I cook with root beer, sometimes I even add it to the food. Root beer finds its way into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert in this root beer recipe roundup.

In honor of today being National Root Beer Day I am rounding up all of the root beer recipes I have created (21 as of 6/17/26). Somehow I had yet to compile a root beer recipe roundup despite having roundup posts for other favorites like Cheetos. Although to be honest there are plenty of other roundups I could do as there are several recipes I go back to over and over with new variations. After doing this since 2010 it’s worth highlighting older recipes now and then that you may have not known about!

I have been obsessed with root beer since the mid 90s and started collecting the bottles in which they come, but I didn’t start rating them until 2014 on my root beer page. I have tried over 300 different kinds! And just like wine, when picking a root beer to cook or bake with, make sure it’s one you like because those same flavors will be incorporated into the food. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake when trying to use up bottles of types I didn’t particularly enjoy.

Cast Iron Root Beer Baked Beans – I didn’t think I could love bakes beans more than I already did but then I added root beer and bacon and sure enough these are now my favorite way to eat baked beans.

Cherry-Root Beer BBQ Ribs – many of my slow cooker pulled BBQ meats are cooked in root beer so it just made sense to make a BBQ sauce with it too.

Chocolate Root Beer Bundt Cake – This was the first dessert I made with root beer and I was forever changed after realizing how well chocolate pairs with root beer.

Easy Apple Dumplings – Normally these are make with a lemon-lime soda or ginger ale but why not root beer? Slightly different spice aromatics but just as delicious.

Hard Root Beer Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting – If chocolate pairs with root beer then it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to throw peanut butter in the mix as well. It’s hard to hate a brownie in any form.

Hard Root Beer Burgers with Blue Cheese and Crispy Onions – This is still one of the best burgers I’ve ever made. It was such a wonderful journey of flavors and texture.

Irish Cream Root Beer Float – Hard root beer float but make it even boozier with a little bit of Irish cream.

No-Bake S’mores Root Beer Float Dessert Lasagna – I am not normally a fan of root beer floats but apparently I am obsessed in a partially solid form because this dessert lasagna was incredible.

No-Churn Root Beer Float Golden Oreo Ice Cream – Another example of how root beer floats are better as semi-solid desserts. I don’t think you can find the root beer Oreos anymore but Golden Oreos will suffice.

Root Beer Cake Brownies – Remember the trend of making “healthier” cakes with a can of pop? Well make it root beer but in a brownie mix. Turned out to be more cake-like consistency than brownies but still tastes like brownie.

Root Beer Chocolate Chip Cookies – My favorite use of root beer reduction is in these chocolate chip cookies. It’s two of my loves in one!

Root Beer Float Brownie Cupcakes – These adorable brownies look and taste just like a root beer float, but better.

Root Beer Glazed Ham – Even your holiday ham is better glazed with root beer.

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches – The recipe that started it all. This was the first time I ever cooked with root beer and is one of my most remade recipes at home.

Root Beer Sloppy Joes – A slightly sweeter version of the classic from a can and not that much more effort.

Root Beer Sticky Buns – Will it sticky bun? It sure will! Is there anything root beer can’t do?

Root Beer Pancakes – Who says you can’t have root beer for breakfast, especially when they are in pancake form?

RumChata Root Beer Float – Hard root beer float but make it with RumChata for a little extra creamy twist.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Burrito Bowls – My tried and true pulled BBQ but served in a bowl of goodness that I could eat on repeat.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos – Need more pulled meat ideas? Try it in these BBQ tacos.

Slow Cooker Loaded BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos – If BBQ pulled pork can be on a taco why not nachos? I’m shocked I haven’t put root beer BBQ on a pizza yet (well now it has to happen).

Halfway between Cleveland and Columbus you will find this community staple, Ashland-Wooster Drive-In, serving classic favorites and homemade root beer.

In 1957, Barb and Bob Fordyce opened an A&W Root Beer Stand and remained an A&W through subsequent owners Joann and Bud Bemiller (and family) from 1969-1984. But the following year 1985, the A&W franchise was dropped and Ashland-Wooster Drive-In was born.

