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How to Make Root Beer Floats

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Categories Drinks, Milkshakes and Frozen Desserts

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This post is brought to you by A&W Root Beer. Our opinions, memories, and love for A&W Root Beer Floats remain completely our own.

There’s something magical about a classic A&W Root Beer Float. Creamy vanilla ice cream melting into rich, frosty root beer instantly turns an ordinary summer night into a memory worth keeping.

Since 1919, A&W Root Beer has been helping families slow down, gather together, and create sweet traditions. Around our house, one of our favorite family night activities is making homemade root beer floats. They’re simple, nostalgic, delicious, and somehow always bring everyone back to the kitchen laughing together.

If you love nostalgic desserts and retro diner-style treats, you’ll also love our Better Than Anything Cake, Snickers Poke Cake, and Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe.

There’s no better time than summer to indulge in an icy cold A&W Root Beer Float. A&W even encourages families to unplug and spend quality time together through their “Take the Pledge” campaign at rootbeer.com, where families can commit to one hour technology-free each week to make memories together.

You can also find their limited-edition Family Fun Night Box filled with novelty items and essentials for creating the ultimate root beer float experience at home.

Inspired by classic soda fountain flavors and vintage dessert trends, we created four delicious A&W Root Beer Float recipes that quickly became family favorites.

Watch How to Make Root Beer Floats

MacKenzie shows you how to make each of these fun and easy homemade root beer floats in the video below!

We had so much fun as a family taste-testing every variation. While everyone had a favorite, we all agreed the classic A&W Root Beer Float is a timeless treat perfect for movie nights, backyard cookouts, birthday parties, and summer gatherings.

Travel the Decades and Find Your Favorite A&W Root Beer Float

These fun homemade root beer float recipes were inspired by classic dessert flavors from the 1950s through the 1980s. Whether you love gooey caramel, chocolate brownies, toasted marshmallows, or the timeless original, there’s a nostalgic root beer float here for everyone.

Perfect for summer parties, movie nights, cookouts, birthday celebrations, and family fun nights, these easy root beer float recipes turn an ordinary dessert into a memorable experience.

1950s — Classic A&W Root Beer Float

Classic A&W Root Beer Float with vanilla ice cream in a frosty mug
The timeless homemade root beer float made with creamy vanilla ice cream and icy cold A&W Root Beer.

This old-fashioned root beer float is the nostalgic soda fountain classic everyone knows and loves. Creamy vanilla ice cream melts into rich, frosty A&W Root Beer for the ultimate retro dessert drink.

Ingredients

  • 2–3 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 1 cup chilled A&W Root Beer
  • Whipped cream, optional
  • Maraschino cherry, optional

How to Make a Classic Root Beer Float

  1. Place a mug in the freezer for 15 minutes before serving.
  2. Add vanilla ice cream to the mug.
  3. Slowly pour chilled A&W Root Beer over the ice cream.
  4. Allow the foam to settle before adding more root beer.
  5. Top with whipped cream and a cherry if desired.
  6. Serve immediately with a straw and spoon.

Love retro desserts? Pair this float with our Better Than Anything Cake for the ultimate nostalgic dessert night.

1960s — S’mores A&W Root Beer Float

S'mores A&W Root Beer Float with marshmallows, chocolate drizzle, and graham cracker crumbs
This s’mores-inspired root beer float combines marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker flavors into one unforgettable dessert drink.

This fun root beer float recipe combines everything you love about campfire s’mores into one creamy frozen dessert.

Ingredients

  • 2–3 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 1 cup chilled A&W Root Beer
  • Chocolate syrup
  • Whipped cream
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Crushed graham crackers
  • Toasted marshmallows for topping

How to Make a S’mores Root Beer Float

  1. Drizzle chocolate syrup inside a frosty mug.
  2. Add vanilla ice cream.
  3. Slowly pour chilled A&W Root Beer over the ice cream.
  4. Top with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, crushed graham crackers, and toasted marshmallows.
  5. Add an extra drizzle of chocolate syrup if desired.
  6. Serve immediately.

Love marshmallow desserts? Don’t miss our Marshmallow Frosting Recipe.

1970s — Salted Caramel A&W Root Beer Float

Salted caramel A&W Root Beer Float with caramel drizzle and whipped cream
Sweet, salty, creamy, and completely irresistible — this salted caramel root beer float is a caramel lover’s dream.

Sweet caramel sauce and flaky sea salt transform a classic root beer float into a rich bakery-style dessert drink.

