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    Home » Recipes » Popsicles » Root Beer Float Popsicles

    LAST UPDATED: July 11, 2018 • FIRST PUBLISHED: June 26, 2013 By Toni Dash 11 Comments

    Root Beer Float Popsicles

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    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    If you love root beer floats, you’ll be over the moon for these Root Beer Float Popsicles! An easy two-ingredient treat could not be easier to make (or more delicious to eat)!
    Creamy Root Beer Float Popsicles on pewter plate and distressed red metal tray

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    With Fourth of July heading our way next week, my food fancying has turned toward all things Americana. I love to take pause to consider the roots of some of our better loved dishes and the happenstances that occurred giving birth to them, very often without intent. No one said classic dishes can’t take on a new form and after trying these Root Beer Float Popsicles I am sure you’ll agree! Simple to make with the two key ingredients, vanilla ice cream and Root Beer, these popsicles are a cool, sweet way to enjoy the iconic float in a new form.

    Is there anything more summer-classic than the Root Beer float? It tastes like summer. I don’t remember my first Root Beer Float exactly however by my childhood overlapped with the popular A & W Root Beer Drive-Ins where one could drive up, and park in a row of cars where a waitress (they were called that then) would walk or roller skate to your car, take your order and return with frosty mugs of root beer and food on a tray that was neatly attached to the driver’s window. There was nothing like an ice cold mug of root beer on a hot summer’s day.

    Root Beer Float Popsicles

    The History of the Root Beer Float

    Root beer was developed in the early Colonial times along with Birch Beer, Sarsaparilla, and Ginger Beer from roots and herbs. Charles Hires cultivated a blend of herbs from a tea he’d had on his honeymoon to sell at his Philadelphia pharmacy, which he combined with soda water and introduced in 1876. The first bottling of the beverage was in 1893 truly crowning him as the father of Root Beer. His discovery was quickly both followed and overtaken by the famous A& W brand in 1919, which remains the most popular brand of root beer in the world today. [1]

    The history of the Root Beer Float is a bit less clear though most claims point toward Frank J. Wisner in 1893. I’ve read he owned a soda fountain and one day his ice cream machine broke so he added cold soda as a means to keep the ice cream cool, thus inventing the Root Beer float.

    Stacked Root Beer Float Popsicles on a pewter plate

    A more beguiling tale is that he was a resident in Cripple Creek Colorado during its mining heyday (as were my maternal grandfather’s family), owned a mine and also whipped up interesting soda-based drinks for local citizens of Cripple Creek. The story goes to say he had a vision one evening viewing the local snow capped peaks in the moonlight which looked like a dollop of vanilla ice cream in a dark drink.

    This gave way to the ‘Black Cow’ (or ‘Brown Cow’) drink that was essentially a modern day root beer float which delighted the local children. [2] These tales are all merely heresy but regardless of the true beginning of the famous float it harkens back to the old school soda fountain with a strong foothold in the history of American cuisine.

    Three Root Beer Float Popsicles with wooden sticks, on a pewter plate with white bowl of vanilla ice cream

    To celebrate summer and the Root Beer float I made Root Beer Float Popsicles! Simple with the two key ingredients, vanilla ice cream and Root Beer, these popsicles are a cool, sweet way to enjoy the iconic float in a new form.

    Recipe

    Creamy Root Beer Float Popsicles on pewter plate and distressed red metal tray

    Root Beer Float Popsicles

    Root beer float popsicles allow enjoyment of the quintessential summer favorite in a new, fun form.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 hours hours
    Servings: 10 -2 1/2 ounce popsicles or 25 ounces of popsicle base
    Calories: 48kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 12-14 ounces Root Beer
    • 1 1/4 cup Vanilla Bean ice cream , slightly softened

    Instructions

    • Pour a small amount of the root beer into each popsicle mold (equivalent of aproximately 3/4 inch in the mold).
    • Evenly distribute the ice cream between the popsicle molds in spoonfuls.
    • Pour root beer into molds in small amounts allowing the foam to die back before pouring more to fill molds to the top.
    • Cover with lid of popsicle molds. Place an sheet of foil on top of the popsicle mold top and insert sticks (the foil keeps the sticks in place so they don't slip into the mold more than desired or float).
    • Freeze until fully frozen. To remove popsicles run molds until hot water for a few seconds and remove.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 48kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 23mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

    Root beer float popsicles

    More great Popsicle recipes from Boulder Locavore:

    Patriotic Smoothie Popsicles

    Chai-Coconut Milk Boba {Bubble Tea} Popsicles

    Mango Kiwi Limeade Fruit Paletas {Mexican Popsicles}

    {ADULT} Summer White Wine Fruit Popsicles

    {ADULT} Costa Rican Watermelon Mojito Popsicles

    [1] About.com: Inventors: The History of Root Beer, [2] Wikipedia: Ice Cream Soda
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie S. says

      April 20, 2015 at 3:44 pm

      Yummmmmmm!!! I am making them now 😛

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        April 20, 2015 at 4:45 pm

        Oh good Katie! They taste like summer to me!

        Reply
    2. Cindy G. says

      June 28, 2013 at 5:48 pm

      I just bought a popsicle mold about a week ago, so I’m very happy to have come across this recipe. I have 2 small cans of root beer waiting to be used up… I’d rather make a root beer float popsicle than just drink the beverage!

      Reply
    3. Heather @girlichef says

      June 28, 2013 at 1:29 pm

      Two of my childhood ♥’s in one application – these sound fantastic! I’d love it if you’d drop by and add these to the #SummerOfThePopsicle linky!

      Reply
    4. Susan says

      June 27, 2013 at 6:57 pm

      OMG! I haven’t visited in sooo long and this is such a nice way to come back to Boulder! Root beer and ice cream remind me of A&W root beer floats … a total blast from the past … but these pops are a much easier way to go! Nice to see you again,Toni!

      Reply
    5. john@kitchenriffs says

      June 26, 2013 at 9:52 am

      5 stars
      Love the idea of this! Root beer floats (my family always called them black cows – others prefer brown cows) always scream summer to me. I’ve never made popsicles, though – definitely something I need to try! Great idea (and post!) – thanks.

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        June 27, 2013 at 8:00 am

        You know John I had never heard the Black or Brown Cow term until researching for this post. It seems the true origins of the float or the name will not be known for certain but I think we all agree about these tasting like ‘summer’. I won’t lie: I’ve become a bit obsesses with making popsicles this summer, many of the boozy nature. They are fun, cooling and certainly not just for kids anymore! Thanks much for stopping by!

        Reply
    6. Mr. & Mrs. P says

      June 26, 2013 at 9:10 am

      These look so yummy and so easy!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        June 27, 2013 at 8:00 am

        They completely are both of those things!

        Reply
    7. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says

      June 26, 2013 at 5:36 am

      I craved popsicles and rootbeer when I was pregnant with my first son. Yeah. I would’ve totally jumped you to get my hands on one of these 😉

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        June 27, 2013 at 8:02 am

        That’s so funny about your cravings Katrina! I craved completely different things (beef with my first and tangy-vinegary things with my second); I’ve always wondered what one’s pregnant system is needing to produce such cravings. Pregnant or not these are yummy!

        Reply

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    About Toni Dash

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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