Fluffy Vs Dirty Soda: What's The Difference?

TikTok is at it again with new food trends that have some of us scratching our heads. The latest internet sensations are fluffy soda and dirty soda, both of which take inspiration from the mocktail scene, where people who abstain from alcohol still get to enjoy fun, flavorful drinks when they're out with their friends. But while mocktails lean heavily on interesting juices and bold garnishes, fluffy soda and dirty soda are simply souped up versions of your favorite soda classics like Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola.

We're not going to lie, ever since we saw that viral TikTok video of a woman making a chocolate milkshake using her toilet, we've been skeptical of what these food influencers are up to. But even if you have to work your way through a lot of questionable material, there are still plenty of TikTok food hacks that are actually worth trying. Whether these two trends are coal or diamonds is ultimately your call, but it's hard to make an informed decision if you don't know what everyone's talking about.

The fluffy soda trend started when food influencer Emma Grace shared a video she made with her Memama (her grandma) where they make fluffy Coke on TikTok. It's really simple to put together. First, grab a jar of marshmallow fluff and spread it around the inside of a glass with a knife or spatula. Then, fill the glass with ice and pour in your favorite type of soda. Grace and Memama use regular Coca-Cola (which Memama nostalgically refers to as "Co-Cola"), but any soda will do. 

The important part is to lather the glass with marshmallow fluff. For anyone not familiar with marshmallow fluff, it's similar to regular marshmallows, but instead of the cute little pillows you roast over a fire, it's thick like a spread. Ingredient lists differ from brand to brand, but a typical list will include egg whites, sugar, and corn syrup, which are then whipped to achieve its distinctly sticky consistency. 

Some companies will call it marshmallow cream instead of fluff, but either should work, here. There are a surprising number of creative ways to use marshmallow fluff, not all of which have to do with desserts. The most similar thing that we'd heard of before this fluffy soda trend came out was when people would add marshmallow fluff to cold foam for a next-level iced coffee.

Although dirty soda blew up recently thanks to TikTok, it was actually a soda shop operating out of Utah that first came up with the idea. As many people know, a good chunk of Utah is populated by Mormons, whose religious tenets prohibit them from drinking alcohol, coffee, and certain types of tea. The one caffeinated liquid treat allowed to them? Soda. Which makes Utah the perfect place for a drive-thru soda shop like Swig. A few years back, Swig was looking to get creative with its offerings and took inspiration from Italian sodas. 

Italian sodas combine flavorful syrups, club soda or sparkling water, and half-and-half for a deliciously creamy sipper that's perfect for all ages. The dirty soda is essentially the same thing, only the club soda is swapped out for something like Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, or Mountain Dew. The Torani line of syrup flavorings is a popular choice for dirty soda additions, and people often use either half-and-half or heavy cream to provide the signature mouthfeel, though milk or almond milk would work just as well.

We mentioned the fact that dirty sodas take inspiration from Italian sodas, but the genre of carbonated drinks combined with dairy products is well trodden territory. If you've ever had a root beer float and thought it was tasty, a dirty soda is simply a fun new twist on that premise. The fluffy soda, on the other hand, is a more recent development and will likely need to gain some familiarity before it gets widespread acceptance. There are some pretty obvious similarities between fluffy sodas and dirty sodas, like how they are both adding a creamy texture to a drink that is normally crisp. 

But marshmallow fluff is simply not the same thing as heavy cream, and the similarities only go so far. We would point out that marshmallow fluff adds a big burst of sugary sweetness to an already sugar-packed drink, while the addition of flavoring syrups to dirty sodas balances the scale. Still, the sugar content in both of these drinks is certainly eye-popping. But that hasn't kept dirty sodas from getting unofficial endorsements from big names in the food industry. In fact, a Yelp expert predicted that people may soon be pairing them with their BBQ in place of beer.