Chick-fil-A Floats

Sometimes you want a fountain drink. Sometimes you want an icy dessert. Chick-fil-A Floats give you both in a frosty, sweet beverage. Floats come with Chick-fil-A’s signature Icedream® dessert hand-spun on top of your choice of fountain soda, so you can experience the classic soda shop treat with a creamy finish.

I love this menu item because you can be whatever you want to be. You can have the traditional Coke®, throw back to your childhood with Barq’s® Root Beer, switch it up with a fruiter soda base, such as Fanta® Strawberry, or use a diet-style soda base, like Diet Coke® or Coke® Zero Sugar. Whichever you choose, the Icedream makes the beverage creamy like a dessert.

“A float is for when you want more than a soda, but less than a dessert.”

What Are Chick-fil-A Floats?

Chick-fil-A Floats consist of Icedream® and a soda. The Icedream contributes milkiness, and the soda provides bubbles, sweetness and flavour. This results in a cold beverage that’s a cross between a soda float, a smoothie and a milkshake.

The base remains consistent for all versions. Flavor is added with the fountain drink you choose.

The Icedream® base contains whole milk, nonfat milk, sugar, milkfat, nonfat dry milk, natural and artificial flavors, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, carrageenan, corn starch, cellulose gum, and beta carotene (for colour).

Icedream is used in all options, so all of these floats contain milk. If you are dairy-free or allergic to milk, you may want to be aware of that.

Quick Nutrition Comparison

Here’s a quick comparison of all 17 of the floats.

The diet soda float options are the lowest in calories at 260 calories. The Powerade® Mountain Berry Blast Float is also lower than most regular soda floats at 290 calories. The average calorie count of regular soda and fruit drinks is 320.

Allergen Information

Each option contains milk as they all contain Icedream® dessert.

Nutritional information is calculated using standard formulation of products. Your drink may be different if it’s prepared in a restaurant or if the drink is modified. Our general nutrition information assumes a 2,000-calorie diet, but your needs may vary.

1. Coke® Float

The Coke® Float is a classic. It’s a mixture of Coca-Cola® and Icedream® to make a creamy cola beverage with a familiar taste, creamy texture and satisfying coolness.

Coca-Cola® is made with carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel colour, phosphoric acid, natural flavourings and caffeine. The combination of the strong cola taste and creamy milk base makes this drink taste like a soda fountain classic.

I recommend this if you are looking for a safe, well-known taste that will pair with any food.

2. Diet Coke® Float

The Diet Coke® Float is a creamy float with a lower number of calories and carbs than the original Coke.

Diet Coke® contains carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, sodium saccharin, natural flavors, citric acid, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate, caffeine, aspartame and dimethylpolysiloxane.

This is a good choice if you prefer the taste of Diet Coke. The Icedream helps to smooth out the soda and bring creaminess.

3. Coke® Zero Sugar Float

Another low-calorie cola is the Coke® Zero Sugar Float. It has the cola taste you know and love with the creamy texture of Icedream.

Coke® Zero Sugar is made with carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate, natural flavors, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, caffeine, and sucralose.

If you’re a fan of Coke Zero Sugar but not Diet Coke this is likely to taste more familiar. It’s creamy without being too sweet.

4. Caffeine Free Diet Coke® Float

The Caffeine Free Diet Coke® Float is one to choose if you are craving a creamy cola but don’t want the caffeine.

The soda component is made up of carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate and potassium sorbate, sodium saccharin, natural flavors, citric acid, aspartame, potassium citrate and dimethylpolysiloxane.

I would recommend this one in the afternoon when you want a sweet and cold treat but don’t want the caffeine kick of many soda choices.

5. Coca-Cola® Cherry Float

The Coca-Cola® Cherry Float is a twist on the cola float. It is sweet, creamy and a bit naughty.

Cherry Coke® is made of carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel colour, phosphoric acid, natural flavours and caffeine.

If you like cherry cola, this float is like cherry cola without the bubbles. It’s great with savory foods because the cherry sweetens it.

6. Sprite Float®

The Sprite Float® is less heavy than the others. It is made of lemon-lime soda and delicious creamy Icedream for a fresh taste with smooth texture.

Sprite® is made with sparkling water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium citrate and sodium benzoate.

This is a good choice if you don’t like cola, root beer or fruit punch. The taste is always refreshing with the citrus, and creamy with the milk.

7. Dr Pepper® Float

A Dr Pepper® Float is rich and more flavorful than some other sodas. Dr Pepper provides a spiced sweetness and Icedream makes it into a dessert beverage.

Dr Pepper® contains carbonated water, corn syrup, caramel colour, phosphoric acid, caffeine, sodium benzoate, natural and artificial flavours, and dimethylpolysiloxane.

If you’re looking for something more than a basic cola float, this has more flavour. I would drink it if I want more soda flavour, with less harshness.

8. Diet Dr Pepper® Float

The Diet Dr Pepper® Float tastes like Dr Pepper but with fewer calories and carbs.

The ingredients in Diet Dr Pepper® are carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, aspartame, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, caffeine, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, natural and artificial flavors, and dimethylpolysiloxane.

