Dr Pepper Float has a fizzy, sweet flavor with an unforgettable velvety texture, made with ice cream, Dr Pepper, and vanilla simple syrup!
If you’re a fan of the classic Root Beet Float or Coke Float, then you’ll love this Dr Pepper spin-off as well! Delicious ice cream flavor mixes with fizzy soda in this Dr Pepper Vanilla Float as a refreshing way to cool down!
To make this Dr Pepper Vanilla Float have the very best flavor, I didn’t stop at vanilla ice cream and Dr Pepper. Instead, I take this float a delicious step further and add vanilla simple syrup to make the vanilla flavor stand out!
These are great for enjoying on the porch after a long day or serving up as you host a gathering at your place! Simply grab a 12-pack of Dr Pepper and a gallon of vanilla ice cream to make plenty of floats to go around!
The Dr Pepper Float Tasting Experience
Taste: Ice-cold fizzy Dr Pepper collides with vanilla simple syrup and vanilla ice cream for a sweet, creamy dessert soda! This means you can enjoy this float with a straw AND a spoon!
Velvety: As the carbonation merges with the creamy vanilla ice cream, an incredibly irresistible velvety texture is created! This creamy, dreamy texture is exactly what you look for in any float as you cool down on a hot day!
Garnishes: Enjoy the entire frosty float experience by adding fun garnishes to them for a visually pleasing experience that shows you went the extra step! Slide a fun straw into them, and add an extra scoop of ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkles, and even a maraschino cherry!
Dr Pepper Float Ingredients
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Vanilla Simple Syrup
- Dr Pepper
A quick run to the store to grab the three simple ingredients this float calls for is as difficult as the recipe gets. Afterward, it’s as easy as scooping ice cream and pouring in Dr Pepper and vanilla simple syrup!
The next most important thing in a float after ingredients is deciding what goes first, the ice cream or the soda. It’s the great float debate!
However, there’s no debate for me, and the decision is easy! In the best ice cream floats, the ice cream must always go first AND last! When the ice cream is added into the glass first, and the soda is poured over it, it allows the soda’s gas molecules to interact with the ingredients in the ice cream.
This process stabilizes and traps the carbonation bubbles, and the result is the velvety foam that we all love about ice cream floats! If the soda is added to the glass first, then you lose out on lots of the bubbles from the soda since they’ll have already popped.
Therefore, by the time the ice cream combines with the soda, you’ll have far less foam from the lack of bubbles.
As you can see, I’m very passionate about the velvety goodness in my floats! You may not care about the great float debate, and that’s ok too!
Dr Pepper Float Substitutions And Variations
- Dr Pepper – Feel free to try this Dr Pepper Float Recipe with a new flavor of Dr Pepper. Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper would be a tasty twist, as would Strawberries & Cream Dr Pepper with scoops of strawberry ice cream!
- Soda – Create a new delicious treat by swapping out Dr Pepper for another soda of your choice. Try Pepsi, Orange Soda, root beer, or Coke!
- Ice Cream – I love these floats with vanilla ice cream, but some may enjoy it with chocolate! You could even make up a batch of no-churn vanilla ice cream to add a bit of homemade taste to these floats!
- Whipped Cream – Top your floats off with a generous dollop of store-bought or homemade whipped cream for an extra sweet finish!
How To Make A Dr Pepper Float
Step 1: Chill the float glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes before making the floats.
Step 2: Add the scoops of vanilla ice cream to the chilled mugs.
Step 3: Top the ice cream in the mugs with vanilla simple syrup.
Step 4: Pour Dr Pepper into the glasses at an angle. Be careful that it doesn’t foam over the top!
Step 5: Top the Dr Pepper Float Ice Cream with the remaining scoop of ice cream, serve with a straw, and enjoy!
How To Make The Best Float
- Glasses – The perfect float experience really starts with the glass! Tall glasses such as float, soda glass, or beer stein work best. Place your glasses in the freezer to chill for about 15 minutes before making and serving floats. This will keep your floats colder for longer while delivering the best frosty float experience!
- Ice-Cold Soda – Before making floats be sure the Dr Pepper has had lots of time in the fridge to become ice-cold! This step will also keep your floats colder for longer while giving you the ultimate float experience. This is because if warm soda is used, it will melt the ice cream quickly, resulting in a warm, dismal Dr Pepper Float.
- Quality Ice Cream – For floats and even milkshakes, it’s important to use high-quality ice cream that has at least 15 percent or more fat content. Friendly’s or Haagen-Dazs brands of vanilla ice cream both have a great fat content that would do well in this recipe!
- Pouring Soda – Hold the float glass at a slight angle and then slowly pour the soda in. This simple trick of the angle paired with the slow pour reduces the amount of fizz, which reduces the chances of overflowing the glass.
- Toppings – Elevate your floats by adding fun, tasty toppings such as whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and sprinkles!
Dr Pepper Float FAQs
Dr Pepper float is a treat that combines ice cream and soda for a drink-meets-dessert recipe. It’s served in a cup and can be enjoyed with a straw or a spoon, or both!
I prefer putting ice cream in the glass first and then soda. I then top the soda with another scoop of ice cream. I find this order creates the most satisfying texture that’s absolutely delicious!
Floats are a popular treat that are typically made with soda and ice cream. However, this recipe does call for an additional ingredient, vanilla simple syrup, that enhances the flavor of it.
This recipe yields 1 float. However, since you’ll already have the ingredients out, it’s quick and simple to make up multiple floats to serve!
Yes, the Blue Bell ice cream company carries a Dr Pepper flavor that you can use to make your own version of this float! The blue bell ice cream scoops will surely make for a fun, tasty variation!
Dr Pepper Float
INGREDIENTS
- 3-4 scoops vanilla ice cream
- ½ ounce vanilla simple syrup
- 10 ounces Dr Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Chill glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes before making for best results.
- Add 2 of the 3-4 scoops vanilla ice cream to the chilled mug along with ½ ounce vanilla simple syrup.
- Hold the mug at an angle and pour in 10 ounces Dr Pepper, making sure it doesn't foam over the top.
- Add the remaining scoop(s) of ice cream to the top of the float. Serve with a straw.