Shortly before I visited (in July 2021), Steve Bemiller sold the business to Mindi White and Frank Keener. Thankfully, no changes have yet been made to this community staple in Ashland, OH as the new owners are just excited to continue providing excellent food the people have come to love.

They are located just of i71 exit 186, halfway between Columbus and Cleveland, which makes it the perfect pit stop on one of our most frequented routes when driving out of town. When we visited, we were actually on our way to Rochester, NY for the weekend and left before grabbing dinner. So I scoured my save Google maps list of root beer stands and spotted this one on our route.

Upon arriving, the first thing I saw was their sign suggesting their roast beef. Normally I get a cheeseburger and fries when I visit root beer stands but figured I would live a little – I pretty much never get a roast beef sandwich unless I’m at Arby’s. What can I say? There’s just something about drive-in food that always hits the right spot. It’s nothing fancy, but sometimes a classic simple meal is all I need. Besides, you cannot beat the prices.

As for their homemade root beer, it had a low amount of carbonation, was creamy and very vanilla flavored, but not a complex flavor – it’s a baseline solid root beer (which lands at a respectable 3/5). Will definitely stop again en route to our next destination, if needed!

Small town USA has the best diners and Porky’s Drive In found in Mansfield, OH is no exception. Head there for classic burgers, fries, and homemade root beer in a retro atmosphere.

As much as I am resisting fall (because it’s still in the 80s every day), October isn’t that far away which means there will soon be ads circulating for the best haunted house in Ohio – Blood Prison at the Ohio State Reformatory. If you live in the area and that’s something you plan on attending, let me also tell you about a little diner nearby that’s also worth visiting – Porky’s Drive In.

Since 1949 people have been coming to Porky’s for fresh-cut fries, burgers, homemade milkshakes, and their own root beer. They have even caught the attention of the producers of America’s Best Restaurants who are visiting their restaurant in two days time (from the date this was posted)!

While you wait for the episode to air, I’ll give you a little sneak peek to when I visited last fall.

Found along Ashland Road in Mansfield, Ohio, inside you will find the 1950s charm is still going strong. And yes they are other American classics on the menu beyond just burgers and fries, such as fried chicken, hot dogs, grilled cheese, and more.

Like this salad with a generous amount of cheese on top – ha!

We obviously were there for the burgers, fries, and most importantly the root beer. I always appreciate a root beer joint that understands that root beer should not be served with ice. Don’t dilute the magic! Instead their house made root beer was served in as frosted mug the way it was meant to be.

And it was pretty darn tasty as well! I would describe it as creamy with a little zest to it, vanilla, and medium flavor. I tend to prefer more bold root beer but it was a close 4 out of 5 on my scale (keeping in mind that a 3 is an everyday god root beer in my book).

Check out my other Root Beer adventures:

• Ashland-Wooster Drive-In (Ashland, OH)
• Frostop Root Beer Drive-In (Huntington, WV)
• Ohio Root Beer Day Trip (Cincinnati/Dayton area)
• Ohio Root Beer Day Trip, Round 2 (Dayton area)

Five years ago: Monthly Meal Plan: September

Eight years ago: No-Churn Fluffernutter Ice Cream

Ten years ago: Pizza Quinoa Casserole

What the heck is a S’mores Root Beer Float Dessert Lasagna? Layers of graham cracker, root beer-marshmallow filling, chocolate chips, whipped topping, and toasted marshmallows on top.

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If your dad is anything like mine, he loves a good brown cow or root beer float. I remember making them for him as a kid, even though I personally don’t like ice cream floating in my pop or root beer (I am a root beer purist, don’t dare put ice in it either). I just liked serving him something he enjoyed, maybe because he was always cooking for us.

Besides my father, the inspiration for this recipe started when a fellow root beer connoisseur friend (The Root Beer Aficionado to be specific) gifted me a box of Sonic’s instant root beer float pudding. Sure, I could have just made the pudding and eaten it as is but where’s the fun in that? So with Father’s Day coming up I decided to make a root beer float dessert lasagna with a s’mores twist.

