If your go-to drinks include both coffee and sparkling water, you might just love coffee soda! This carbonated coffee drink - also known as "espresso soda" features a bold kick of intense coffee flavor alongside crisp bubbles and a hint of sweetness. Keep it simple or add a splash of cream-either way, it's quick to make and perfect for spring and summer.
When warm weather hits, I'm all about caffeinated drinks on ice. Don't get me wrong-a dulce de leche latte is peak coziness, and a coconut latte is great for the early days of spring -but iced coffee is my mainstay.
I've shared many of my favorites already - a classic caramel iced latte for everyday sipping and lavender iced coffee for a floral twist - but this coffee soda recipe is great for when you're looking to shake things up a bit. It's a little less sweet and a little more robust, but with an effervescent twist that makes it surprisingly refreshing!
Curious what coffee soda is?
It's essentially a carbonated coffee drink served over ice-lightly sweet, fizzy, and ultra-refreshing.
Whether you like your coffee drinks bold, creamy, or somewhere in between, you'll find that you can easily tweak this recipe to suit your tastes. Plus, you'll love how simple it is to make!
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Recipe Highlights
- Bold & Bubbly: Espresso meets sparkling water for a refreshing drink with serious depth.
- Fast & Easy: Ready in 5 minutes or less, with zero prep required.
- Infinitely Customizable: Use your favorite sweetener-flavored or not-and add a splash of cream to smooth it out. Cutting back on caffeine? Make it decaf. Don't have espresso? Coffee works too! This one's easy to modify to your liking.
- Perfect for Warm Weather! This crisp, fizzy pick-me-up is great for sunny afternoons and a perfect non-alcoholic option for weekend brunch.
What You'll Need (and How to Customize It)
Though this drink is incredibly easy to make and adjust to taste, you'll find exact ingredient quantities in the recipe card below. Here's what to gather:
- Espresso: I like using espresso for its deep, rich flavor, but you can also sub in freshly brewed coffee for a slightly more mellow version, or even cold brew coffee. The roast you use will make a difference too-darker roasts will bring more intensity to the finished drink.
- Sweetener: Classic simple syrup, brown sugar syrup, honey syrup, maple syrup-anything goes here. Don't be afraid to get creative! If you have a flavored coffee syrup on hand, this is a great place to use it.
- Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: If you're opting for a more neutral sweetener, a dash of vanilla adds a light layer of flavor. You can also experiment with variations like almond extract and mint extract, or skip the extract entirely if your sweetener already has a strong flavor of its own.
- Sparkling Water/Club Soda: Any kind of carbonated water is fair game - I use soda water made with my Sodastream. Feel free to try this recipe with flavored sparkling water as well.
- Cream: Optional, depending on your mood! Made without cream, this coffee soda is crisp and full-bodied. With cream, the flavor softens into something closer to a fizzy iced latte. Half-and-half or your favorite dairy-free alternative works too.
How to Make a Coffee Soda
- Step 1: Fill a 16 ounce glass about halfway with ice. Add vanilla bean paste or extract.
- Step 2: Brew espresso over ice in glass. Stir in sweetener.
- Step 3: Top espresso with sparkling water, pouring it in slowly since it will fizz quite a bit.
- Step 4: Add cream (and additional sweetener, if desired) to taste. Stir again before drinking.
Recipe Tip
If you're using a thicker sweetener - like honey - in your coffee soda, pour it over the ice in your glass before brewing the espresso on top. This will help ensure it mixes in easily.
Flavor Variations
Once you've made this sparkling coffee drink a handful of times, you might want to think about adding a twist to the flavors! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Vanilla Cream Soda: Use vanilla simple syrup and don't skip the cream for a smooth soda-shop style drink.
- Citrus: If you've made a batch of candied orange or lemon peel recently, use the leftover syrup as your sweetener and the peel as a garnish for a bright, zesty kick.
- Mint: Add a splash of mint syrup and top with a fresh mint sprig for a cool, refreshing touch.
- Spanish Latte Style: Take a cue from my iced Spanish latte recipe and swap the sweetener and cream for sweetened condensed milk.
- Espresso Tonic: Replace sparkling water with tonic for a slightly bitter, refreshing twist.
FAQs
It's lightly sweet by default and more coffee-forward, but you can easily adjust the amount of sweetness to taste.
Absolutely. I've even used leftover coffee that I brewed earlier in the day with my pour over. Anything goes - just make sure it isn't burnt!
Yes! Use cold brew or pre-chilled coffee, mix in vanilla extract and sweetener ahead of time, and let your guests build their own drinks. Think mimosa bar, but with coffee, sparkling water, and ice!
want to brew espresso at home?
My Favorite Espresso Machine
If you're in the market for an espresso machine, this is the one I own and love-it's compact, easy to use, and perfect for all of my coffee drink recipes!"
Pastry Pairings
Here are a few great pastry recipes to serve with this coffee soda:
Recipe Card
Coffee Soda Recipe
Ingredients
- ice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 ½ ounces espresso
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup, simple syrup, or other sweetener of choice
- 4 ½ ounces sparkling water or club soda
- 1 tablespoon whipping cream optional
Instructions
- Fill a 16 ounce glass about halfway with ice. Add vanilla bean paste or extract.½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- Brew espresso over ice in glass. Stir in sweetener.2 ½ ounces espresso |1 teaspoon maple syrup, simple syrup, or other sweetener of choice
- Slowly pour in the sparkling water - it will fizz quite a bit!4 ½ ounces sparkling water or club soda
- Add cream (and/or additional sweetener) to taste. Stir again before drinking.1 tablespoon whipping cream
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
- Espresso can be substituted with cold brew or coffee.
- Sparkling water can be substituted with tonic water to make an espresso tonic - skip the cream!
- Cream (if using) can be substituted with half-n-half or your favorite dairy-free alternative.
Preparation Tip:
- If using a thicker sweetener like honey or sweetened condensed milk, pour it over the ice in your glass before adding espresso or hot coffee to ensure it gets mixed in properly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate per serving, calculated using standard ingredients. Actual values may vary based on brands used, measurement methods, and more.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to hear from you - leave a rating and review!Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
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