This float contains phenylalanine, so if you have phenylketonuria, you should check with your doctor first. For other Diet Dr Pepper fans, this float provides a milkshake version of the taste they know and love.

9. Barq’s® Root Beer Float

The Barq’s® Root Beer Float is possibly the original float. Root beer and dessert go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Barq’s® Root Beer contains carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate (a preservative), caramel color, artificial and natural flavours, citric acid, caffeine and acacia.

I think this is a no-brainer. This is the original taste of a root beer float with Chick-fil-A’s Icedream.

10. Caffeine Free Barq’s® Root Beer Float

The Caffeine Free Barq’s® Root Beer Float is exactly the same as the original root beer float except it is caffeine free.

Caffeine Free Barq’s® Root Beer contains carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate, citric acid, artificial and natural flavors and acacia.

This would be a good choice if you are a fan of root beer but want to avoid the caffeine. This one does have more carbs than some of the other floats (62g).

11. Mello Yello® Float

The Mello Yello® Float has a strong soda flavour in a milkshake. It’s better than cola and better than Sprite.

Mello Yello® is a carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, orange juice concentrate, citric acid, natural flavours, sodium benzoate and EDTA, potassium citrate, caffeine, Yellow 5, carob bean gum and dimethylpolysiloxane.

If you prefer a more citrusy fizzy drink give this a go. The Icedream makes it creamy, but the soda is still refreshing.

12. Hi-C® Fruit Punch Float

The Hi-C® Fruit Punch Float is sweet, fruity and pink. It’s more like a frothy fruit juice blend.

Hi-C® Fruit Punch is comprised of water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural and artificial flavor, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), sodium benzoate, modified food starch, Red 40 and glycerol ester of rosin.

If you like punch, and want a sweet and creamy treat, this choice is for you.

13. Hi-C® Orange Float

Hi-C® Orange Float tastes like orange-cream. It might taste like orange ice-cream popsicles or other orange frozen desserts.

Hi-C® Orange is made of water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), potassium benzoate, modified food starch, natural flavors, glycerol ester of rosin, Yellow 6, sucrose acetate isobutyrate and Red 40.

This one is one of the lower-calorie regular beverages (310 calories). I would recommend it if you like orange sodas, but want a milkier taste.

14. Fanta® Orange Float

Fanta® Orange Float offers you the effervescent taste of orange soda with the creaminess of Icedream.

Fanta® Orange is carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, potassium benzoate, modified food starch, glycerol ester of wood rosin, natural flavors, Yellow 6, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, Red 40, sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

If you are an orange soda fan, this is a dessert soda. It’s creamy, fruity and sweet.

15. Fanta® Strawberry Float

The Fanta® Strawberry Float is fruitier. This flavours the Icedream with a sweet berry soda taste.

Fanta® Strawberry has sparkling water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural and artificial flavours, sodium benzoate and Red 40.

If you’re a fan of fruity soda, fruit-flavoured ice creams or dessert soda, you might enjoy it. It’s fun and refreshing.

16. Barq’s® Red Flash Float

Barq’s® Red Flash Float is a creamy-tasting red soda. It’s sweet, red and yummy – and not a cola.

Its ingredients include carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, artificial and natural flavors, potassium benzoate, citric acid, caffeine and Red 40.

This is what I will drink if I am wanting a change of pace. It tastes like a soda shop and is a different flavour.

17. Powerade® Mountain Berry Blast Float

Powerade® Mountain Berry Blast Float is the lowest-calorie non-diet option with 290 calories.

Powerade® ingredients include water, high fructose corn syrup, natural flavours, citric acid, salt, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate and potassium sorbate, modified food starch, medium chain triglycerides, potassium phosphate, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, Vitamin B3, Blue 1, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12.

It still has the taste of the berry sports drink, but with the Icedream, it tastes more like a dessert. So it’s a nice sweet, cold and different dessert.

Which Float Should You Order?

It depends on your taste preferences.

I prefer the classic Barq’s® Root Beer Float. Coke® Float is for basic taste buds. For a fruity, refreshing drink, choose the Hi-C® Orange Float.

Best Chick-fil-A Pairings

Floats are best with savory treats. The floats neutralise the saltiness and the Icedream keeps you cool.

I would pair a Coke® Float or Barq’s® Root Beer Float with waffle fries for a traditional lunch. For something fruity, I’d serve a Fanta® Strawberry or Hi-C® Fruit Punch with nuggets.

Final Thoughts

Chick-fil-A’s floats turn soda into dessert treats. All contain Icedream® for creamy goodness. The soda provides the flavour, sweetness, caffeine, calories and personality.

Most have 320 calories – except the diet soda versions which have 260 calories. Hi-C® Orange has 310 calories and Powerade® Mountain Berry Blast is a lower-calorie non-diet soda with 290 calories. All of them contain milk and the fat and protein content is 7g each.

For the classic, try Coke® or root beer. If you want fruit, try Fanta®, Hi-C®, Red Flash or Powerade®. And for lower calories, the diet soda options.