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Root Beer Float Cookies Recipe

Soft Root Beer Float Cookies are a delicious drop cookie with a rich and unique root beer flavor. They are a fun play on the traditional Root Beer Ice Cream Float with white chocolate chips and pure root beer concentrate in a scrumptious cookie dough that bakes soft and fluffy every time.

Our blog Friend Amy Gagnon says “The first cookies just came out of the oven and are cool enough to sample…….oh my goodness!!!!

They are so yummy! I’ll be making another batch for the end of the school year party, the kindergarten kids are sure to love these!”

This recipe was generously gifted to us by our reader, Miss Karen. Karen is working on a cookbook, and she kindly offered this recipe to us with all of her tips and tricks for getting the best Root Beer Float Cookies. We are thrilled to share it with you.

Rootbeer Float Cookies

What is Root Beer Concentrate used for?

Though many of us are not familiar with this delicious ingredient, Root Beer Concentrate is a great ingredient to have on hand. It is used in cookies, ice creams, cakes and frostings, and can even be used as a substitute for vanilla extract.

The signature flavor brings delicious depth to a variety of baked goods and desserts.

Here are some more delicious cookie recipes for you to try

Is Root Beer Concentrate the same as Root Beer Extract?

Simply put, no, root beer concentrate will have a deeper and stronger flavor than extract. It is what we recommend you use for baking because you will use much less, and the flavor quality cannot be beat. Your Root Beer Float Cookies will have a noticeably stronger flavor that harkens to that traditional ice cream float we all know and love.

Root Beer Float Cookies Recipe Tips

This recipe makes a large batch of 36 2inch cookies. To keep the cookies uniform in size and ensure even baking, we recommend using an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop when dropping the dough onto your baking sheet.

Be careful not to over mix the dough, you want to stop when the ingredients are just combined.

Cherry Red Kitchen Aid Making Root Beer Float Cookies

If you love Root Beer, these cookies will be a welcomed treat in your home. If you want to play around with the recipe and try some variations you can even dress them up with a sweet buttercream frosting, use them to make Root Beer Float Sandwich Cookies with ice cream, or serve them alongside a summer time soda bar. 

Rootbeer Float Cookies
Root Beer Float Cookies With Rootbeer Concentrate
Root Beer concentrate is recommended for all baking

The white chocolate chips should have a high percentage of cocoa butter. Karen prefers Trader Joe’s mini white chips or King Arthur Flour chips.

Karen also recommends Watkins Root Beer Concentrate which she finds it at Walmart. If you can’t find it in your local stores, order McCormicks 2 oz. Root Beer Concentrate on Amazon.

Rootbeer Float Cookies

Instructions for how to make Root Beer Float Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Cream the butter and the sugars. We used a kitchen aid stand mixer on medium low. A large wooden spoon and bowl or electric hand mixer will work well too.
  3. Add the egg and beat until fluffy.
  4. Add the milk, vanilla extract and root beer concentrate.
  5. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda.
  6. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet batter until thoroughly combined.
  7. Stir in the white chocolate chips. We use Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips.
  8. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, on parchment or silicone mat lined cookie sheets. We like to use an ice cream scoop for even size.
Root Beer Float Cookies With Rootbeer Concentrate
Yield: 36 cookies

Root Beer Float Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
cooling time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Delicious Root Beer Float Cookies. The only thing missing from this scrumptious treat is the straw!

Ingredients

  • 1 CUP BUTTER, at room temp
  • 1 CUP SUGAR
  • 1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
  • 1 LARGE EGG
  • 2 TBSP.MILK
  • 1 TBSP + 2 tsp. ROOT BEER CONCENTRATE, NOT extract
  • 1 tsp. VANILLA EXTRACT
  • 3 CUPS FLOUR
  • 1 tsp. CREAM of TARTAR
  • 1 tsp. BAKING SODA
  • 1 ½ CUPS WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Cream the butter and the sugars.
  3. Add the egg and beat until fluffy.
  4. Add the milk, vanilla extract and root beer concentrate.
  5. Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda.
  6. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet batter until thoroughly combined.
  7. Stir in the White Chocolate chips until mixed.
  8. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, on parchment lined cookie sheets.
  9. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until just set.
  10. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes.

Notes

From Karen :

"I think this should be my recipe of the year…

The only thing missing is the straw!"

Karen Recommends Watkins Root Beer Concentrate. She finds it at Walmart. If you can't find it in your local stores(I couldn't) order [easyazon_link identifier="B007WWO7BC" locale="US" tag=homefoodjunk-20"]McCormicks 2 oz. Root Beer Concentrate[/easyazon_link] or Zatarains Rootbeer Concentrate on Amazon. I have used both and the flavor is perfect. It's SO worth it to get that perfect root beer flavor.

Karen tip: The white chocolate chips should have a high percentage of cocoa butter (like the first or second ingredient) Karen prefers Trader Joe's mini white chips or King Arthur Flour's chips.

Nutrition Information

Yield

36

Serving Size

1 cookie

Amount Per Serving Calories 164Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 20mgSodium 86mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 0gSugar 15gProtein 2g

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Soft Root Beer Float Cookies-Pin Image

Caitlin

Sunday 17th of September 2023

Is the brown sugar meant to be packed?

Diane

Sunday 17th of September 2023

Yes it is. Hope you enjoy them. :)

Robin

Thursday 26th of January 2023

I followed the recipe and used Watkins concentrate and had 15 people try the cookies, most said they were good, I think a bit sweet, however no one guessed the root beer flavor. I may try the recipe again and use twice as much concentrate, it that doesn't work I will find something else to make.

Diane

Sunday 29th of January 2023

Hi Robin, I'm sorry to hear you didn't taste the root beer flavor in your cookies. It is not a tremendously strong flavor of root beer, but I have always had no trouble identifying the cookies as root beer. I hope adding more flavoring does the trick for you. Happy Baking!

Jennie

Thursday 21st of October 2021

Hi. Can you leave the white chips out?

Diane

Thursday 21st of October 2021

Hi Jennie, You absolutely can leave out the chips. It will change the flavor though. Please let us know how this turns out for you!

Sheryl

Monday 9th of August 2021

Is the McCormicks concentrate coloured? The Watkins brand is clear and my cookies did not get that nice rootbeer colouring. They also don’t taste much like rootbeer so I wonder if McCormicks has more flavour too?

Sheryl

Monday 30th of August 2021

@Diane, Nope…mine is the concentrate. Maybe Watkins is different in Canada? Unfortunately the Zatarains on Amazon.ca is $33 compared to about $6 on Amazon.com. Hopefully travel to the US will be back to normal soon.

Diane

Monday 9th of August 2021

Hi Sheryl, I THINK you used extract rather than root beer concentrate. As I mention in the post they are different and give very different results. I'm pretty sure both are colorless. But grocery stores tend to carry only the extract. Zatarains has a concentrate for only $7.00 on Amazon. Thank you asking this question. We are going to be making a video for these in the near future. Have a wonderful day.

Virginia

Thursday 24th of December 2020

What is Root Beer Consentrate?

Diane

Thursday 24th of December 2020

Hi Virginia, Here is an Amazon link to root beer concentrate. It is what you want to make these cookies and have a good result. You may be able to find it in the stores. It is NOT the extract. Concentrate will give you a better flavor in these cookies. Happy holidays!

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