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Homemade Root Beer Recipe

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Old Fashioned Root Beer Recipe- Nourishing and healthy
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Drink Recipes » Homemade Root Beer Recipe

I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on my homemade ginger ale recipe, so I also wanted to share another favorite at our house: homemade root beer.

This root beer recipe uses the same beneficial culture as the ginger ale: a homemade ginger bug. Homemade root beer is also simple to make and has all the flavor of conventional root beer without the harmful ingredients.

Herbs for Homemade Root Beer

The herbs used in homemade root beer, mainly sassafras and sarsaparilla (as well as wintergreen), have some controversy surrounding them. These herbs contain safrole, which was once found to cause cancer in mice. I personally do not feel that there is a risk when consuming sassafras root in its whole form, as this article from Nourished Kitchen explains:

Wintergreen leaf, though almost always an ingredient in most traditional root beer recipes, replaced sassafras as the prominent flavor in root beer during the 1960s when a study conducted on lab animals implicated safrole, a naturally occurring polyphenol, in liver cancer. Of course, the lab rats were fed massive quantities of safrole – the human equivalent of consuming about 32 twelve-ounce bottles of root beer a day. After the study was released, the FDA required commercial soft drink makers to remove sassafras from their brews. Of course, cinnamon, nutmeg and basil also contain safrole but this seemed to escape the attention of the FDA.

Interestingly, while massive quantities of safrole caused liver cancer in lab animals, it seems that small doses may actually play a protective role for humans. Some studies indicate that safrole may actually stimulate the death of cancer cells, particularly oral cancers though it may also do so in lung and prostrate cancers.

Wintergreen, already an ingredient in root beer, offered a flavor profile strikingly similar to that of sassafras, and made a ready replacement. Most root beers made today contain neither sassafras nor wintergreen and are instead made with artificial flavors. Even wintergreen extract, the preferred flavoring for many home brewers, is difficult to attain and typically is made with propylene glycol – a petrochemical.

As with all herbs, it is important to consult a doctor, health care practitioner, or herbalist before consuming any herb, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition. I personally stick with homemade ginger ale or homemade Dr. Pepper when pregnant.

How to Make Homemade Root Beer

As I said, I am comfortable using sassafras and wintergreen in this recipe. While a variety of other herbs were sometimes used in traditional recipes (including sarsaparilla, burdock, anise, licorice, astragalus, and others), I’ve found that the same flavor can be accomplished with only a few herbs. This simplified version is much more budget friendly as many of these herbs are hard to source and expensive. The rest of the herbs can be used if desired, and 1 Tablespoon of each could be added. In many places, sassafras can be wild-sourced, but I would recommend checking with a qualified herbalist or horticulture expert before using any plant.

Before beginning, it is important to have the culture ready to go. I use a homemade ginger bug in this recipe as it gives both the flavor and carbonation, though any type of natural culture could be used.

Old Fashioned Root Beer Recipe- Nourishing and healthy

Homemade Root Beer Recipe

A simple and nourishing fermented homemade root beer (non-alcoholic) with herbs and beneficial cultures.
Calories 73kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the sassafras root bark, wintergreen leaf, and cinnamon, coriander, and allspice if using, in a large pot on the stove.
  • Add the filtered water.
  • Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce to medium low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Strain through a fine, mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove herbs.
  • While still warm, add the sugar, molasses, and vanilla and stir until dissolved.
  • Let cool until warm, but not hot.
  • Add the lime juice and then then ginger bug or other culture and stir well.
  • Transfer to grolsch style bottles or jars with tight fitting lids and allow to ferment for several days at room temperature.
  • Check after two days for carbonation. When desired carbonation is reached, transfer to refrigerator and store until use.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Root Beer Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 73
% Daily Value*
Sodium 15mg1%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 0.1g0%
Sugar 6.4g7%
Protein 0.1g0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

If desired, the following can be added to the original boil but they are not needed: 2 cloves, 1 Tablespoon licorice root, 1 Tablespoon grated ginger root, 1 Tablespoon hops flowers, 1 teaspoon of anise or fennel

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Are you a root beer fan like me? Ever tried to make your own? Share below!
Homemade root beer is made with herbs, spices and healthy cultures for a probiotic rich, health-boosting treat without the harmful ingredients of store bought soda.

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

195 responses to “Homemade Root Beer Recipe”

  1. Joshua Avatar

    5 stars
    Can I put this in bottles and cap them and if so how long do you think it will keep I have 6 children and I think it will be a great and healthy family project if we can thank you

  2. Arlis Avatar

    Do you know if root beer and sodas made the old fashioned way, with ale yeast, is probiotic?
    Thank you

  3. Renee-Lucie Benoit Avatar
    Renee-Lucie Benoit

    I just made this recipe. I’m wondering how I’m supposed to detect if this goes to botulism. I’m trying to reassure my super leery husband it is OK to drink and I can’t. It doesn’t smell like store bought root beer so I don’t know how to detect bad or good. Anyway, botulism doesn’t “smell”. But it is created in low temperature situations (i.e not boiled the heck out of) and anaerobic (as in grolsch bottles clamped down that have not been pressure canned) and in low acid foods (which I’m pretty sure these roots and such must be low acid.) But I don’t know for sure. Can anybody weigh in on this? I’m going to call a micro brewery supply if I can find one. You think they’d know. Thanks in advance, Renee

  4. Miles Avatar

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I made a batch of this alongside a batch made from Root Beer extract. While the extract was easier to make (less fun too – mix in with water and sugar and that’s it), the taste of this was much better. Also, the foamy root beer head held for 5 mins while the the extract foam was gone in about 3 seconds. Finally, the carbonation held in the bottle perfectly while the extract bottles foam over when opened. Used same sugar, yeast, bottles, etc.

