Root beer was made for summer celebrations. With the sudsy, earthy flavor of the soda that always seems to have a few bubbles escaping over your glass, root beer is a cool treat – especially if it’s paired with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. If your kids are root beer fans, you don’t have to stop at just the usual drink. Instead, make recipes with root beer – from appetizers to meals to dessert. To start, why not make easy homemade root beer barbecue sauce to pour over grilled meats like pork or chicken? To finish your meal, take your pick from root beer brownies to root beer float cookies, or even root beer float cupcakes.
Easy Homemade Root Beer Barbecue Sauce
Secret ingredient to give DIY barbecue sauce an extra zip? Try this version of easy root beer barbecue sauce from Just a Taste. Mix together olive oil, garlic, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt and pepper in a saucepan. Whisk away until the sauce thickens. Oh, and don’t forget to stir in 1 cup of root beer! This sauce is great mixed with shredded pork or to use as a dip for tater tots or French fries.
Root Beer Slow Cooker Chicken
Here’s an easy dinner idea that will simmer all day and be ready for hungry kiddos. Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the Crock-Pot along with barbecue sauce and root beer. Cook on high for 2 hours, remove and shred and then keep warm by placing it back into the Crock-Pot. That’s it to make this root beer slow cooker chicken from Pillsbury. Eat the meat in a wrap or on a bun – or just plain!
Cinnamon Sugar Root Beer Bread
For added moistness and a rich flavor, try this cinnamon sugar root beer bread recipe from It Bakes Me Happy. Your kids will smile as you stir in soda to a bread batter. Stir the root beer with flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and honey. Pour into a bread pan and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar before baking.
Root Beer Brownies
Forget regular brownies! Instead, cook up these root beer brownies from Baking Bites. To start, melt together bittersweet and white chocolate along with butter before adding in eggs, sugar, flour, cocoa powder – and root beer. These dense, chocolatey brownies are so good you may want to make a double batch.
Root Beer Float Cupcakes
These root beer float cupcakes from Better Homes & Gardens look like miniature versions of the real thing. To capture the soda flavor, use root beer extract (available at most cooking stores) in the batter. For the “float” frosting, whip up plenty of butter with melted vanilla ice cream for a sweet flavor that’s perfect to top off your cupcakes.
Root Beer Float Cookies
Want to bring root beer floats to your next picnic? Then make up a batch of these root beer float cookies from Dessert Now Dinner Later. The cookies include root beer concentrate to add just the right soda undertones. Make a root beer “sandwich” by putting vanilla buttercream between two cookies.