What is a s’more root beer flat dessert lasagna you ask? Layers of graham crackers alternating with root beer-marshmallow filling, chocolate chips, and marshmallow bits, topped with whipped topping and toasted marshmallows. It’s pretty much my favorite no-bake dessert to make. As proof here’s all the other variations I’ve made (heavy on the s’mores options):

• Banana Pudding Dessert Lasagna
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Dessert Lasagna
• Coconut Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Lasagna
• Monster Mash Dessert Lasagna
• Patriotic Dessert Lasagna
• Pineapple Lush Dessert Lasagna
• Pumpkin S’mores Dessert Lasagna
• S’mores Dessert Lasagna
• S’mores Dessert Lasagna for One

Today also happens to be National Stewart’s Root Beer Day, but unfortunately I did not realize this fact before making the recipe with Ithaca Root Beer (clearly in the background), so my apologies to Stewart’s. I do have their Marion, Ohio location on my list of root beer places to hit up this summer so I’ll make up for it later ;-).

NO-BAKE S'MORES ROOT BEER FLOAT DESSERT LASAGNA

Print

Yield: 2 dozen Prep Time: 6 Hours 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

FILLING

• 1 cup heavy cream, divided
• 1 (3.4 oz.) package root beer float instant pudding
• 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 16 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (14 oz.) box graham crackers
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup marshmallow bits

TOPPING

• 8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
• Mini marshmallows 

Directions

1. Prepare the filling: In a large mixing bowl, whip together 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and instant pudding mix, set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whip together the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream, cream cheese, marshmallow creme, and vanilla. Whip for 2-3 minutes until fully combined and smooth. Add the cream cheese mixture to the bowl with the pudding. Add thawed whipped topping and continue to whip until fluffy and light. Set aside.
3. In a 9 x 13 inch dish place one layer of graham crackers (I used 7-1/2 per layer). Spread 1/4 of the filling over the graham crackers, sprinkle with chocolate chips and marshmallow bits. Gently press the next layer of graham crackers into the filling and repeat layers ending with the final 1/4 of filling.
4. Frost with whipped topping, and sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips and marshmallow bits. Chill for at least 4-6 hours (overnight is best).
5. Before serving, top with mini marshmallows and toast using a kitchen torch (or toast under a broiler for 1 minute). Cut into 24 squares and serve.

Source: Adapted from my S’mores Dessert Lasagna.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Right over the border of Ohio in Huntington, West Virginia you will find the iconic Frostop Root Beer Drive-In where they have been serving root beer for over 60 years.

My latest root beer adventure was serendipitous as my path to a weekend trip in WV happened to pass by the Frostop Root Beer Drive-In Huntington, WV.

First a little history.

L.S. Harvey opened his first Frostop Root Beer Stand in Springfield, Ohio in 1926. The biggest growth of Frostop Drive-Ins occurred in the late 1960s, reaching a peak of over 350 locations, with the largest concentrations in the Midwest and Deep South.

Unfortunately, none of the Ohio locations exist anymore – not even the original in Springfield. But you can find it sold at local groceries and retails on occasion. Oddly enough, of the remaining drive-ins there are six in Louisiana, a couple in Mississippi, and one each in Idaho, Indiana, Utah, Illinois, and West Virginia. The Huntington, WV location opened in 1959 and recently celebrated 60 years in 2019.

Frostop Root Beer Drive-In

I quite literally squealed when I first saw the spinning mug on top of the drive-in. Apparently it went under repair in 2019 and was returned 8 months later in 2020. But I digress. While you could eat in your car like every other drive-in, we elected to eat on their patio, complete with a resident cat.

The root beer is made daily, using their original recipe which infuses 22 flavors and is cold-brewed in batches at thirty-six degrees. Personally, I think it’s a good classic root beer. Not much carbonation, creamy vanilla, and a medium flavor, making it a solid 3/5 on my rating scale. Which I will remind you, a 3 is a good score – a classic standard root beer.

As for the food, their mozzarella sticks were the favorite item ordered. They were so flavorful you didn’t even need the marinara dipping sauce. The cheeseburgers and fries were again good classics that definitely hit the spot for lunch on our road trip. And all priced super affordably. Even a t-shirt was only $12 so you know I had to get one.

