Last Updated on June 18, 2025 by Michelle
If I’m being honest with myself, I love soda. But since being on a real-foods kick, I don’t drink it much anymore. When I spent time digging and came up with my DIY Coke recipe, I realized you were all hungry (literally!) for healthy soda alternatives, too.
Given that Coke and Root beer are probably the most popular soda flavors, I’m starting there.
But I’m not stopping there–no. The soda industry will hate to see me coming my the time I’m through developing delicious homemade soda recipes.
To start, let’s talk about why we should be avoiding conventional sodas in the first place. I mean, they’re crisp, sweet, delicious perfection. Why mess with that? If you like artificial flavors, colors and sugars in your drinks and don’t mind the havoc those ingredients are wreaking on your body, by all means, skip this post by.
(And, to be clear, I definitely enjoy my fake-sugar-fake-color-fake-flavored conventional sodas once in a great while. But these homemade ones help fill the gaps on the more regular basis when I’m craving a soda but don’t want the junk…)
Why is homemade root beer better than store bought?
Store bought root beer is packed full of artificial sugars (hello high fructose corn syrup!), dyes, and flavors.
But when you make your own root beer, not only can you control the amount and type of sweetener you’re using, but you can also completely control and customize the ingredients. For example, did you know that homemade Coke can be medicinal?
The same is true of homemade root beer. It contains real ingredients like sarsaparilla root (anti-inflammatory and naturally helps detox your body), licorice root (high in antioxidants), ginger root (good for managing blood sugar and cholesterol), and other beneficial ingredients.
Did you also know that unrefined sugars can be packed full of antioxidants and other beneficial things? Learn more about the best sugars to use.
So homemade root beer can be backed with beneficial ingredients, from the spices used to the sweetener you choose to use. The choice is clear–homemade root beer is SO much better than the fake store bought kind.
Root beer recipe with REAL ingredients
This root beer recipe comes with a few different options.
- You can purchase an all-natural root beer syrup kit and use that to make your homemade root beer.
- You can make your own root beer mix (recipe below).
- You can order a root beer concentrate to use in place of a dry mix. (This is my least favorite option because you miss out on the benefits of the herbs and spices)
What ingredients are in homemade root beer?
Whether you’re using the root beer syrup kit or making your own, the ingredients are relatively the same and will have a similar outcome. The ingredients in this homemade root beer are:
- sarsaparilla root
- licorice root
- anise seed
- ginger root (either fresh or dried)
- clove
- allspice
- vanilla
- mint, optional
Technically you can substitute wintergreen for the anise and licorice root with a similar result. But I found wintergreen difficult to find, and the combination of anise and licorice create a similar flavor profile as wintergreen. (If I keep making my own root beer I just might have to invest in a wintergreen plant so I can harvest my own! I’m eyeing the wintergreen plants from this company.)
I still like to add a little mint in there to add a touch of the wintergreen-esque flavor. But since I don’t have wintergreen around, I just use any old mint I’m growing at the time. This one is orange mint, which adds a nice little “zesty-ness” to this root beer recipe.
Is homemade root beer good?
I’m not going to tell you that homemade root beer (especially the kind made with real spices) tastes like a perfect substitute for A&w or Barqs. But I will say, when the craving for a bubbly, sweet drink hits, this homemade root beer hits the spot.
I’m a huge fan of olipop soda knockoffs and honestly that’s exactly what this tastes like, an olipop knockoff of name brand root beer.
A couple tips for making homemade soda taste amazing:
- Make sure it’s ice cold. Nobody likes a lukewarm soda, and using plenty of ice and making sure your seltzer water is crisp and cold will help your homemade root beer taste its best.
- Add enough sweetener to make it taste good. We all want to drink less sugar, but if you’re really craving a sweet, cold, crisp soda, a barely-sweetened one just might not hit the spot. Find the sweet (pun intended!) spot for you.
- Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste buds. More of an a&w root beet fan? Add some extra vanilla (or even a splash of cream!) to lighten it up and add that signature vanilla-y creaminess that a&w has. If you’re more of a barq’s fan, you might want to add a bit more cloves or allspice for that signature dark, spicy flavor. OR even consider sweetening your drinks with molasses to make them even richer.
