Caramel Apple Cider Float
Confession: I am a grown adult who still loses his mind over caramel apples. The sticky fingers. The crunch. The caramel stuck in my teeth for three business days. Worth it.
National Caramel Apple Day is coming up on Oct 31 (yep, same day as Halloween, the universe knows what it’s doing), so I turned my favorite fall treat into a float.
When I gave up drinking, fall parties were the hardest. Everybody had a mug of something boozy, and I had… water. So I started building drinks I’d actually be excited to hold. This is one of them.
This Caramel Apple Cider Float is fizzy apple cider poured over vanilla ice cream in a glass striped with caramel. It foams up like a science fair volcano, it tastes like a caramel apple went to a soda fountain, and it takes 5 minutes. Zero alcohol, all fun.
Why you’ll love it
- Tastes like a caramel apple: tart, bubbly cider plus buttery caramel and a pinch of salt.
- Drink it, then eat it: the ice cream melts into the cider and turns creamy and frothy. Bring a spoon.
- Three main ingredients: cider, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce. That’s the whole party.
- Easy swaps: dairy-free ice cream and caramel work great (details below).
Tips for the best float
- Chill everything. Cold cider plus a cold glass means less melting and more fizz. I pop the glass in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Ice cream first, cider second. Pour the cider slowly down the side of the glass. If you dump it straight on top, you’ll be wiping foam off the counter. Ask me how I know.
- Sparkling or still? Sparkling cider gives you that classic float fizz. Only have regular apple cider? Use half cider and half club soda.
- Don’t skip the salt. A tiny pinch of flaky salt on top is what makes it taste like a salted caramel apple and not just sweet.
- Party move: set out a float bar with scoops of ice cream, a bottle of cider, caramel, and toppings. Everyone builds their own.
More caramel apple goodness
Still in a caramel apple mood? Same, always. My Caramel Apple Dr Pepper is the dirty soda version, and the Apple Orchard Fizz is this float’s bubbly, ice-cream-free cousin.
Allergy and alcohol-free notes
- Dairy: vanilla ice cream contains milk, and most caramel sauces are made with butter and cream. See the dairy-free swap below.
- Check the labels: some caramel sauces and ice creams contain soy or eggs, or are made on shared equipment with nuts. Read the label, especially if you’re serving guests.
- Dairy-free swap: use an oat or coconut vanilla ice cream and a caramel labeled dairy-free (coconut caramel is a good one).
- Alcohol-free check: hard cider is alcoholic, so grab a bottle clearly labeled non-alcoholic sparkling cider or plain apple cider. I also skip vanilla extract here because most extracts are made with alcohol, and I check that the caramel isn’t a bourbon or rum caramel.
Caramel Apple Cider Float
Chilled sparkling apple cider poured over vanilla ice cream in a caramel-striped glass, finished with more caramel, a pinch of flaky salt and cinnamon. A 5-minute caramel apple drink with zero alcohol.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp caramel sauce divided; check the label for dairy and alcohol
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream about 1 cup; use oat or coconut ice cream for dairy-free
- 1 cup sparkling apple cider chilled and non-alcoholic, or 1/2 cup regular apple cider plus 1/2 cup club soda
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 2 thin apple slices for garnish; a squeeze of lemon keeps them from browning
- 1 cinnamon stick optional, for garnish
- whipped cream optional, for topping
Instructions
- Chill a tall glass in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp of the caramel sauce around the inside of the glass, turning it so the caramel runs down the sides in stripes.
- Add the 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream to the glass.
- Slowly pour the chilled sparkling cider down the side of the glass (not straight onto the ice cream) so the foam doesn't overflow. Pause and let the foam settle, then top it off.
- Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp caramel over the top, add whipped cream if you like, and finish with a pinch of flaky salt and cinnamon.
- Tuck an apple slice and the cinnamon stick (if using) on top and serve right away with a straw and a long spoon.
Notes
How to order one at a bar or soda shop: At a soda shop or ice cream parlor, ask for "a float with sparkling apple cider or apple soda over vanilla ice cream, with caramel drizzle." At a bar, ask: "Do you have non-alcoholic sparkling cider? Could you pour it over ice with a little caramel or butterscotch syrup and a cinnamon rim?" Add "syrup, not liqueur or schnapps, please," since butterscotch and caramel liqueurs contain alcohol. Hard cider is alcoholic too, so double-check that it's the non-alcoholic kind.
Allergens: contains dairy from the ice cream and most caramel sauces. Some caramel sauces and ice creams also contain soy or eggs or are made alongside nuts, so check labels.
Dairy-free: use oat or coconut vanilla ice cream and a caramel labeled dairy-free, and skip the whipped cream or use a dairy-free one.
Keep it alcohol-free: use cider labeled non-alcoholic (not hard cider), skip vanilla extract since most extracts contain alcohol, and avoid bourbon or rum caramel sauces.
No sparkling cider? Mix 1/2 cup regular apple cider with 1/2 cup club soda for the fizz.