Unfortunately, I failed to realize while I was there that three other root beer stands were the area: Midway West Drive-In, Farley’s Famous Hot Dogs, and the first Stewarts Original location. Fail, but guess it just means I have to go back!

One year ago: Chocolate Stout Pudding Shots

Three years ago: Chicken Enchilada Dip

Four years ago: Fall Leaves Butter Cookies

Seven years ago: Swag Bars

Eight years ago: Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken

Nine years ago: Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ten years ago: Beermosa

Take an adventure with me as I travel West and slightly NW from Columbus for another Ohio root beer day trip to the Dayton area and Marysville!

Similar to my first root beer day trip, this adventure totaled 4.25 hours of drive-time but only 4 stops instead of 6. Also similarly, not all were root beer stands, including one brewery and one pizza restaurant!

Ohio root beer day trip, round 2:

• J&E Root Beer Stand
• Warped Wing Brewing Company
• B-K Root Beer (Troy)
• Benny’s Pizza

As is my MO, we hit up the furthest location first, and looped back around to Columbus. Again, I don’t normally review non-bottled root beer but I’ve been bending the rules for these adventures. To remind you of how my rating scale works, a 3 is good, not crazy amazing but good, and that’s my baseline to where I assess each root beer, going up or down on the scale based upon more specific characteristics. Got it? Good!

And we’re off! The first stop as you can tell from the map was…

J&E Root Beer Stand

You might be asking, why didn’t we go there on our last adventure? We did in fact stop in Dayton last time, but they had yet to reopen for the season. Voltzy’s Rootbeer Stand is another located in Dayton that we have yet to visit, but they are temporarily closed after the owner passed away (sincerest condolences). But back to J&E.

The J&E Root Beer Stand is labeled as a “hot dog joint” and serves homemade root beer, but there’s more to their menu than just that. With reasonable prices you cannot go wrong. We ordered the mini corn dogs, double cheeseburgers, and fries. Unfortunately I forgot to ask for the root beer without ice (iykyk), but thankfully we drank it fast enough to not let the ice melt too much. It was creamy and similar profile to A&W, which is makes it a solid 3 classic good root beer.

Our second stop was…

Warped Wing Brewing Company

But it’s a lie! If I had known they existed I would have stopped here as stop #2 based on their location on our route. But I didn’t discover that they made root beer until shortly after our journey. However, I have since acquired a six pack of their root beer so I am including it on our day trip list anyway!

The root beer was creamy but had a little zesty bite from the bubbles, medium carbonation and flavor. I’d give it a 4!

The location itself is a microbrewery in a historic, industrial building with a tasting room offering creative beers & tours. They have been testing their housemade root beer for a few years now but it was only available on draft. After seeing a growing demand they finally decided to bottle it starting just last month July 2021! They also hope to expand to other flavors soon.

P.S. Apparently it has hit Columbus markets as well.

P.P.S. While writing up this post I also found out about Wot-A-Dog Drive-In located just NE of Dayton which has homemade root beer. And while Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop (originally from Pittsburg) was on my radar in Chillicothe, there are several other locations such as Troy, Miamisburg, and Middletown near Dayton. But there’s also one near Cleveland and I have to travel up there soon anyway.

But our actual second stop was…

B-K Root Beer

There are a lot of B-K Root Beer Stands in Ohio, including another location just north of the Troy location I visited in Piqua. After a quick Google search, apparently it is an independent chain of drive-in fast-food restaurants, located in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The B-K stands for “Bergerson & Kenefick” and the first location was Wabash, Indiana in 1940. To be honest, we thought their logo was suspiciously similar to A&W and assumed it used to be one, at least the location we visited.

Random tidbit: they sold the “BK” trademark to Burger King in the late 1980s but later abandoned in 2016. However for some reason they were denied re-registering the trademark in an effort to support the remaining 35-ish locations.

Either way I had their cheeseburger and root beer – and remembered to ask for it without ice. It was also creamy and tasted very similar to J&E’s root beer, so again a solid classic root beer of 3/5.

The final stop was…

Benny’s Pizza

Fun fact, it started out as a Frostop Root Beer stand. Although the first location of the franchise opened in Springfield, OH in 1926 and is still headquartered in Columbus, OH there are sadly no locations left in Ohio. But you can find it bottled and for sale around town.

