Transform Your Favorite Soda Into A Tasty Ice Cream With This Canned Ingredient

Fizzy soda and luscious ice cream are two popular sweets that are often consumed separately. However, there are a few instances in which you can successfully combine these distinct confections to make unforgettable treats. While you may enjoy using popular brands of root beer like A&W and IBC to prepare tasty ice cream floats, you can also combine this fizzy soda (and other favorite soft drinks) with one shelf-stable ingredient to make a delicious makeshift ice cream.

All you need is a bottle of your favorite soda and a can of sweetened condensed milk. The carbon dioxide in soda reacts with the milk's fat and sugar to make a somewhat frothy yet creamy concoction. Additionally, since sweetened condensed milk is low in water and high in sugar, it lowers the freezing point of the combined mixture, producing a smooth, creamy confection similar to homemade ice cream.

Sure enough, there are many genius ways to use sweetened condensed milk, especially when it comes to simplifying your favorite recipes like fudge, tres leches cake, and two-ingredient ice cream. Luckily, with soda and sweetened condensed milk, you can make a simple yet scoopable frozen treat in no time. Simply stir together 4 to 6 cups of your favorite soda and one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. From here, all you need to do is pour this two-ingredient mixture into your ice cream maker and churn until it reaches your desired consistency.

No ice cream maker? No problem. To successfully make this frozen dessert without an ice cream machine, combine both ingredients in a bowl and then freeze. For a uniform texture, stir the mixture again an hour after freezing until smooth, then refreeze.

Regardless of how you make this icy treat, make sure you start the process with chilled ingredients. Place the soda and can of condensed milk in your refrigerator well before you plan on making your ice cream. Especially if you're using an ice cream machine, chilling helps the combined mixture freeze faster and create a better flavor and texture.

To give your soda ice cream a silkier texture by hand, consider incorporating additional ingredients. Instead of starting the process by mixing together soda and sweetened condensed milk, begin by whipping heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Then, carefully fold in the canned milk and soda before freezing. The extra fat in heavy cream makes the mixture lighter and creamier and also less icy. If you're using an ice cream machine, stir either chilled heavy cream or milk into your soda mixture before churning the ingredients all together.

Once you get the hang of this recipe, test it out with a few of your favorite sodas like Sprite or cherry Coke and decide which variety you like best. Better yet, while you can always make fruity blood orange cocktails with Orange Crush soda, there's no doubt this citrusy drink also makes a delicious two-ingredient sorbet thanks to sweetened condensed milk.