Delicious apple cider floats bring the tart sweetness of apple cider together with the creamy richness of vanilla ice cream and the effervescence of ginger ale. Finish with a swirl of caramel for the perfect beverage for crisp autumn days and cozy nights in.
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Delicious Caramel Apple Recipes
Fall is the perfect time to indulge in sweet caramel apple recipes. And let's face it, apples and caramel are an unbeatable combination. With apple season in full swing, what better way to enjoy their crisp juiciness than to mix them with the sweet buttery flavor of caramel?
And there are so many caramel apple recipes to choose from. Recipes like Caramel Apple Bundt Cake and Caramel Apple Cupcakes for desserts, Caramel Apple Cider Floats like this one for sipping, or something unique like Caramel Apple Jello Shots for party time, you’ll find this classic pairing is both irresistibly tasty and fun to eat.
Why You'll Love This Apple Cider Float Recipe
- Easy to Make: Only 4 ingredients!
- Super simple: all you need is a glass, an ice cream scoop, and a straw
- Deliciously creamy: with fresh apple taste and a bit of bubbly
- Plenty of fall flavor: perfect for sunny days in September and October
What is an ice cream float?
An ice cream float is a popular dessert beverage that consists of one or more scoops of ice cream placed in a glass with a carbonated beverage. The carbonated beverage is usually a soft drink such as root beer or cola, which gives the dessert its characteristic bubbles and froth.
The result is a sweet, creamy, and fizzy concoction that is both drinkable and spoonable.
Ice Cream Soda vs Float
While both desserts involve ice cream and a carbonated element, the primary difference is in the other ingredients. Ice cream sodas utilize flavored syrup and soda water (carbonated water), while ice cream floats use carbonated soft drinks.
The result is two distinct flavor profiles: ice cream sodas are typically more customizable and can have a wide range of flavors depending on the syrup used, while ice cream floats usually have the characteristic flavor of the soda or other beverage used.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need for making caramel apple cider floats:
- Apple Cider - not apple juice should be used for the fullest flavor.
- Ginger Ale - Canada Dry, Schweppes, and Vernors are great choices.
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Caramel Sauce
Equipment Needed
- Ice Cream Float Glasses - Highball glass, Mason Jar, Milkshake glass, or large mug
- Ice Cream Scoop
- Ice Cream Float Spoons - Long handle ice tea spoons
- Straws - Smoothie straws
How to Make an Ice Cream Float
- Scoop ice cream (I like to use at least two scoops) into a tall ice cream float glass or mug. Pour in apple cider and top with ginger ale.
- Finish with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Now dig in! This ice cream float has it all - cool, creamy, and sweet with just the right amount of our favorite fall flavor - caramel apples!
Garnishes
In addition to topping the apple cider float with caramel sauce, you can garnish the dessert with:
- Apple Slices
- Cinnamon Stick
- Cinnamon Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Sprinkles
- Whipped Cream
Recipe Variations
Here are some apple cider ice cream float ideas:
- Boozy Ice Cream Float - Add a shot of bourbon, rum, vodka, or whiskey. Or substitute apple cider with hard cider.
- Ice Cream - Substitute vanilla with apple pie, caramel, cinnamon roll, or French vanilla ice cream.
- Ginger Beer Float - Swap the ginger ale with ginger beer
- Hot Apple Cider Float - Heat the apple cider before pouring it over the ice cream and omit the ginger ale.
- Pear Cider Float - Substitute apple cider with pear cider because ginger pear is an extraordinary flavor combination.
- Sparkling Apple Cider Float - Substitute apple cider with sparkling apple cider.
- Spiced Apple Cider Float - Use spiced apple cider.
- Salted Caramel Apple Cider Float - Use salted caramel sauce.
More Apple Recipes
- Apple Cider Margarita
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast
- Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
- Apple Streusel Bread
Find lots of delicious and easy dessert recipes and more on 2CM!
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Apple Cider Floats
Ingredients
- 2-3 scoops vanilla Ice Cream
- ¼ cup apple cider
- ½ cup ginger ale
- 2-3 Tablespoons caramel sauce
Instructions
- Place a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream into a tall ice cream float glass, mason jar, or large mug,
- Pour apple cider over the ice cream.
- Top the mixture with ginger ale.
- To finish, drizzle caramel sauce over the top.
Notes
- Boozy Ice Cream Float - Add a shot of bourbon, rum, vodka, or whiskey. Or substitute apple cider with hard cider.
- Ice Cream - Substitute vanilla with apple pie, caramel, cinnamon roll, or French vanilla ice cream.
- Ginger Beer Float - Swap the ginger ale with ginger beer
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