I wish Benny’s Pizza was located just a little bit closer to Columbus. It’s an incredibly lively setting with a huge patio, a bandstand, and an outdoor bar. When we arrived, a band was indeed setting up and people slowly trickled in for what looked to be a fun evening. Unfortunately we had other plans so we did not stick around. But we did enjoy the complimentary popcorn, Hawaiian pizza, and house made root beer!

The person who referred me to Benny’s Pizza for their root beer assured me that they know what’s up and don’t serve their root beer on ice, so I didn’t request it, but unfortunately it was. So I removed it haha! Once cleansed of ice, the flavor was creamy with a hint of anise and low carbonation – 4/5! Great way to end the day.

After all that, I already have my next Ohio root beer day trip planned! Actually I have most of the rest of Ohio planned, and in the end all my routes will turn into what looks like a flower with Columbus at the center. Check back to see my other adventures!

Three years ago: RumChata Root Beer Float

Six years ago: Sassy Shirley Temple

Seven years ago: Blueberry-Cherry Buckle

Eight years ago: Healthier Cookie Dough Fondue

Nine years ago: Goat Cheese Ricotta Gnocchi with Walnut Thyme Butter Sauce

Love root beer? Come take a ride with me to SW Ohio for an Ohio root beer day trip! Includes stops at root beer stands, one of my favorite grocery stores, and breweries.

Back in March I planned the best Ohio day trip – at least in my opinion. We drove 2 hours south to Cincinnati on the hunt for root beer (also check out my other root beer day trips: Dayton Area Round 2).

I have been compiling a list of root beer stands in Ohio over the years and after being cooped up for a year finally decided to start crossing some off the list. Lucky for me, there happened to be a concentrated amount of them in and around Cincinnati.

Totaling 4.5 hours of drive-time we hit up 6 spots on my list in just one day. Not all were root beer stands, but root beer was involved and consumed at each stop.

Root Beer in Ohio:

• 50 West Brewing Company
• The Root Beer Stand
• Jungle Jim’s International Market
• Jolly’s Drive-In
• Rivertown Brewery
• The Rootbeer Stande

We decided to hit up the furthest spot first, and work our way back home to Columbus, filling ourselves with not only root beer but also tasty eats as well. Now, I normally only review glass bottles of root beer on this blog of mine. But I am willing to bend the rules from time to time. As a refresher to my rating scale, a 3 is a good review, not crazy amazing but good, which is where I start every review process and then it either moves up or down from there based upon various characteristics. Alight, shall we?

So if you are following along with the above map, the first stop was…

Fifty West Brewing Company

Fitting that we would start with a brewery that is named after U.S. Route 50 which stretches across the entire country from Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California. What a road trip that would be. While they are obviously a brewery at heart, lucky for me many breweries also make their own root beer! So we pulled into their beer garden, ordered a cheeseburger and some cold root beer to start the day.

The root beer at 50 West had a good amount of carbonation, resulting in both good fizz and foam. It was creamy, with a medium flavor profile. Definitely good and one I would drink again, but not ruffling any skirts. Solid 3/5.

And of course we paired it with their classic double cheeseburger. Highly recommend!

Our second stop was…

The Root Beer Stand

The root beer at this stand in Sharonville has been made on site since 1957 and has received recognition as the best root beer in Cincinnati. But they are also known for their footlong cheese coneys. So I will give you one guess as to what we ordered to pair with our root beer at this stop.

We sipped on their root beer (which you can also buy by the gallon) on their outdoor picnic area. It had a lot of vanilla flavor, but wasn’t very carbonated and reminded me of A&W. Which is also a solid classic 3/5. But funny story I didn’t know they started as an A&W Root Beer Stand until after I made that assessment!

Also, their no-frills cheese coney made me think of the Ohio Sate Fair, which made me sad that it’s closed to the public this year.

Next up…

Jungle Jim’s International Market

I’ve visited this magnificent foodie wonderland many times before, once while exploring all that Butler County has to offer, which is why I knew it had to be part of our trip, because they have an entire aisle dedicated to root beer!