- Try adding other flavorings, like citrus peels, fruit syrups, or peppercorns to adjust the flavor. Have fun with it!
How to make homemade root beer recipe
Making root beer is really simple. Basically you’ll mix up the ingredients into a root beer “mix” (or purchase a pre-mixed version).
Then you’ll simmer that mixture in water until it evaporates into a root beer syrup.
Then you simply strain and sweeten the syrup and mix it with sparkling water whenever the root beer craving strikes.
You can store the root beer concentrate syrup in a jar in the fridge for a couple weeks.
Bam–healthy, homemade root beer that tastes delicious.
In order to assemble your homemade root beer recipe, you’ll need some form of sparkling water or seltzer. I use this handy-dandy machine to make my sparkling water at home, but if you don’t have a machine any ole’ can or bottle of plain sparkling water will do the trick. I made soda for years before investing in seltzer water machine by keeping cans of plain seltzer on hand. Does the trick perfectly.
Old-fashioned root beer float recipe (with homemade root beer recipe!)
It’s hard to not love a good old root beer float, isn’t it? The sparkling, spicy goodness of the root beer combined with the sweet creaminess of the ice cream? Unreal. But when it’s made with this homemade root beer recipe, and homemade maple ice cream? It’s not only insanely delicious, it’s also, dare I say, healthy?
It’s still obviously a treat, but it’s packed with REAL ingredients that you can pronounce. Enjoying a root beer float knowing every single ingredient in the entire float is awesome.
How to make a root beer float with homemade root beer recipe:
- Homemade root beer (recipe below)
- Homemade maple ice cream (or any ice cream will work, but I’m partial to this one!)
Simply mix your root beer syrup with the sparkling water, as described below.
Add a scoop (or two) of ice cream on top, making sure you have enough room in your glass to allow for the fizz.
Enjoy your completely-from-scratch root beer float!
Are you team spoon or straw for your root beer floats? I tend to find I need one of each to fully enjoy mine.
FAQ: your root beer recipe questions, answered
Is this recipe safe for kids?
Absolutely! In fact, all the same principals we talked above about above apply to kids, as well. It’s lower in sugar than the “real” thing and packed full of healthy (and tasty!) spices. They’ll love this sweet, sparkly homemade root beer!
How do I make this without a sparkling water machine?
Although I love my sparkling water machine, it’s easy to make homemade root beer without one. Simply purchase canes (or bottles) of plain seltzer water, and use them as needed to make your root beer!
Can I substitute ingredients if I can’t find one?
You certainly can. I can’t guarantee the end result will taste exactly the same unless the recipe is followed as written, but, who knows–maybe you’ll come up with a homemade soda you’ll love even more than the original!
Can I ferment this recipe for natural bubbles?
Definitely. In fact, I’ve even made all-natural root beer kombucha before! It’s tasty, but I will warn you that the kombucha overpowers the root beer flavors just a bit and still tastes like, well, kombucha. That’s why I tend to just use sparkling water when I’m craving that “real” soda flavor. But play around with what you like and let me know what you try in the comments!
Root Beer Recipe (real ingredients!)
Ingredients
For homemade root beer mix*
- 2 tablespoons dried sarsaparilla root
- 1 tablespoon licorice root
- 2 teaspoons anise seed
- 2 teaspoons dried ginger root
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 2 sprigs fresh mint* optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-1.5 cups coconut sugar or brown sugar
For homemade root beer
- 1/4-1/3 cup root beer syrup concentrate
- 1 cup sparkling water
Instructions
For the Root Beer Syrup
- In a saucepan, combine either 1/3 cup of THIS root beer mix, OR entire mixture listed above (minus the vanilla and sugar) with 4 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil, than reduce heat to simmer. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the water has been reduced to roughly half.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, add sweetener, and store in a jar. If using homemade root beer mix, add the vanilla extract now.
To Make Root Beer Soda
- Combine 1/4-1/3 root beer syrup with about 1 cup cold sparkling water (I make my own with this fancy machine). Adjust the syrup-sparkling water ratio to suit your taste. Add ice and enjoy.
Notes
