Delia Smith Ice-cream Sodas

Delia Smith’s ice cream sodas are a no-cook summer treat made with two scoops of ice cream, 75 ml of cordial, and soda water. From her Summer Collection (1993), they take under two minutes to put together.

Smith calls an ice cream soda “a cross between a drink and a sundae.” She keeps it simple, then offers an upgrade: swap the cordial for homemade lemon syrup from her lemonade recipe in the same book. That turns a children’s treat into something for a garden party.

The only rule she insists on is fizz. Soda water, cola, or authentic lemonade all work. The bubbles react with cold ice cream to create a frothy head on top, which is half the point.

Delia Smith Ice-cream Sodas

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1

servings

Prep time

2

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

345

kcal

An assembly recipe from Smith’s Summer Collection (1993) that sits somewhere between a drink and a dessert. Smith gives a children’s version with cordial and a grown-up version using her homemade lemon syrup.

Ingredients

• 2 scoops of ice cream

• 75 ml cordial

• Soda water, to top up

• Equipment

• Sundae glasses or tumblers

• Straws and long spoons

Directions

• Place two scoops of ice cream into a sundae glass or tumbler.
• Pour over 75 ml of cordial.
• Top up with soda water, which will give it a beautiful frothy head.
• Serve immediately with a straw and a long spoon

Notes

• Smith’s variations:
  Instead of soda and cordial, pour cola or authentic lemonade over the ice cream for the same effect. What it must have is some fizz.
• For a more special ice cream soda, make up some lemon syrup using Smith’s Home-made Lemonade recipe from the same book and assemble as above.

FAQs

What flavour cordial works best in an ice cream soda?

Smith doesn’t specify a flavour, which means she’s leaving it to personal taste. Elderflower cordial with vanilla ice cream is a classic British pairing that works beautifully here, and raspberry cordial brings a sharper contrast that cuts through the cream.

Lime cordial gives the closest match to a traditional American soda fountain float. If you’re making these for children, stick with whatever cordial they already like. The cordial is doing the flavour work while the ice cream handles texture, so pick a cordial that tastes good on its own.

What type of ice cream should I use?

Smith says “two scoops of ice cream” without naming a flavour, so vanilla is the safe starting point. A good-quality vanilla lets the cordial come through clearly, because the ice cream acts as a creamy backdrop rather than competing for attention.

For something richer, try chocolate ice cream with cherry cordial, or strawberry ice cream with lemonade. Avoid ice creams with chunks, swirls, or cookie pieces, as they’ll clog the straw and muddy the fizzy texture that makes this drink work.

What is Delia Smith’s homemade lemon syrup version?

Smith references her Home-made Lemonade recipe from the same Summer Collection cookbook. That recipe involves paring the zest from lemons, combining it with juice, sugar, and boiling water, then leaving the mixture overnight to infuse before straining.

The strained lemon syrup replaces both the cordial and the soda water in the upgraded version. Pour it over the ice cream and top up with plain soda water for fizz. This version tastes sharper and more grown-up than the cordial version, with none of the artificial sweetness you get from shop-bought squash.

Can I make ice cream sodas ahead for a party?

No, and trying will end in flat, melted disappointment. The whole point is the reaction between cold ice cream and fizzy liquid, which creates that frothy head Smith describes. That reaction lasts about five minutes before everything deflates.

What you can do is set up an assembly station. Line up the glasses, pre-scoop the ice cream onto a chilled baking tray and keep it in the freezer, then bring everything out at once. Guests pour their own cordial and soda water, which turns it into an activity as well as a dessert.

Can adults enjoy ice cream sodas too?

Smith positions this as a children’s recipe, but her lemon syrup upgrade pushes it into adult territory. You could also add a shot of Limoncello, Chambord, or Aperol to the glass before topping with soda water.

Prosecco works in place of soda water if you want something for a summer lunch. Pour it slowly over the ice cream so it doesn’t fizz over the rim. The Italian affogato follows the same logic of liquid meeting ice cream, just with espresso instead of fizz, so the concept has no age limit.

How much soda water do I need per glass?

Smith says “to top up,” which means filling the glass after the ice cream and cordial are already in. For a standard 350 ml sundae glass, that’s roughly 200 ml of soda water once you account for two scoops of ice cream and 75 ml of cordial.

Use a full-size bottle rather than a small can so you have enough fizz for multiple glasses. Pour the soda water slowly down the inside of the glass to control the foam. If you pour too fast, the froth will overflow before anyone gets to enjoy it.