Pepsi Starry Astrophage Burst Float Recipe
Pouring the soda slowly down the inside of a chilled glass, rather than straight over the ice cream, keeps the fizz from foaming over the top before it even reaches the table, so the float stays tall and photogenic instead of half-collapsed and sticky.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 (12 fl oz) cans Pepsi Starry Astrophage Burst soda, chilled
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1/2 cup whipped cream
- 2 tbsp blue sanding sugar
- 4 small packets popping candy
- 4 cherries maraschino cherries, with stems
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 369
- Protein
- 3g
- Carbs
- 73g
- Fat
- 9g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Chill four tall glasses in the freezer for about 10 minutes; a cold glass keeps the soda fizzing longer once it's poured.
- 2Place two small scoops of vanilla ice cream in the bottom of each chilled glass.
- 3Tilt each glass and slowly pour the Pepsi Starry Astrophage Burst soda down the inside wall of the glass over the ice cream, rather than straight down the middle, to keep the foam from surging over the rim.
- 4Let the float sit undisturbed for about 30 seconds as the soda fizzes up around the ice cream and settles.
- 5Top each float with a swirl of whipped cream.
- 6Sprinkle blue sanding sugar and popping candy over the whipped cream right before serving.
- 7Garnish with a maraschino cherry and serve immediately with a straw and a long spoon.
Tips & variations
- Swap the vanilla ice cream for cotton candy or blue raspberry sherbet to lean further into the soda's bright blue color.
- For a dairy-free version, use a coconut or oat milk vanilla frozen dessert and coconut whipped topping.
- Scale this up into a punch bowl version for a party by combining chilled soda and a few scoops of sherbet in a large bowl right before serving, garnishing the surface with popping candy just before guests arrive.
Storage & reheating
Assembled floats do not hold; the ice cream melts and the soda goes flat within about 15 minutes. To prep ahead, portion ice cream scoops onto a parchment-lined tray and freeze solid, then keep the soda cans cold until it's time to build the floats to order.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Rinse and dry the glasses right before scooping the ice cream in; a wet glass makes the ice cream slide instead of sitting level.
- A bar spoon with a long handle reaches the bottom of a tall float glass better than a regular spoon.
FAQ
What is Pepsi Starry Astrophage Burst?
It's a limited-edition flavor of Pepsi's Starry lemon-lime soda line, sold in an electric-blue color with a blue raspberry and cotton candy twist added to the usual lemon-lime base.
Is Pepsi Starry Astrophage Burst caffeinated?
No. Like the rest of the Starry lineup, it's caffeine-free, which makes it fine for kids' desserts like this float.
Can I make this with regular Starry or another lemon-lime soda if I can't find the Astrophage Burst flavor?
Yes. Regular Starry or Sprite will work in the same proportions; the float just won't have the blue raspberry note or the bright blue color.
Why did the soda go flat so fast in my float?
Pouring it straight down onto the ice cream instead of along the glass wall knocks out most of the carbonation on contact, which is why the pouring technique in this recipe matters more than it seems to.