I Tried ‘Dirty Soda’ and Now I Understand Why It’s All Over TikTok

If you’ve spent time on social media lately, there’s no doubt you’ve seen the buzz about dirty soda. It’s a popular beverage in Mormon culture in which sodas are “spiked” with cream, fancy flavored syrups and even fruit juice. Somewhere between a float and an Italian soda, dirty soda revives classic soda fountain vibes with contemporary perks. It’s quick, incredibly customizable and requires only a handful of ingredients.

Do you remember these popular sodas from when you were a kid?

What Is “Dirty Soda”?

You can thank Utah for dirty soda. Although the concept of mixing soda and cream is far from new and exists around the world, dirty soda became popular with Mormon moms with the birth of the dirty Diet Coke. In 2012, the Church of Latter-Day Saints clarified that sodas were not forbidden under Mormon code. Instead, the caffeine ban only applies to “hot drinks” like tea and coffee.

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Over the past decade, dirty soda slingers like Swig and Sodalicious have emerged in Utah. You could even say it’s become their version of a regional soda!

How to Make Dirty Soda

The world of dirty soda has all kinds of flavor combos. For the sake of simplicity, I went with the most famous variant: Diet Coke, coconut cream and lime.

Ingredients

• Diet Coke, Coke Zero or cola of your choice
• Coconut cream or coffee creamer
• Lime juice or fresh lime slices
• Ice

Instructions

• Fill a glass with ice (crushed or pebble ice works best if you’ve got any on hand) and add cola.

• Add a splash of coconut creamer, then top with lime juice or fresh lime slices. Stir and enjoy!

Here’s What I Thought

Sarra Sedghi For Taste of Home

I didn’t have any doubts that dirty soda would be delicious, but I was concerned that the creamer would completely overpower the Coke’s flavor. Instead, the cola flavor came through quite nicely, even when I made myself a dirty soda with a little too much creamer. The squeeze of fresh lime juice on top tied the other ingredients together, but also provided a touch of brightness that accentuated the cola and coconut tastes. Overall, I’m a fan, and after a little TikTok research, I’m eager to try more combinations, like coconut La Croix and raspberry syrup. If you don’t want to make your own, you can always grab a can of a fruity soda like Pepsi Mango.

Next Up: More TikTok recipes we can’t stop making.