Pineapple Soda Floats
Way back in March, the New York Times ran an article about Nora Ephron that contained a delicious description of her favorite pineapple milkshake. It sounded so absolutely amazing that I bought a can of pineapple the very next time I went to the store with big plans to make the milkshakes at home.
I must have thought about them a million times, but that can of pineapple sat there until last week.
Milkshakes are heavy and rich and seem like they need a special occasion. And, honestly, all that dairy makes my stomach hurt. Not worth it.
Then I saw some ridiculously beautiful strawberry soda floats on Pinterest and I knew what I was going to do with that can of pineapple: make homemade pineapple soda to use in floats.
Light and refreshing, these pineapple soda floats are the perfect way to say goodbye to summer. (Or do what I plan to to and drink them all fall, in complete denial that summer is over.)
The key to these floats is homemade pineapple soda, which is full of bright flavor without being too sweet.
Start by making pineapple simple syrup – just boil equal parts water and sugar, then add some pineapple and let it steep. You’ll end up with a thick, sugary syrup with a super-concentrated flavor.
Add carbonated water or seltzer and there you go: soda! It couldn’t be easier, and the syrup keeps great in the fridge, so you can make the soda right when you want to drink it. It also makes it really easy to adjust the ratio of syrup to water to your liking.
You can drink the soda just like that, but for the floats just add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. A little goes a long way, so don’t add too much!
You can also add spiced rum if you want a more adult beverage. (Hint: You do.)
Pineapple Soda Floats
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 can 14 ounces pineapple chunks, drained
- 2 liters club soda or plain seltzer
- 1 cup vanilla ice cream
- Optional: 3/4 cup spiced rum
Instructions
- Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add pineapple. Cover and let sit 30 minutes. Strain, squeezing/smashing the pineapple to get as much liquid out of it as you can – you should end up with 1 cup of pineapple syrup. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of pineapple syrup into each glass. Add 8 ounces of club soda and stir gently. Add rum, if desired. Top with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This sounds ridiculous. I love Pineapple Malts, but I’ve never tried a Pineapple Soda Float…brilliant idea. And now, I will not be able to stop thinking about your version until I make it!
This is such an awesome idea! Your pictures are amazing btw. Makes me want to dive into one right now.
Adding pineapple to my shopping list. What a lovely beverage for the holiday (or any day for that matter).
Oh YUM!!!! Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits (thus the cake I shared this week!) I’ll have to try this!
I’m totally into spending all of September and October pretending that it’s still summer with a glass of float by my side. Fabulous.
Lauren, the idea of making homemade sodas just opened a new category in my mind! Thanks for sharing that recipe today!
Pineapple is my absolute favorite – I could eat an entire pineapple in one sitting. I also love vanilla ice cream. Naturally, these pineapple floats are perfection in a glass!
Yum! I just started to make my own sodas too, this would be perfect to add
Your pineapple soda is a perfect tropical companion for soaring temperatures, Lauren =) Please do stay in denial that summer is over so I’ll have company. And we can keep drinking oh, so appropriate pineapple sodas!
Thanks for participating this week! This sounds very refreshing!