Create a delightful, refreshing, non-alcoholic carbonated beverage from scratch using only three uncomplicated ingredients: sparkling water, lime juice, and coconut cream. This recipe produces a flawless rendition of an Italian cream soda transformed into a French Soda without incorporating any dairy products or requiring a voyage to Italy. The resulting beverage is light, refreshing, and delicious!
Looking for an easy, fun, and tasty drink for the kids? Try my Candy Corn Punch!
It’s just three ingredients, ones we usually have on hand or can easily grab with our groceries, and naturally creates something of its own “whipped cream” when mixed together. The best part is we use natural flavors to create this yummy treat!
What’s the difference between French soda and Italian soda?
An Italian soda is made with carbonated water and flavoring–usually flavored syrup. If you add cream–or coconut cream–to an Italian soda, you get a French soda. What makes it tricky is that French soda is sometimes also called Italian cream soda. Now you know!
Key Ingredients in this Lime Coconut French Soda:
- Lime juice.
- Carbonated Water. Anything bubbly will work just fine. Coconut LaCroix is a favorite.
- Cream of coconut. See below for information about the cream of coconut.
Where can I find the ingredients if I don’t have them at home?
Though you might not have all these ingredients, they are super easy to find!
- You can get limes and soda water (carbonated water) at just about any grocery or liquor store.
- You can find canned coconut cream near the canned coconut milk (usually in the Asian section) at many grocery stores, too! If you can’t find it, you can use the thick cream that rises to the top of the can of (full-fat) coconut milk or grab some sweetened cream of coconut (like Coco Real) from the liquor section.
How can I use my soda stream for lime french soda?
If you have a soda stream at home, you don’t need to pick up carbonated water at the store. It’s already at your fingertips! Use it without any added flavoring to get the plain carbonated water you need for this Lime French Soda recipe.
How to Make LIME French Soda:
- Add the coconut cream and lime juice to the glass.
- Mix together with a fork.
- Pour cold seltzer water over the top until the glass is filled.
- Top with shredded coconut.
- If you need a bit more sweetness, stir in a bit of cane sugar.
What’s the difference between carbonated water and soda water?
Seltzer water, soda water, club soda, sparkling water…it’s so overwhelming! Mostly, they are just forms of carbonated water and can be used interchangeably. If you’re curious, here’s a little more info.
-Club soda gets its carbonation from an injection of carbon dioxide. Some minerals are also added, which can give it a slightly salty taste.
-Seltzer is carbonated in the same way as club soda, but no minerals are added. Some claim this gives it a “pure” taste.
-Sparkling water, or mineral water, gets its carbonation naturally from a spring or well. It also naturally contains different minerals, varying depending on the water source. This is why different brands taste slightly different.
-Soda water is just a term people use to refer to any of the above.
When you’re making your Lime French Soda, don’t get too hung up on this. Just grab what’s easiest. Or, if you’re the experimenting type, grab a few types and do some taste testing for fun!
Can I adjust the sweetness or tartness of the Lime French Soda to my liking?
Yes! You can easily customize your Lime French Soda to be as sweet or tart as you like. If you like it really tart, use coconut cream (not cream of coconut) and unsweetened shredded coconut on top. If you like yours on the sweet side, you have a variety of options to sweeten it: use Coco Real instead of coconut cream, add some cane sugar, use sweetened coconut on top, or even use some lime syrup instead of lime juice.
What type of glassware should I use to serve the Lime French Soda?
Drinking your Lime French Soda is obviously the best part of making it. But the second best is choosing the glasses to serve it in! Choose glassware that fits the occasion–mugs, milk jars, classic tumblers, soda glasses, or even mason jars.
Regardless of the glassware you choose, I highly recommend serving your sodas with some cute straws–I swear cute straws make everything taste better.
Flavor Adaptions to try:
- Try changing up the lime juice with another favorite flavor like cherry grenadine, orange juice, raspberry, or even coffee. Torani makes some good flavors to try!
- Use lemon-lime flavored soda and fresh mint to create a mint lemonade flavor.
- Try adding almond extract or vanilla extract for a more savory version.
- Looking for a caffeine boost? Skip the carbonated water in favor of a clear soda.
Should I serve the Lime French Soda immediately or can it be stored for later use?
It’s best to serve your Lime French Soda immediately. The longer carbonated water sits out, the more it loses its fizz. If necessary, you could prepare your French Soda and keep it in the fridge for up to an hour. But they’re so easy and quick to make, and I don’t recommend doing that.
How would I make a big batch of Lime French Soda for a party?
French Soda is such a fun drink to serve at a party! One way to do it is to set someone up as a bar tender to make drinks quickly as people come through. The other way–and this can be fun–is to set up a DIY soda bar. Just set out all the ingredients, cups, and straws along with instructions, and let your guests make their own French sodas! This is especially fun if you set out a variety of flavored juices or syrups for your guests to use so they can customize their flavors. People love it!
Coconut Lime French Soda (only 3 ingredients)
Ingredients
- 2 ounces coconut cream
- 2 ounces lime juice
- 8 ounces carbonated water
Instructions
- Add the coconut cream and lime juice to the glass.
- Mix together with a fork.
- Pour cold seltzer water over the top until the glass is filled.
- Top with shredded coconut.