Despite stopping here any chance I get, it never fails that I find something new, both in general and in root beer. This trip I picked up 4 new to me root beers including AJ Stephans butterscotch, Chumlee, Manhattan Special, and Das Nubs Belch Krieg.

I’ve only tried two of those four thus far. Das Nubs Belch Krieg root beer was creamy, smooth, and not too fizzy with medium flavor. Another one that’s a good 3/5.

The AJ Stephans butterscotch was an improvement, with nice butterscotch flavor, creamy and smooth, not too fizzy, and sweeter than a normal root beer but not overpoweringly so. Really good 4/5. (The regular AJ Stephans root beer I rated a 3/5 in the past)

After a break from eating, we were ready to go for stop #4 at…

Jolly’s Drive-In

Jolly’s is actually one of Butler County’s oldest restaurants! Since 1938, Jolly’s Drive-In (A&W) has been serving Hamilton and Fairfield communities with their delicious food.

Their root beer (which I presume based off their signs is actually A&W) had good carbonation and a medium flavor profile so it’s no surprise that it came in as a 3/5.

But again, you pair a standby good root beer with a drive-in cheeseburger and fries and you will not see me frowning.

Our fifth overall stop, but third in Butler County brought us to…

Rivertown Brewery

We could have ordered a root beer from the bar, but we decided to take ours to go once we realized they actually canned their root beer! Four pack to go, yes please (and extras to share with my friend Mark, The Root Beer Aficionado).

But of course we drank one in the car. It was creamy, with caramel and a slight anise flavor, but medium body of flavor overall and medium level of carbonation. That caramel kicked it up to a 4/5.

Little did I know that in addition to their taproom, they are also a full-service BBQ eatery! Clearly we are going to need to plan a second trip sometime.

I would have liked to hit up J&E Root Beer Stand (again also in Butler County), but at the time they were closed. So we ventured up to Dayton for our last stop on our route…

The Root Beer Stande

Unfortunately, despite having the largest menu of the day, their kitchen was backed up and we didn’t want to wait 45 minutes for food, so we only got a root beer here. While I promptly forgot to take a picture of. Never fear, it was a plain styrofoam cup.

Their house made root beer had medium carbonation but fizzy (think Barq’s but better), with vanilla flavor and a bit of a birch tang/bite. And another 4/5. Not a bad way to end the day.

Other spots I would have liked to hit in the Dayton area was Voltzy’s and J&E Root Beer Stand but they were closed at the time. But in about 6 hours we hit up two breweries, three root beer stands, and one of our favorite grocery stores! We shared 5 new root beer, 2 burgers, 1 chili dog, and took home 4 new bottles to save for later. Oh and a cool t-shirt and sticker. I call that a win.

More root beer in Ohio:

• Ashland-Wooster Drive-In (Ashland, OH)
• Dayton Area Day Trip Round 2
• Frostop Root Beer Drive-In Huntington, WV
• Porky’s Drive In Mansfield, OH

Looking for root Beer in Columbus, OH?

Here’s a list of places I have found that don’t require leaving Columbus:

• Ohio Pop at Punk Pigs, The Ohio Taproom, The Hills Market Downtown, Outerbelt Brewing, Kenny’s Meatwagon, Porketta Food Trailer, Ajumama Food Truck, and 451 Spirits.
• Parsons North High Brewery makes their own root beer and has it on tap (you can even get it as part of your flight).
• Rocket Fizz has an assortment of root beer and other flavored pop, but also nostalgic sweets.
• Elevator actually makes my favorite root beer I’ve had thus far in Ohio. Although the brewery location shut down, they only had the root beer at the restaurant and they still carry it!

And while I know I just listed a bunch of places that don’t require driving very far, another favorite of mine that is worth the drive just for one stop is Market Street Soda Works in Newark, OH! They have an incredible bottle selection and have a couple on tap as well.

Where are your favorite spots to get root beer? I am always on the hunt, especially when I travel, so let me know where I should head to next (in and especially outside of Ohio)! After all, I have been known to plan an entire trip based on root beer (looking at you Seattle). In fact I am tentatively scheduling an adventure up to Wisconsin in 2022 ;-).

