How to Make a Low‐Calorie Italian Soda Float

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 27, 2021 References

Italian soda floats or cremosas are delicious drinks that combine the flavor of fruit with carbonated water and ice cream. Traditionally, these floats are made with high-calorie ice cream and heavy cream and can quickly become a very decadent and unhealthy dessert. Luckily, if you swap out the traditional ingredients and use the right methods, you can create a fresh fruit Italian soda float, a minty Italian soda float, or blood orange syrup Italian soda float that's not only gratifying but low in calories.

Ingredients

Fresh Fruit Italian Soda Float

1 12 oz (354.8 ml) bottle of sparkling water
2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) half-and-half or almond milk
1 scoop of fat-free vanilla ice cream
Ice
Frozen Strawberries and blueberries

Makes 1 drink

Mint Italian Soda Float

2 cups (473.17 ml) club soda
2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) half-and-half or almond milk
2 scoops cup fat-free raspberry sorbet
Mint, for garnish

Makes 2 drinks

Blood Orange Italian Soda Float

Zest from 2 blood oranges
1 cup (237 ml) blood orange fruit
1/3 cup (100 grams) agave nectar
2 teaspoons (9.8 ml) of almond milk
2 cups (473.17 ml) sparkling or seltzer water
2 scoops of fat-free ice cream
Ice

Makes 2 drinks

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Making Fresh Fruit Italian Soda Float

1
Scoop fresh ice into the glass. Adding ice to your float is the first step in this healthy, low-calorie alternative. You can either use cubed or crushed ice depending on your preference.
2
Combine a handful of strawberries and blueberries to the glass. Add your frozen fruit to the glass of ice. Frozen fruit will impart a fresh, fruity flavor to your drink and won't get mushy because it's frozen.^{[1]
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3
Fill your glass 3/4 of the way with sparkling water. You can use any sparkling water flavor that you like, but raspberry, orange, and strawberry taste best for this recipe. Because there's no syrup in this drink, it's important to use a flavored sparkling water or else your drink will be tasteless.
4
Add 2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) of half-and-half or almond milk. Almond milk is a lower-fat alternative to half-and-half, so use if you're trying to cut down on your calories. I addition to being lower in fat than half-and-half, almond milk is a non-dairy.^{[2]
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Research source} Once you've added the almond milk to the drink, stir it up to mix all of the ingredients together.
5
Top the drink with vanilla ice cream. Take a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and top the beverage that you just made. You can also use a soy based ice cream for a non-dairy alternative.^{[3]
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Research source} The ice cream should float on the top and slowly melt into the drink. You can now enjoy your Italian float with a spoon or straw.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Creating a Mint Italian Soda Float

1
Divide the sorbet into two separate glasses. Use a scooper or a tablespoon to scoop two equal portions of sorbet into each glass. You can purchase flavored sorbet at most grocery stores.
- Make sure to read the calorie count for the sorbet you are buying.
2
Add the club soda to the glass. Pour 1 cup (237 ml) of club soda into each glass. The sorbet and the soda should mix and give your drink a pink or reddish color.^{[4]
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3
Top each glass with half-and-half or almond milk. Put one tablespoon (4.9 ml) of almond milk or half-and-half into each glass. You can also use fat-free half-and-half or evaporated skim milk as a healthy replacement for half-and-half.^{[5]
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4
Garnish the top with a sprig of mint. Break off two pieces of fresh mint and place them on the top of each drink. Use a straw to sip the float.

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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Making Blood Orange Italian Soda Float

1
Boil the zest, blood orange juice and agave nectar in a saucepan. Set your stovetop to medium-high and add your 1 cup (237 ml) of blood orange juice and 1/3 cup (100 grams) agave nectar to the pan. Sprinkle the zest into the mixture and bring the solution to a boil.^{[6]
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- You can also use other fruit juice or crushed fresh fruit for a replacement for blood orange.
2
Simmer the solution for 10 minutes on low. Cover your saucepan and reduce the stovetop to low. Let the mixture simmer for the next 10 minutes and continue to stir until the agave nectar dissolves and incorporates with the other ingredients. ^{[7]
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3
Take the syrup off the stovetop and strain it. When the color of your syrup darkens, you should take it off of the stovetop. Use a fine mesh sieve and strain your syrup to remove any of the zest remaining in it.
4
Let your syrup chill in the refrigerator. Allow your syrup to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before trying to assemble your Italian soda float. If you are making the floats at a later date, you can keep the syrup in the refrigerator for up to a week, covered.^{[8]
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5
Pour 1/4 cup (59.14 ml) of blood orange syrup and ice into two glasses. Remove your syrup from the refrigerator and pour 1/4 (59.14 ml) of a cup of it into a tall highball glass. Fill the glass up halfway with crushed or cubed ice. Repeat the process on another glass.^{[9]
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6
Add your seltzer or sparkling water to the drink. Pour one cup of seltzer or sparkling water into the glass, or until it is about 3/4 of the way full. You can use whatever brand of sparkling water that your prefer.
7
Pour a teaspoon of almond milk into the drink. Pour some almond milk to the top of the drink. If you aren't looking to be too strict on your calorie count, you can use condensed milk or half-and-half as an alternative.
8
Top the drink with a scoop of fat-free vanilla ice cream. Finish your drinks with a healthy scoop of fat-free vanilla ice cream. You can also choose to use different flavored sorbets or ice cream flavors as a replacement for vanilla. Use a straw to drink it and enjoy!
- Popular low-calorie ice cream brands include Edy’s, Arctic Zero, Blue Bunny, and Trader Joe's Light Ice Cream.^{[10]
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