When I pitched this idea of recreating this childhood favorite earlier this summer, everyone’s eyes seemed to light up! The next 10 minutes was filled with a hilarious discussion, complete with horror stories of slumber party soda experiments gone wrong and a seriously (unserious) debate on the best and worst soda brands to use (which is still being discussed on Luvo lunch breaks to this day). Regardless of how you make ‘em, dessert floats have been a classic after-dinner indulgence for many years and hold a special place in almost everyone’s hearts.

Try one (or all) of these homemade vegan floats for a refreshing (and nostalgic) end-of-summer treat:

Double Chocolate Float

• Vegan chocolate ice cream* try this recipe
• ¼ cup classic chocolate syrup
• Club soda
• Almonds and cocoa powder to garnish (optional)

* you can use gelato, which shouldn’t contain dairy, or any coconut or soy based ice cream available at your grocery store

Method

1. Grab a tall glass (or milkshake glass if you have one) and place a scoop of ice cream and the chocolate syrup.
2. Pour club soda to fill ¾ of the glass, then add an extra small scoop of chocolate ice cream, a drizzle of the chocolate syrup, and sprinkle with almonds and cocoa. Top any space left with more club soda (if needed)

Sweet Cherry, Raspberry, and Lemon Sorbet Float

• Lemon sorbet
• ¼ cup sweet cherry raspberry syrup
• Club soda
• Fresh sweet cherries (if available) and raspberries to garnish

Method

1. Using a tall glass or a Mason jar, place 1 scoop of lemon sorbet, then add ¼ cup of sweet cherry syrup.
2. Add club soda so that if fills ¾ of the glass, then add an extra scoop of sorbet and a drizzle of the cherry raspberry syrup. Top any space left with club soda and garnish with a bunch of fresh cherries and raspberries.

Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream Float 

• Vegan vanilla ice cream*
• ¼ cup orange creamsicle syrup
• Club soda
• Orange slices to garnish

* you can use gelato, which shouldn’t contain dairy, or any coconut or soy based ice cream available at your grocery store

 Method

1. In a tall glass place 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and the orange creamsicle syrup.
2. Add club soda up to ¾ of the glass, then scoop a small amount of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of creamsicle syrup. Top with club soda and garnish with orange slices.

Pro Tip: You can also make adult versions of these floats by adding booze of your choice – rum, bourbon, and amaretto are all good pairings with these flavours.

We chose our favourite seasonal fruits and flavours, but don’t be afraid to experiment with fresh picks from your local market. Share your recipes and substitutions here in the comment section or on Twitter @Luvoinc