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Caramel apple cider float in a tall glass with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, caramel drizzle, an apple slice and a cinnamon stick, next to a red apple and a jar of caramel sauce on a marble kitchen counter.

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.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Dessert, Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1 float

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.
Keyword caramel apple drink