Fluffy Vanilla Cherry Coke Recipe

Dirty sodas are the crazy soda, syrup, and creamer TikTok concoction you didn't know you needed. Posters on the platform will share videos of colorful creamy sodas bubbling over with a festival of flavors. They're sweet, creative, and refreshing, and have become popular in soda shops throughout the Southwestern U.S., but they are also super easy to make at home, no matter where you are.

Our fluffy vanilla cherry Coke soda combines decadent marshmallow fluff with a homemade Amarena cherry vanilla syrup for the perfect sweet, fruity, and creamy dirty soda. The marshmallow fluff compliments the vanilla extract and the cherry pairs perfectly as a classic combination with the coke. The marshmallow fluff really takes the dirtiness to the next level. Once you stir it, the fluff becomes one with the soda and bubbles and fluffs a bit like ice cream would in an ice cream soda.

We use crushed ice rather than regular ice to mimic the crunchy "pebble" or "nugget" ice that is often served in the popular soda shops that serve dirty sodas. This ice is flaky and much more chewable than regular freezer ice, and in this recipe, the crushed ice replicates that sensation. However, if you are lucky enough to have a nugget ice machine, you can certainly use that!

In this recipe, regular granulated sugar is combined with vanilla extract, Amarena cherries, and water. We used Amarena cherries, which are a dark, sweet cherry in syrup, but you can use any kind of cherry you like. Luxardo cherries, often used in whiskey old-fashioned drinks are similar. Maraschino cherries would also work or even pitted Bing cherries. You can use sour cherries, but the flavor will be quite different and less sweet. Use a good quality vanilla extract for the most pure vanilla flavor. Vanilla bean, split down the middle and added to the syrup can also be used to up the vanilla flavor. 

Then you'll need store-bought marshmallow fluff (although you could make your own) to line the glass. You can also use any flavored marshmallow fluff. Top with cola, we used a diet cola, but any kind of cola, or even Dr. Pepper works well Crushed ice really makes this drink, so don't skip the smashing! Garnish with more cherries, if you wish. 

Add the sugar, vanilla extract, cherries, and ¼ cup of water to a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes on medium-low heat, breaking up the cherries as the mixture cooks and thickens.

Strain the cherry chunks out of the syrup (This is optional, you can keep them in if you wish). Set the syrup aside.

Using a knife or offset spatula, line the inside of two glasses with the marshmallow fluff.

Add 2 cups of ice to a large plastic storage bag, seal, and crush using a mallet or rolling pin.

Split the crushed ice between the two glasses and add an equal amount of the cherry syrup to each glass.

Pour the soda over the ice.

Stir with a straw and add maraschino cherries as a garnish if you wish.

Dirty sodas became a viral TikTok sensation as a fun and creative way to spice up your soda game. These fancy drinks typically consist of your soda of choice, coffee creamer, and flavored syrup. They are full of flavor and have a cloudy appearance, thus the name "dirty" soda. Each element of the soda can take many forms. Coconut cream, heavy cream, various fruits, and sugar or sugar-free syrups can be added in endless combinations. Their TikTok popularity can be explained by their often colorful appearance and because the cream and soda tend to create bubbly fireworks when they combine.

These sodas are popular throughout the United States but are especially popular in Utah, where many residents abstain from coffee, hot caffeinated beverages, and alcohol for religious reasons. The unique sodas are a fun alternative to coffee or alcoholic drinks, and there are many soda shops in the state serving up an endless variety of crazy concoctions. 

The dirty soda possibilities are limitless. Whatever flavor combinations you can dream up, you can create. The base of the drink starts with the soda. Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Coke or Pepsi, and Mountain Dew are the most common bases, but you can use any soda you like. Then a creamer or creamy ingredient is added. These include heavy cream, flavored coffee creamers, and coconut cream. 

Then the flavored syrups are added. You can find many types of syrup, like strawberry, vanilla, cherry, and even hazelnut or toffee. Fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, and cherries are often added. Sometimes even candy, like Nerds or gummies, is thrown into the mix. Sugar-free syrups are often used to offset the potentially high sugar content of the soda, however, any type of syrup will work.

A popular Sprite-based dirty soda called the "Shark Attack" combines Sprite with lemonade, blue raspberry syrup, and a gummy shark, of course. "The Big Al" is probably the most popular cola drink, combining diet Coke, lime, and coconut creamer. The "Tiger's Eye" consists of Dr. Pepper, coconut, strawberry, watermelon, and cream.