This easy recipe for Strawberry Italian Soda is the perfect summer drink! Bubbly and refreshing and just perfect for poolside or parties! Easily adapted for other flavors too! Looking to cool off? Make sure to try this Strawberry Mango Smoothie, Basil Lemon Drop and Vodka Cranberry Cocktail!
Easy Italian Soda Recipe
If you’re looking for a special drink to serve poolside or at a summer part, look no further than this refreshing and totally delicious Strawberry Italian Soda.
Fun to sip, this easy beverage is made with sparkling water and optional cream and is topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Or you can streamline the whole process and serve sans cream and whipped cream for an ultra light and tasty drink.
More Strawberry Recipes
Got extra strawberries lying around? Try some of our favorite strawberry recipes:
- Strawberry Sorbet
- Easy Strawberry Sauce
- Strawberry Shortcake Roulade
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Easy Strawberry Fluff
What is an Italian Soda?
An Italian soda is simply a drink consisting of sparkling water that is flavored with a fruity syrup. Perfect for spring and summer!
This recipe includes a bit of heavy cream for a creamy drink, known as an Italian Cream Soda, but you can leave this ingredient out if you prefer for a more traditional Italian soda.
Perfect Summer Drink
I am a huge fan of strawberries but this recipe can be used with any fruit you like: peaches, blueberries, cherries, etc.
You can also change up the plain sparkling water with a flavored water of choice. Try a complementary fruit flavor or amp up the flavor by choosing the same flavor of sparkling water.
Italian Soda Ingredients
You’ll be happily surprised with this short list of ingredients. This recipe comes together so quickly! You can find the the full printable recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need:
- Strawberries – both fresh and frozen berries work well in this recipe which is great if you don’t have fresh berries available to you. Frozen berries will take a bit longer to cook so keep that in mind.
- Water
- Granulated sugar – I don’t like my Italian soda overly sweet so feel free to increase the amount of sugar used to ¾ cup if you prefer a sweeter soda. Make sure to take into account whether or not your whipped cream is sweetened a well.
- Lemon juice – you can use fresh or bottled lemon juice or even lime juice if you prefer. Delicoius with a cherry Italian cream soda!
- Sparkling water – I used unflavored sparkling water in this Italian soda recipe but you can use a flavored water to add additional flavor.
- Heavy cream – this is an optional ingredient but delicoius. It turns this into an Italian Cream Soda.
- Whipped cream and fresh berries – again, optional but it really finishes the drink and makes a beautiful garnish.
How To Make Italian Cream Soda
Making this Italian Soda recipe is a two part process: making the fruit syrup and assembly. You can find the full printable recipe in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Making Strawberry Syrup
- Cook the strawberries, water, granulated sugar, and lemon juice until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until berries are cooked down and sugar is dissolved.
- Strain the strawberries through a fine-mesh sieve and allow the syrup mixture to cool to room temperature.
Assembling Italian Sodas
- Add a few ice cubes to each glass.
- Pour sparkling water and cooled strawberry syrup to each glass and gently stir to combine.
- Add one tablespoon of heavy cream to each glass. (optional)
- Top with homemade whipped cream and a strawberry if desired.
- Serve immediately.
FAQs
You can use any kind of fruit to flavor your Italian sodas. Some great options would be blueberries, raspberries, peaches, or watermelon. Depending on the fruit you can follow the recipe above by making a fruit syrup or you can puree the fruit to add to the drink.
If you have any leftover Italian soda you would like to store you can keep it in a mason jar or glass in the refrigerator for a day or two. Note that the sparkling water will begin to become flat as it sits.
Absolutely! Just like I did with Cherry Italian Cream Sodas, add a flavored syrup in place of the homemade syrup.
More Amazing Summer Drinks
- Easy Berry Lemonade
- Basil Lemon Drop
- Pineapple Margarita – Classic or Frozen!
- Orange Julius
- Strawberry Lime Agua Fresca
How To Make Italian Soda
Strawberry Italian Sodas
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries diced (150 g)
- 1 cup water (250 mL)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (120 g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice
- 32 ounces unflavored sparkling water club soda can also be used
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- whipped cream
- fresh strawberries for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add the strawberries, water, granulated sugar, and lemon juice to a 3 to 4 quart saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook the strawberries for about 10 minutes or until berries are cooked down and sugar is completely dissolved.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Set out 4 drinking glasses and add a few ice cubes to each glass.
- Pour 8 ounces of sparkling water and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry juice into each glass and gently stir to combine.
- Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to each glass.
- Top with fresh whipped cream and a strawberry if desired.
Notes
- This recipe uses strawberries and water for a fresh and refreshing fruit flavor. For an even easier recipe you can substitute the fruit syrup with a pre-made flavored syrup.
- Increase or decrease the amount of flavored syrup in the recipe to suit your tastes.
Brandon J. Li says
Outstanding !!! It has GREAT strawberry flavor yet is still light, refreshing & not overly sweet. Also real food & much healthier than regular soda pop (strawberry or otherwise). Great job !!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much Brandon!