This Italian soda recipe is a classic, refreshing drink that’s easy to make with three ingredients. This creamy soda uses seltzer water, heavy cream, and sweet syrups. I’m sharing the easiest way to make an Italian soda and how to customize it to your liking!
This drink is not just a summer favorite of mine but a versatile treat that can be customized to your liking! It’s refreshing, bursting with flavor, and incredibly simple to make. The best part? You can tailor it to your taste and use your preferred flavors!
Growing up, this was my favorite summer treat. My mom and I always stopped by a coffee shack called Coffee Heaven on road trips to Oregon. I remember ordering Italian blueberry soda instead of ice cream because they were refreshing. I wanted to recreate these so my kids could experience the same joy.
Italian sodas are the perfect drink to serve at 4th of July Parties, Summer BBQs, Garden Parties or Summer Pool Parties. They would be perfect paired with my Italian cookies and a fresh fruit platter.
What’s in an Italian Soda?
What exactly is in an Italian soda? It’s a drink made of club soda and flavored syrup, often served with cream (aka Italian cream soda).
Torani, the San Francisco-based syrup company, invented this tasty concoction. Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre were the first to create the term “Italian soda” in 1925.
The critical ingredient is the flavored syrup. There are a variety of syrups on the market, ranging from classic flavors like strawberry and chocolate to more unique options like lavender and almond.
These sodas are the perfect summer drink. If you’re looking for more refreshing drinks try my agua fresca recipes, virgin piña coladas, and lemon-lime spritz!
What You Need to Make an Italian Soda
Flavored Syrup: This can be homemade or already made, like Torani or Monin. You can use a variety of flavors!
Cream: Half and half, heavy or whipping cream, all work well.
Sparkling Water: Club soda or seltzer water works well. A soda maker works well, too. I use mine all the time. Any type of carbonated water is suitable.
Garnishes: Add fresh herbs or fruit for a charming garnish. A maraschino cherry looks nice too.
How to Make An Italian Soda
Step 1: Fill a glass with ice and pour in the syrup. Add more syrup for extra flavor.
Step 2: Add the soda water over the top.
Step 3: Next, pour in the cream and then stir it. This will make a delicious creamy drink.
Step 4: Garnish with fresh berries.
Recipe Variations
Sugar-Free Options
There are sugar-free flavor options for this drink. Sugar-free fruity syrups can be found at most grocery stores. When choosing sugar-free syrups, check the label to see if they are gluten-free.
Non-Dairy Options
For a non-dairy Italian soda, use coconut cream or a non-dairy heavy cream alternative to replace the cream. Here are some ideas:
- Almond Milk
- Soy Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Oat Milk
- Cashew Milk
Italian Soda Bar
Making an Italian soda bar is a great way to entertain guests or enjoy a refreshing treat on a hot day. All you need is a selection of flavored syrups, club soda, and ice. Add toppings like whipped cream, fruit slices, or chocolate chips.
Start by placing the flavored syrups in individual jars with spouts for easy pouring. You can also use the bottles they come in and add pumps to make it easier.
Then, set out a pitcher of club soda and some glasses.
Add ice to the glasses and place them on a tray.
Finally, put out any toppings you want to offer.
Invite your guests to choose their favorite syrup and add a few pumps to their glass. Then, they can top off their drink with club soda and add toppings they like.
Check out my snow cone bar and mojito bar for more fun ideas.
How is Italian soda different from regular soda? Â
They are made with syrup, carbonated water, and cream and do not contain caffeine like regular sodas; they are freshly made. They also look different from the cream; you can create as many flavors as possible.
Is this a gluten-free recipe?Â
The Italian soda recipe outlined in this post is naturally gluten-free. However, if you have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, it’s always prudent to check the labels of the products you use, especially the flavored syrups, to ensure they are free of gluten-containing additives.
What kind of cream should I add?
For an Italian soda, you can use any type of cream, such as half and half, heavy cream, or whipping cream. You can use coconut cream or a non-dairy heavy cream alternative if you want a non-dairy option.
More Sweet Drink Recipes
If you like this fun drink, try these recipes:
- Hydrating Watermelon Cucumber Refresher
- The Best Homemade Lemonade
- Peach Lemonade Recipe
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Arnold Palmer Drink
- Meyer Lemonade
- Dirty Shirley Temple
Be sure to check out my Strawberry Tequila Sodas and Italian Paloma Cocktail too!
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Italian Soda Recipe
Ingredients
Italian Soda
- 2 ounces syrup, homemade blueberry or strawberry syrup
- 3 ounces club soda, any sparkling water
- 1 ounce cream, heavy cream or half and half
Instructions
Italian Soda
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Pour 1/4 part syrup over the ice.
- Add in the club soda.
- Pour in a small amount of cream and stir.
Love the colour of the blueberry one, perfect for a themed party or wedding.
These look absolutely perfect! What a great summer drink!
Those seriously look amazing! So pretty! And fairly healthy if you make homemade syrup. I started making my own boba (bubble) tea, and just use fresh or frozen fruit blended in the blender to sweeten.
http://threeblindwives.com/2012/03/14/homemade-boba-bubble-tea/
I wonder if that would work with this? I still want to try the syrup, though.
I can’t wait to try this myself. Ooh, and I’ll have some fresh black raspberries from my garden soon! I bet they’ll taste amazing with this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
~Daniél
Yes! I find you right in time for summer.
Thanks for recreating, and sharing with us. I will definitely introduce this to my son; it’s not just refreshing, it’s nutritious too.
Good Work !!!!!!!
Thanks Jesse!!
we just made them with strawberries and they are fabulous. thanks!
Where did you get the cute bottles for the syrups?
I bought them from The Container Store 🙂
Wow, they look SO delicious! Going straight to the kitchen.
Loved this recipe! I opted to not add cream though and made my own whipped cream to mix in. So good! I love this blog, I am so excited to see more ideas that you come up with 🙂
Yummy! I’ve never heard of this before, but it sounds delicious.
I love Italian sodas but I’ve never made them myself. Really excited I found this!
I’ve never heard of italian soda. I’m thrilled. Thanks for the great article.
Thanks for all of the comments! To answer a few questions, the syrup should a little less thick than maple syrup. Also, for raspberries, I would use about 1 1/2 cup either frozen or fresh… I always prefer fresh though 🙂
We first tried these at Johnny Carinos and my girls and I fell in love! But WOW are they pricey. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us! I would love to make these in Raspberry, what measurement of raspberries would I need for the homemade syrup, and can I use frozen fruit? -Mo
My university has an international food fair in April and I think I’m going to introduce people to the awesomeness of Italian and Mexican sodas. thanks for the recipe
I was just wondering how thick is the syrup supposed to be? These look amazing!
Like a light maple syrup consistency 🙂
looks perfect i love it
Lovely photos and glasses – and the recipes are fun too – I will wish to try these at my next outing/bbq outside –
Delicious! I usually omit the sparkling water for a fatter creamier version. Of course, you can’t drink too much of it then, but the ice melts and waters it down a bit and it’s sooooo good!
These look very delicious! i’ve never tried soda mixed with a dairy product, but they definitely look appealing enough to drink! thanks for the great post! I’ll have to try it!