Six years ago: No-Churn Roasted Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Ice Cream

Seven years ago: Slow Cooker Beef Tacos

Eight years ago: S’mores Jar Cake for One

Ten years ago: Skillet Chicken with Peppers and Peanuts

These apple dumplings are so easy and delicious they are dangerous. Make sure you have plenty of people with whom to share!

Jump to recipe

I picked way too many apples a couple weeks ago and need to start making short work of them without letting any go to waste. Sure we eat them straight up but as a household of two there’s only so much damage we can do to 20 pounds.

Even though I have made my share of savory apple recipes, my mind always goes to sweets when it comes to seasonal fruit. Especially with apples, the best way to use up over-zealous apple picking is to make apple pie (which is on my list of course).

But today is National Apple Dumpling Day! Perfect timing because a year ago I put this on my recipe idea list and the time has finally come to share it.

This recipe is usually made with a lighter colored pop such as lemon-lime soda or ginger ale, just like sprite biscuits. But my root beer-loving self decided to try it with root beer instead. Because I have to try everything with root beer that is normally made with another carbonated beverage.

Now, I’ve never had it made with the other pop options, but I didn’t think the flavor of the root beer was strong enough to deter you from making this with just about any kind of pop. Even orange soda would likely work!

These also get the “easy” stamp of approval. Just roll up 4 apples cut into quarters in triangles of crescent dough, pour over a brown sugar-butter sauce, add root beer, and bake.

The hardest part will be waiting for it to cool so as to not scald the roof of your mouth. But a big scoop of your favorite ice cream will help expedite the process.

But once you finally get to dig in, you’ll realize how dangerously delicious these are, knowing how easy they were to make. Crispy dough around sweet tender apples, nestled in a gooey caramel-like sauce, all topped with ice cream? Good luck with your self control.

Looking for other easy ways to enjoy apples? Try my single serving apple crisp or apple harvest oatmeal. Or maybe an easy peanut butter crescent ring is more your style?

One year ago: Lemon Cookies with Caramelized Milk Jam

Four years ago: Weekly Meal Plan #30

Five years ago: Mesquite Chicken Sausage and Pepper Pizza

Six years ago: Cheetos Cheeseburgers

Eight years ago: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter Sauce

EASY APPLE DUMPLINGS

Print

Yield: 16 Servings Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
• 2 (8 count) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 12 oz. can root beer (or favorite pop)
• Cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Unroll and divide the crescent roll dough. Starting from the widest part, place a quarter of an apple, and then roll up toward the thin end. Place in prepared pan, and repeat with remaining dough and apple quarters.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add sugar and stir until well combined and mostly dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and salt, and pour over dumplings.
4. Without pouring directly over the dumplings, pour root beer into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving with ice cream or whipped cream.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!
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This root beer float is just for adults with the addition of RumChata. Crank it up even more by making it with a hard root beer.

IT’S NATIONAL ROOT BEER FLOAT DAY! But I have a confession… I am not the biggest fan of floats and prefer my root beer straight, no ice. Even stranger still is that I actually do like root beer float flavored things (like pancakes, ice cream, brownies, and cookies). I don’t make sense sometimes, okay? That’s not to say I did not like this float, it’s just that I love root beer so much I prefer to experience it in it’s natural form. I’ve heard I’m not alone in their weirdness and that other root beer connoisseurs (evidently there’s enough of us to be lumped into a stereotype) also have similar preferences, especially the no ice part. But unfortunately there’s only a root beer float day, no day just for root beer. But I digress. Enjoy a root beer float with a little extra cream in the form of a shot of Rumchata. This boozy float isn’t much different than the Irish cream version I shared a couple years ago but felt the need to share it with the world anyway.

Three years ago: Sassy Shirley Temple

Four years ago: Blueberry-Cherry Buckle

Five years ago: Healthier Cookie Dough Fondue

Six years ago: Goat Cheese Ricotta Gnocchi with Walnut Thyme Butter Sauce

RUMCHATA ROOT BEER FLOAT

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

2 oz. chilled RumChata liqueur (rum horchata)

8 oz. chilled hard or regular root beer (I used Not Your Father’s Root Beer)

1-2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. Into a tall chilled glass or mug, pour the RumChata followed by the root beer. Stir gently to mix. Top with a scoop or two of ice cream and serve with a thick straw.

