50 Homemade Soda Recipes

Homemade soda is just a mix of flavored syrup and seltzer or club soda. Adjust the ratio depending on how sweet you like it.

By: Ryan Dausch

From: Food Network Magazine

Related To:

Photo By: Ryan Dausch

Photo By: Karl Juengel ©Hearst Communications Inc., 2010

Photo By: Levi Brown

Rhubarb Soda (No. 4)

Simmer 3 cups chopped rhubarb, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup sugar over medium heat until broken down and syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, then strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, pressing on the solids. Mix with seltzer.

Blackberry-Lime Soda (No. 16)

Simmer 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 pint blackberries over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain, pressing on the solids. Stir in the juice of 1 lime. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer.

Lemon-Lime Soda (No. 20)

Simmer 1 cup each sugar and water until the sugar dissolves; let cool completely. Stir in 1/2 cup each lemon and lime juice. Mix with seltzer (use 1/2 cup syrup per drink).

Apricot-Ginger Soda (No. 23)

Simmer 2 cups apricot nectar, 1 cup peeled, sliced ginger and 3/4 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer.

Raspberry-Peach Soda (No. 35)

Simmer 2 cups peach nectar, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 pint raspberries over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, then strain, pressing on the solids. Mix with seltzer.

New York–Style Egg Cream

There are no eggs or cream in this soda-fountain favorite — just milk, seltzer and flavored syrup (usually chocolate). Make one with Chocolate-Cherry Soda (No. 3).

"Cow" Floats

The classic is a brown cow: root beer with chocolate ice cream or cola with vanilla ice cream, often with chocolate syrup. You can make a purple cow by adding vanilla ice cream to Grape-Almond Soda (No. 39).

Italian Cream Soda

This is soda with a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half. You won't find it in Italy — it was invented by Italian-Americans. Try it with Cherry-Vanilla Soda (No. 1).