Ingredients

  • 2–3 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 1 cup chilled A&W Root Beer
  • 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
  • Whipped cream
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Extra caramel drizzle

How to Make a Salted Caramel Root Beer Float

  1. Drizzle caramel sauce inside the mug.
  2. Add vanilla ice cream.
  3. Slowly pour chilled A&W Root Beer into the mug.
  4. Top with whipped cream.
  5. Add extra caramel drizzle and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
  6. Serve immediately.

Caramel lovers should also try our Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe.

1980s — Brownie A&W Root Beer Float

Brownie A&W Root Beer Float topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and brownie pieces
Chocolate brownie chunks take this retro root beer float completely over the top.

Inspired by over-the-top 1980s desserts, this brownie root beer float is loaded with chocolate, whipped cream, and rich brownie bites.

Ingredients

  • 2–3 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 1 cup chilled A&W Root Beer
  • Brownie chunks
  • Chocolate syrup
  • Whipped cream
  • Chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips

How to Make a Brownie Root Beer Float

  1. Add brownie chunks to the bottom of a frosty mug.
  2. Add vanilla ice cream.
  3. Slowly pour chilled A&W Root Beer over the ice cream.
  4. Top with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, brownie crumbles, and chocolate shavings.
  5. Serve immediately.

Chocolate lovers should also try our Snickers Poke Cake and Better Than Anything Cake.

Root Beer Float Topping Bar Ideas

Create the ultimate DIY root beer float bar for parties, birthdays, cookouts, and family movie nights with fun toppings everyone can customize.

Tips for the Best Homemade Root Beer Floats

  • Freeze mugs before serving for extra frosty floats.
  • Use premium vanilla ice cream for the creamiest texture.
  • Pour root beer slowly to control foam.
  • Use chilled A&W Root Beer for the best flavor.
  • Serve immediately before the ice cream melts.
  • Set up a toppings bar so everyone can build their own float.

The History of the Root Beer Float

Robert McCay Green from Philadelphia is often credited with creating the first ice cream float after running out of ice during the Franklin Institute’s semicentennial celebration. Instead, he used vanilla ice cream in soda drinks, creating what became known as the Ice Cream Float.

Frank J. Wisner is credited with creating the first root beer float in 1893 at Colorado’s Cripple Creek Brewing Company. Inspired by the snowy peaks of Colorado’s Cow Mountain, he poured root beer over vanilla ice cream and called it a “Brown Cow.”

More than a century later, root beer floats remain one of the most nostalgic and beloved summer desserts ever created.

Perfect Pairings for Root Beer Float Night

Planning a retro family dinner or backyard movie night? Pair these root beer floats with some of our favorite comfort food recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Root Beer Floats

What ice cream works best for root beer floats?

Classic vanilla ice cream is the traditional favorite, but French vanilla, caramel swirl, chocolate, coffee, and cookies and cream are all delicious variations.

Can I make root beer floats ahead of time?

Root beer floats are best served immediately so the soda stays fizzy and the ice cream remains creamy.

Why does root beer foam so much?

The carbonation reacts with the ice cream, creating the signature creamy foam topping root beer floats are known for.

What foods pair well with root beer floats?

Root beer floats pair perfectly with burgers, pizza, barbecue, fries, and nostalgic comfort food dinners.

Can I make a root beer float bar for a party?

Yes! Set out chilled A&W Root Beer, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, whipped cream, cherries, brownie bites, marshmallows, and sprinkles so guests can build their own floats.

More Sweet Treats You’ll Love

Make This Summer One to Remember with A&W

Some recipes become traditions, and homemade root beer floats are one of those timeless treats that instantly bring people together.

Whether you stick with the classic version or try one of these fun root beer float variations, an A&W Root Beer Float is the perfect way to slow down, laugh together, and create sweet summer memories.

Connect with A&W on Social Media

This recipe was originally published June 26, 2019, and updated May 11, 2026, with improved instructions, updates, and new photos.

About Julee Morrison

Julee Morrison is an author and writer with over 35 years of experience in parenting and family recipes. She’s the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook.Available on Amazon,

Her work has appeared in The LA Times, Disney’s Family Fun Magazine, Bon Appétit, Weight Watchers Magazine, All You, Scholastic Parent & Child, and more.

Her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" appeared on AP News, and her parenting piece “The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit” was featured on PopSugar.

Outside of writing, Julee enjoys baking, reading, collecting crystals, and spending time with her family. You can find more of her work at Mommy’s Memorandum.