda View Recipe Colleen Duffley Who doesn't love mint and chocolate? This fast float uses mint chocolate chip ice cream, crème de menthe, chocolate syrup, and cream soda to transform the classic dessert combo into a delicious summer treat. Add chocolate curls or shaved chocolate on top if you want to make this ice cream float look a little fancier. 12 of 13 Rootin' Vodka Float Peter Krumhardt This grown-up float is a twist on the classic vanilla milkshake. Just combine vanilla ice cream with root beer-flavored vodka and club soda. It offers the same flavors as a root beer float, but this float idea is a little more mature (and made for a party!). 13 of 13 Grape-Raspberry Float Blaine Moats Grape soda fans: This is the float for you! When you pour grape soda over raspberry sorbet, the result is a delicious and refreshing soda float that just screams summer. Dress up your glass and add a little freshness to this ice cream float by garnishing it with a skewer of yummy raspberries. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit