Learn how to make your own fruit-flavored soda at home with this easy Italian Strawberry Soda recipe. Made with a homemade roasted strawberry syrup, it’s a refreshing, lightly fizzy drink that’s perfect for cooling off on a hot day.
Fizzy drinks are always a hit—especially when they’re light, fruity, and refreshing. While grocery store shelves are packed with flavored seltzers and sparkling waters, making your own soda at home lets you control the flavor, sweetness, and ingredients.
This homemade Italian soda is made with a simple strawberry syrup (no artificial ingredients here!) and topped with your choice of sparkling water or seltzer. You can even swirl in a splash of coconut milk or cream for a dairy-free Italian cream soda. It's easy, fun, and totally customizable—perfect for summer parties or a mid-afternoon treat.
What Is an Italian Soda?
Italian sodas are fizzy, fruit-flavored drinks made by combining flavored syrup with sparkling water over ice. You might’ve seen them on coffee shop menus. Add a splash of cream or coconut milk, and you’ve got a rich, dreamy Italian cream soda.
This version is made with a homemade roasted strawberry syrup, which adds depth and a naturally sweet flavor you just can’t get from bottled syrups. Bonus: the syrup is great on pancakes, yogurt, or ice cream, too!
Ingredients for Strawberry Italian Soda
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need. (Full measurements and directions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Strawberries – Fresh or frozen work well. Feel free to swap in raspberries, peaches, or blackberries for variation.
- Sweetener – I use honey, but maple syrup makes a great vegan alternative.
- Balsamic Vinegar – Just a splash enhances the strawberry flavor. You can swap it with lemon juice for a lighter version.
- Carbonated Water – Choose sparkling water, club soda, or seltzer. Avoid tonic water—it’s too bitter for this recipe.
- Coconut Milk or Cream (optional) – For a creamy twist, add a splash of coconut milk or traditional cream.
How to Make Strawberry Italian Soda
Making your own soda is surprisingly easy. Here's how to do it:
- Roast the strawberries: Place strawberries on a sheet pan and drizzle with honey or maple syrup and a bit of balsamic vinegar. Roast until juicy and bubbling.
- Make the syrup: Strain the roasted berries through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract all the syrup. Chill the syrup completely before using.
- Assemble your soda: Fill a glass with ice, add a few spoonfuls of syrup, and top with sparkling water. For an Italian cream soda, finish with a splash of coconut milk or cream and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with strawberry slices and enjoy!
How to Make Strawberry Italian Soda
Making your own soda is surprisingly easy. Here's how to do it:
- Roast the strawberries: Place strawberries on a sheet pan and drizzle with honey or maple syrup and a bit of balsamic vinegar. Roast until juicy and bubbling.
- Make the syrup: Strain the roasted berries through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract all the syrup. Chill the syrup completely before using.
- Assemble your soda: Fill a glass with ice, add a few spoonfuls of syrup, and top with sparkling water. For an Italian cream soda, finish with a splash of coconut milk or cream and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with strawberry slices and enjoy!
Variations & Tips
- Customize the flavor: Adjust the syrup and soda to your liking. There's no wrong way—make it as fruity or fizzy as you want!
- Try other fruits: Raspberry, blueberry, or peach syrups are all delicious alternatives.
- Make it a float: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of cream for a dessert-style soda.
Once you try this homemade Italian strawberry soda, you may never go back to the store-bought stuff. It's simple and endlessly adaptable—plus, it’s a great way to use up extra fruit during the summer months.
More Homemade Sodas:
Strawberry Soda
This fizzy and refreshing strawberry cream soda is made with an easy homemade balsamic roasted strawberry sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb/454g strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon/5ml good quality balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup/120ml honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup/60ml filtered water.
- 1 cup/ 240ml regular coconut milk (if making cream sodas)
- Sparkling water, club soda or seltzer for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Toss the strawberries with the balsamic vinegar, sweetener and water in a shallow oven-proof dish.
- Roast until the strawberries are soft and the syrup is bubbling, (about 30 minutes).
- Let cool slightly. Strain syrup through a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate syrup until completely cool. (Save the roasted strawberries and stir them into yogurt.)
- Place 2 Tablespoons of the cooled strawberry syrup into an ice filled glass. Add 6 to 8 oz of carbonated water of choice and garnish with a few slices of fresh strawberries.
- If making the cream soda top off the strawberry soda with 2 Tablespoons of the coconut milk before serving.
Notes
Variations:
Top with coconut milk or cream to make a cream soda.
Use other fruit to make the syrup.
Storage:
Syrup can be made ahead of time and stored in fridge up to a week.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan Option (use maple syrup), Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 98Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
mira says
This is a beautiful drink! Love making Italian Cream Soda, need to try this one!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Such a pretty cream soda, those strawberries are gorgeous!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Yay for the strawberries (and even more blueberries, my favorite!). What a gorgeous looking drink, and I definitely need to try roasting fruits. I haven't done it before! :/ As always, your photos are so inspiring and I want to go to the kitchen to cook right away!
Caroline says
I am so excited to make this! I've roasted strawberries once and they were phenomenal! Love that added balsamic…genius! Pinning this beautiful refreshing drink right now!
Rachel says
Those strawberries are flawless, girl!
Steph @ Steph in Thyme says
Creamy dreamy goodness! This sounds so luxurious, yet elegant. I love the balsamic touch to the roasted strawberries. Diiiii-vine. (and I always bring back way more than I can carry from the farmer's market...overload of green lately!)
Loriel says
I can't even begin to explain how delicious this looks!
Sheena @ Tea and Biscuits says
I haven't had cream soda since I was a kid, your recipe looks delicious! Pinned 🙂
fabiola@notjustbaked says
This is looking so refreshing and just right perfectly sweet. I love the pictures, they are beautiful!