This Italian blood orange soda is as beautiful as it is delicious! It's perfect for parties, brunches, or anytime you'd like to serve a non-alcoholic option. It's both sweet and slightly tart with a creamy finish that everyone will love.
The colors in this Italian blood orange soda are perfect for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, or even the holidays! We like to serve it with raspberry lemonade or a PAMA cocktail to keep with the pink and red color theme.
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Ingredients
Blood Orange Syrup
- water
- sugar
- blood oranges
- red gel food coloring (optional)
Soda
- sparkling water, such as Pellegrino
- unsweetened coconut milk
- Basil or mint, for garnish (optional)
See the recipe card at the bottom of this page for specific ingredient amounts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Squeeze the blood oranges through a fine mesh strainer.
- In a medium-sized sauce pan, add the sugar and water and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and add the blood orange juice, stirring well to combine. Place the syrup in the refrigerator to chill along with the sparkling water. Optional: If you want a darker pink or red coloring, add a drop or two of red food coloring to give it a deep red color.
Step 4: In a glass, add about ½ cup chilled sparkling water. Pour in approximately 2 tablespoons of the chilled blood orange simple syrup.
Step 5: Pour in approximately a quarter of a cup of the coconut milk. Stir gently to combine, then serve.
You can stop here and enjoy your Italian soda, or add a garnish first of fresh basil or mint. The green herbs give a nice color contrast to the gorgeous blood orange soda, but both ways are beautiful!
Equipment Needed
- Citrus juicer
- Fine mesh strainer (optional): This will collect any pulp and seeds for a smoother syrup.
- Medium saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing spoons (for both the simple syrup and the blood orange soda)
- Glass bottles or jars with lids (optional, for storing the cooled syrup)
- Serving glasses
Tips
- Use fresh blood oranges: Don't be tempted to take a shortcut with the flavoring. It's important to use fresh fruit, especially since there are so few ingredients in this blood orange soda.
- Cool the simple syrup completely: The simple syrup and sparkling water should both be thoroughly chilled before assembling.
- Choose a high-quality sparkling water: Use a sparkling water that has no added flavors, and don't skimp on the quality. This is important in a recipe with so few ingredients.
- Stir gently: You want to make sure the ingredients are completely combined, but stirring it too briskly can ruin the fizz that makes Italian soda so delicious.
- Serve it immediately: As with any soda, the fizz is what "makes it", so don't let it sit out too long before serving.
- Adjust the amounts: Start with the amounts of ingredients we've recommended, then adjust to your taste. I love mine more creamy, but you may prefer yours even more sweet. This blood orange soda is very versatile so make it exactly how you like it!
Storage
- Blood orange syrup: Store the cooled syrup in a clean glass jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Coconut milk and sparkling water: Keep these chilled in the refrigerator until just before making the sodas. Don't mix them ahead of time so the bubbles don't go flat.
- Make-ahead: This is a great make-ahead recipe! Prepare the recipe through step 3, then continue with step 4 whenever you're ready to serve.
- Freezing: You can freeze the syrup into ice cubes, then transfer them to a freezer bag. The frozen cubes will last up to two months in the freezer. Just thaw them as needed!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular oranges if I don't have blood oranges?
You can use regular oranges but the flavor will be a bit sweeter, and the color won't be as red.
Can I leave out the coconut milk?
The coconut milk makes this a creamy blood orange soda, but you can leave it out if you're looking for something more like a traditional soda. You can also substitute it with whole milk or half & half.
Can I add booze?
If you want to turn this Italian soda into a cocktail, add a little vodka, gin, or Prosecco!
How far in advance can I make the syrup?
The blood orange simple syrup can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
Can the recipe be doubled?
This recipe can easily be scaled up to serve as many people as you like.
Do I need the food coloring?
It's entirely optional, it just depends on whether you'd like a deeper color, but it's gorgeous without it, too.
What's the best garnish?
We usually go with sprigs of fresh basil or mint, but a slice of fresh blood orange is also gorgeous.
Related
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Pairings
These are the appetizers we like to serve with Italian Blood Orange Soda:
Italian Blood Orange Soda
This creamy, fizzy Italian soda is easy to make, has a wonderful flavor, and can easily be scaled up to serve a crowd.
Ingredients
Blood Orange Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- Juice of 3 blood oranges
- 1 drop red gel food coloring (optional)
Soda
- 1 large bottle sparkling water
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- Fresh basil, mint, or blood orange slices (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Squeeze the blood oranges through a fine mesh strainer.
- In a medium-sized sauce pan, add the sugar and water and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and add the blood orange juice, stirring well to combine. Place the syrup in the refrigerator to chill along with the sparkling water for at least one hour. Optional: If you want a darker pink or red coloring, add a drop or two of red food coloring to give it a deep red color.
- In a glass, add about ½ cup chilled sparkling water. Pour in approximately 2 tablespoons of the chilled blood orange simple syrup.
- Pour in approximately a quarter of a cup of the coconut milk, and stir gently to combine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 44mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 3gSugar: 69gProtein: 1g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
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