While apple cider is delicious all year round, its association with the crisp fall weather is what inspired this cider float recipe. Originally developed in the late 1800s by our southern neighbours, we gave the classic ice cream float an autumnal twist that would be sure to delight guests both young and old. Read on to learn the simple steps in making your own!
Here’s what you’ll need:
For the floats:
- 2 c Vanilla Ice cream
- 2 c Apple cider
- 1 c Ginger ale
- 1/4 c Cider Caramel sauce, plus additional for garnish (see recipe)
- Whipped cream, for garnish
- Apple slices, for garnish
- Cinnamon, for garnish
For the caramel sauce:
- 1 c apple cider
- 1/3 c brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tb cornstarch
Let’s get started!
First we have to make the caramel sauce. This recipe will result in a bit of extra sauce, but that shouldn’t be a problem because this sauce is delicious. Slather it on some pancakes, drizzle it on your next bowl of oatmeal, or just use it as a dipping sauce to take eating apples to the next level. Wherever you need a little pizzazz, use this sauce.
To start, pour 2 tablespoons of the apple cider into a small bowl, and stir in the cornstarch until it’s completely dissolved. Set this aside and grab a small sauce pan. In this pan, whisk together the rest of the cider, sugar and cinnamon and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Then stir in the cornstarch mixture and simmer everything for another minute. Finally, remove this sauce from the stove and let it cool. Then pour it into a container and chill it until you’re ready to use it.
Now let’s put together the cider floats. First, scoop a generous portion of vanilla ice cream into each large glass. We recommend 1 full cup of ice cream per serving, but hey, a little extra never hurt anyone.
Then it’s time to use that caramel sauce that you worked so hard on earlier. Pour 1/8 cup of the sauce in each cup, and try your best to avoid gobbling everything up right now. It’s hard we know, but just think of the delicious float at the end of all this… it’s worth it, we promise.
Next, pour 1 cup of apple cider into each cup…
…then top them off with 1/2 cup of ginger ale each.
Finally, garnish the floats with whipped cream, a few more drizzles of that caramel sauce, a couple of apple slices and sprinkles of ground cinnamon.
We said it would be worth it, didn’t we? If you give this recipe a shot, we would love to hear your thoughts about it on Instagram. Tag us @caffedemetre and give us your feedback, thanks!
| Servings |
|
- 2 cups Vanilla ice cream
- 2 cups Apple cider
- 1 cup Ginger ale
- 1/4 cup Cider caramel sauce plus additional for garnish
- Whipped cream for garnish
- Apple slices for garnish
- Ground cinnamon for garnish
- 1 cup Apple cider
- 1/3 cup Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
Ingredients
Fall Cider Floats
Cider Caramel Sauce
|
|
- Scoop the ice cream into two large glasses.
- Divide the caramel sauce among the two glasses, and then top off each glass with 1 cup of cider and 1/2 cup of ginger ale.
- Garnish the drinks with whipped cream, a few drizzles of the cider caramel sauce, a few apple slices and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
- Pour 2 Tbsp of the cider into a small bowl and stir in the cornstarch until completely dissolved. Set this aside.
- In a small sauce pan, whisk together the cider, sugar and ground cinnamon and bring this to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer this mixture for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture in the sauce pan and simmer for another minute.
- Remove the sauce pan from heat and let it cool. Then pour the caramel into a container and chill it in the fridge.
The caramel sauce recipe makes 1 cup of sauce, so feel free to use it as a topping for pancakes or oatmeal, or just as a delicious dip for those apple slices!
