All the good float drinkers of the world! 🎃

We were made for such a time as this.

These are fizzy, orange, sherbet-dunked, marshmallow-topped floats with a little jack-o’-lantern face that might be the most fun I’ve had with a Sharpie and a bag of marshmallows in a long time.

As we celebrate Halloween, join me in making this recipe.

What Makes These Jack-O’-Lantern Floats The Best

So where were we? I think we were about to count the times I spent drawing the perfect jack-o’-lantern face on a plastic cup.

I’ve always loved a classic root beer float, but why does it have to be brown? Why is it never Halloween-themed? My favorite day deserves better, okay!

Now for the good news!

I took the classic float, gave it an orange makeover, added frosting-and-sprinkles to the rim, and, oh, ice cream.

This is just a five-ingredient float with a marker involved.

From our recipe tester: If your frosting rim isn’t sticking to the sprinkles, make sure it is thick enough before you dip. Plus, it should be room temperature.

Ingredients

Sunkist orange soda — This is the float base, and Sunkist gives it the classic bright orange color and flavor.
Vanilla ice cream (or sherbet) — The creamy contrast to the fizzy soda. Sherbet has a lighter, fruitier float, while ice cream makes it richer and more indulgent.
Orange frosting — Used for the rim for dipping.
Sprinkles — Purely for the fun here; they turn a plain cup rim into something festive.
Candy Corn Topping or Marshmallows— The finishing touch on top, adding a soft, chewy bite against all that fizz and cream.
Whipped Cream– Just for decoration and extra sweetness.
Clear plastic cups — Clear is key here, since you want the orange soda and the face on the cup to show through.
Sharpie marker — For the face.

How to Make It

Start by drawing your jack-o’-lantern faces directly onto the outside of the plastic cups with a Sharpie.

Dip the rim of each cup into the orange frosting, then dip it into the sprinkles while the frosting is still tacky, so they stick well.

Fill the cup about halfway with orange soda, then top it with one to two scoops of ice cream or sherbet. I love a tall float, so I always add a little more soda and another scoop of ice cream.

Finish it off with a few marshmallows, Candy Corn, and whipped cream on top, and serve right away.

How to Store

These are best made and served immediately, since the soda goes flat and the ice cream will melt.

If you want to prep ahead, you can decorate the cups and portion out the frosting and sprinkles the day before.

Substitutions

“Who loves orange soda?” I do, I do, I do.. If you don’t understand this, then you are too young.

Seriously! If you do not have orange soda, use cream soda, or even ginger ale with orange coloring.

Not a sherbet fan? Vanilla or even cookies and cream ice cream both make a great swap.

Lastly, melted white chocolate with orange coloring works just as well for the rim.

HAVE FUN and try these floats.

Today, tonight, whenever it is, if you’re going to make a Halloween treat, make it count.

Please make it a fizzy, orange, marshmallow-topped, slightly-too-silly jack-o’-lantern float that will take your Halloween to the next level.

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