Vanilla Matcha Ice Cream Floats Recipe

Much like milkshakes, ice cream floats are a quintessential American treat that never goes out of style. Somewhere between a drink and a dessert, ice cream floats are the dreamy combination of a glass of soda, a scoop or two of ice cream, and what feels like a liberal sprinkling of nostalgia to top it off. The fizziness of the soda and the cold, creamy quality of the ice cream make for a surprisingly satisfying experience, so it's no wonder that this classic creation is constantly being reinvented with new and interesting flavor combinations.

This vanilla matcha ice cream float recipe, from the kitchen of Tasting Table's Jennine Rye, adds a uniquely modern twist to the classic treat. While fizzy soda is commonly used as the basis for an ice cream float, this recipe leans into the growing popularity of matcha in the States and uses a shot of prepared matcha as its base, along with sparkling water to provide that all-important fizz. While matcha is known for having an earthy, slightly nutty, and overall savory flavor, it is an ingredient that is increasingly found in desserts, and the taste pairs incredibly well with vanilla. This vanilla matcha ice cream float is an elegant and modern take on the all-American, classic drink. It has a wonderful balance of sweetness and earthiness that will both surprise and delight you.

To begin this vanilla matcha ice cream floats recipe, you will first need to gather the ingredients. You will want matcha powder, vanilla syrup, sparkling water, and vanilla ice cream.

Scoop ½ teaspoon matcha into a smooth-sided bowl.

Boil some water to 175–176 F. (You can use a kitchen thermometer to check this temperature.)

Pour 3–4 tablespoons of the hot water into the bowl with the matcha.

Use a whisk to mix the matcha for 20–30 seconds.

Add the vanilla syrup and mix it in.

Leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the matcha shot into a tall glass.

Pour the sparkling water into the glass until it is roughly ⅔ full.

Add the scoops of ice cream on top.

Serve immediately.‌

To select the best matcha for this recipe, you need to know a little more about this beautiful green beverage. Although commonly mistaken for green tea, matcha is its own product. Though both green tea and matcha come from the same plant, and both are known for their health properties, the green tea leaves and matcha are grown and prepared in different manners. Matcha has been a revered drink in Japan for many centuries and continues to be consumed ritually in tea ceremonies to this day.

Due to the complex and expensive process of creating real matcha, you'll need to be prepared to pay out if you want the good-quality stuff. There are plenty of companies that create and sell lesser versions of matcha by grinding green tea leaves into a powder, so if the packet contains "powdered green tea" instead of clearly labeled matcha, you'll know you aren't getting the real deal. 

And, that's not all you need to keep an eye for. When it comes to matcha, there are two common grades: ceremonial-grade matcha and culinary-grade matcha. For the best drinks, you will want to purchase the pricier, higher-quality, ceremonial-grade matcha. Though, if the purse strings are a little tight, culinary-grade matcha will also do in this recipe. Finally, any matcha you buy should be a vibrant green color, and the texture should not be clumpy but fine and smooth.

As matcha has become more prominent outside of Japan, it has been incorporated into a wide variety of different dishes with new and surprising flavor combinations. However, true matcha experts in Japan have incorporated this revered ingredient into many delicious foods over the centuries. 

While vanilla is a tried and tested flavor pairing with matcha, and one you can never go wrong with, strawberry is also commonly used in matcha-based desserts. The sweet, tart, and fruity flavor of strawberry complements and contrasts the earthy and slightly bitter notes of matcha, balancing it out into a dessert-worthy pairing. To incorporate strawberry into this ice cream float recipe, you could either add a strawberry syrup or swap out the vanilla ice cream for strawberry. Or, you could have the best of both worlds and enjoy a scoop of each. 

Chocolate is another delicious flavor pairing with matcha, and white chocolate in particular works well due to its sweetness and creaminess. To incorporate this ingredient into your ice cream float and give yourself an added hit of sweet, creamy flavor, why not grate some white chocolate on top or drizzle melted white chocolate over the scoops of ice cream?