Source: Adapted from my Irish Cream Root Beer Float.

This post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council. All opinions are my own.

Let’s get loaded – with pork! These nachos are piled high with BBQ pulled pork instead of taco meat followed by all of your favorite toppings.

It’s no secret that root beer is my favorite beverage of all time (other than that I primarily drink water or milk – yes I’m a 5 year old).

It also happens to be my favorite liquid to cook with as well, especially when it comes to BBQ as made evident by several recipes already on my blog featuring such things. I’ve made many a creation with my root beer pulled pork.

I’m continuing that trend today with my latest creation – slow cooker loaded BBQ pulled pork nachos!

While I have already shared BBQ nachos and root beer pulled pork sandwiches in the past, I’ve kicked things up a notch with these nachos while remaining easy to make.

I stuck to my tried and true, crazy easy and favorite method of cooking pulled pork which is to slow cook it along with a sliced onion in root beer. Once cooked, you simply shred with 2 forks into bite sized pieces!

I could have stopped there but I didn’t want all of that glorious root beer to go to waste so instead of dumping it I poured it into a sauce pan and reduced it down to a syrup.

This root beer syrup was then tossed over the shredded pork that was already cooked in the root beer and then placed until the broiler to promote some nice caramelization of those juicy shreds. Waste not!

Once the dual root beer cooking was complete, part of me considered making a root beer based BBQ sauce to really emphasize my root beer obsession but I wanted to keep things simple so instead I tossed the pork in one of my favorite BBQ sauces from where I grew up – Dinosaur BBQ!

Since I first had BBQ nachos in Memphis, I normally would have gone for one of the bottles of BBQ sauce that I stock piled from whenever I return to Memphis but I stumbled upon a bottle of this nostalgia at my grocery store here in Columbus and could not resist.

The end result was a pile of nachos featuring so many aspects of my life on one plate: Rochester, NY BBQ sauce from where I grew up, Memphis-inspired BBQ nachos from where I spent 6.5 earning my PhD, and Ohio pork representing the 4 years I spent at Ohio State as an undergrad from 2003-2007 and then returning in 2015 to make Columbus my current home.

What is your favorite way to cook pork / What is your favorite pork recipe?

Another of my other favorites is to marinade a pork loin and then grill it with corn on the cob. Again, super easy and crazy delicious. In fact I’ve already done that exact thing 3 times this year and I foresee may more occurrences in the future.

One year ago: Weekly Meal Plan: June 20-26

Two years ago: June 2015 Stitch Fix #9

Three years ago: Easy Honey Mustard Chicken

Four years ago: Cookie Dough White Chocolate Fondue

Five years ago: Prague

SLOW COOKER LOADED BBQ PULLED PORK NACHOS

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

PORK

1 onion, peeled and sliced

2 lb. pork pork shoulder or butt, trimmed of excess fat

24 oz. of root beer

18 oz. bottle of barbecue sauce

NACHOS

14 oz. bag tortilla chips

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups lightly packed chopped salad greens

1 cup black beans

1 cup salsa or chopped tomatoes

2-3 green onions, slices

Directions:

1. Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Spread the onion slices evenly on the bottom, lay the pork on top, and pour the root beer over the top (add water if needed to just cover). Set on low and and cook for 6-8 hours, or until cooked.
2. After pork has cooked, remove the meat from the crock pot and reserve the liquid – strain out the onion from the liquid. Place liquid into a large pot over high heat and simmer while stirring occasionally until it leaves a trail when a spatula is run through it and it is thick and syrup-like, about 8-12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, turn the oven to broil and shred the pork using two forks. Once the syrup is done, fold the syrup into the pork and spread out mixture in a single layer onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Broil on lower middle rack for 5 minutes, until meat is crispy but not charred. Carefully remove from oven, flip the meat and broil again for 5 minutes longer.
4. Remove from oven, pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately on top of a bed of tortilla chips with desired toppings. Or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from my Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Carnitas.