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A delicious ice cream float twist on the classic Shirley Temple drink. The Shirley Temple Float is not only yummy to drink, it’s so pretty, too! Vanilla ice cream, lemon lime soda, grenadine, whipped cream and maraschino cherries, will bring a smile to kids of all ages!
When we go out to dinner our twins usually order a Shirley Temple. I loved having Shirley Temples at my grandparents as a kid, too.
We would go over their house on Saturday nights, the Lawrence Welk Show was always on tv when we arrived. My grandma always popped popcorn on the stove, us kids played pool or games in the basement while the adults drank Hi-Balls and played Pitch upstairs.
I have so many fond memories of their house. It was always so much fun!
There is something about a maraschino cherry in your glass that makes what your drinking feel special. Especially when you are a kid. My grandparents always made me feel that way when they fixed me a Shirley Temple.
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A History Of The Shirley Temple
Sad to say, Shirley Temple, for whom the drink was named, hated it. File that under “celebrity problems”. Apparently the drink was invented by a bartender in Los Angeles California when Shirley Temple was a huge child movie star. As an adult, she went on to become a famous and notable ambassador.
But apparently, no one could ever let her grow up. Everywhere she went people thought it was hilarious to serve her a Shirley Temple.
Unfortunately, she found them much too sweet.
Is “too sweet” even a thing? We need more sweetness in this world! As a child star, Shirley Temple embodied the very essence of sweetness. She was a huge star because of it.
Of course, a float of ice cream makes the Shirley Temple even sweeter. When you get right down to it… if it brings a bigger smile, then that alone is pretty sweet.
For as long as I can remember, rootbeer floats have been a favorite of mine that I passed onto my kiddos. The first time I made these Shirley Temple Ice Cream Floats, was when I surprised them after school on Valentine’s Day.
These Shirley Temple Floats make a great Valentine treat, don’t you think?
Variations On Shirley Temple Floats
Truth be told, the original recipe for Shirley Temples called for Ginger Ale as the soda of choice. Since then, I think most recipes favor lemon-lime soda.
A couple of other types of soda work pretty well, too. Orange or grape soda, works well, and of course, any cherry-flavored soda will put an extra cherry on top.
If you use cola, it will be like a Cherry Cola Float, but you won’t call that a Shirley Temple Float. Then it will be a Roy Rogers Float, because a Roy Rogers is the male version of the Shirley Temple, only using cola instead of ginger ale or lemon-lime soda.
The clear sodas work best in my opinion though, since they allow the color of the cherries and grenadine to do their magic.
How to Make a Shirley Temple Float
Begin by scooping vanilla ice cream into a glass. Next, slowly pour the lemon-lime soda into the glass, over the ice cream.
Drizzle the grenadine over the top, letting it slide down in the grooves of the ice cream and throughout the bubbly soda pop.
Finish it off with some whipped cream, and of course, you’ll need to add that maraschino cherry to the top!
Love them? Pin them!
If you love these Shirley Temple Floats, pin them to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find the recipe easily when you want it!
Printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Adult Version of the Shirley Temple – The Dirty Shirley
Ok, I know the Shirley Temple is a great “kids cocktail” (which doesn’t sound very politically correct… but it was invented in different times right?). However, if you want to do an adult version for the adults in the room, then go for it!
Ordering a Dirty Shirley, or the grown-up version of the Shirley Temple at a bar is a real thing. There are a couple of different versions, but they are both very similar.
Clear soda, like lemon lime or ginger ale, or even ginger beer can be used. Add in grenadine, and vodka, or really kick up the cherry with some cherry vodka! Garnish with limes and maraschino cherries, and toast to that childhood star, Shirley herself!
Dirty Shirley Float
Now, who says grown-ups can’t enjoy their ice cream and their cocktails, too? This Shirley Temple Float can easily be made into a blended ice cream cocktail, much like my Pink Squirrel or my Grown Up Orange Julius.
Simply pour the vodka, soda, grenadine and ice cream in your blender, give it a whir, and pour it into a glass. Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry on top!
Recipes that use Maraschino Cherries
Do you have other ways to use that jar of Maraschino cherries? Absolutely! Unless you are eating them out of the jar itself, Maraschino cherries can last a long time. I have some other fun and delicious ways to “add a cherry on top!” (or to the inside in some cases)
- Pink Squirrel Cocktail (pictured above)
- Fried Ice Cream Pie
- Cherry Cheese Bread
- White Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Space Pop Cocktail
- Hurricane Fresh Fruit Salad
So give the kids a fun surprise, and make these soon! Heck – make yourself one, too! With or without alcohol… I am not here to judge!
Let’s get to the Shirley Temple Float Recipe! 
This recipe was originally shared on February 2, 2015. It’s been updated to improve user experience and reshared June 15, 2020.