    So, Wellness Mama wins hands down! Questions: how do I use the vanilla extract as an ingredient (before or after the boil?), and what is making the root beer opaque?

    Miles

  5. Miles Avatar

    Hi – some questions: (1) how do I use the vanilla extract (listed as ingredient but not in instructions), (2) does it clear up (mine was cloudy), and (3) what yeast do you recommend instead of ginger bug? Ale or champagne?
    Thanks!

    1. Nowaware Avatar
      Nowaware

      1) add the vanilla at whatever point you want after it is cooled. Boiling will degrade the oil and you won’t taste/smell the vanilla as much.

      2) If it’s cloudy, try filtering through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Shouldn’t impact the taste, however.

      3) Ale and Champagne yeast both metabolize the sugars within the mixture, and will both do so with a good amount of co2 production. Some people say that champagne yeast brews “cleaner,” so will add less of its own flavour to the brew, but since the whole idea is to make root “beer”, you likely will have a more unique taste by adding brewer’s yeast (ale or lager).

  6. cindi Avatar

    5 stars
    I would imagine that one could use a drop of wintergreen EO, one that was of a quality to be ingested? Can’t wait to try this!

  7. Mikel Borg Avatar
    Mikel Borg

    2 stars
    Could you discuss alcohol content in homemade root beer? How much it might have and how do you control it?

  8. Matthew K Avatar
    Matthew K

    Hello,

    I do not have access to either Sassafras Root Bark or Wintergreen leaf. Can I use homeade mint instead?

  9. Jeremy Avatar
    Jeremy

    5 stars
    Naturally probiotic! Plus, sassafras is carcinogenic! Radical dude! The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned sassafras and safrole for human consumption. It causes liver damage in rats. Sassafras is generally synthetic when used in food stuffs. It’s important that you not drink more than 12 gallons of root beer in any one sitting or in one 12 hour period in order to avoid cancer or liver damage.

  10. Ana Avatar

    When you say a tight-fitting lid…would it be best if it fermented anaerobically? Like with an airlock? Thanks!

  11. Gloria Avatar

    5 stars
    Hello! I really appreciate this recipe! But I’m having trouble getting a hold of wintergreen leaf. It’s always either out of stock or discontinued. Would using the extract work? and how much would I use?

  12. Debra Andersohn Avatar
    Debra Andersohn

    Hello
    When you say add culture starter or whey, does this mean I can use my kefir grains? This is how I want to do it as I have lots of grains.
    How much grain do I use?
    Usually with kefir grains, you start the first ferment, then you add the flavoring to the second ferment. I’m unclear on your method.
    I’m sorry I don’t mean to be ignorant, just want to get this right.
    Thank you

  13. Andrew Avatar

    Hello. I made this root beer Friday night so I currently have it fermenting but when I bottled it I noticed it was not nearly as dark as the bottle in the picture. Is this an indication I did something wrong?

  14. Frankie Avatar

    5 stars
    I have made the ginger bug and beer for awhile now from your recipes…and they are good..I add tumeric to the bug..a tbsp now an then seems to really kick it off….I started fermenting tumeric with black pepper and using it for different ailments….worked well…..I dont have to watch it as much with the tumeric in it….and it gives the beer a great color and a lot of residue in the bottom of the bottles…not to mention the benefit of the tumeric with the ginger.

  15. Tara Avatar

    2 stars
    WAY TOO MOLASSESSY!! I followed the recipe, but the molasses flavor completely took over, overpowering the sassafras flavor to make it undrinkable. I salvaged it, however, by blending a small amount of the rootbeer in with homemade kombucha. I would definitely reduce the amount of molasses used, if not removing it entirely. I’m not convinced it’s needed. I’ll try again with little to no molasses. I also found, after creating a successful fizzy ginger bug, that even after 6 days of sitting out it didn’t manage to create very much carbonation. Perhaps the amount of ginger bug might also need to be increased in the recipe.

  16. Heather Carlson Avatar
    Heather Carlson

    Hello! So I am excited to find this recipe! I am trying to turn my family in a healthy direction. My hubby doesn’t drink a lot of soda, but likes it every now and then. I thought this could help with that plus get us healthy at the same time. I am wondering, when you say “molasses”, can black-strap be used? I read your posting on that, and would love the additional benefits.

  17. Kelli Crook Avatar
    Kelli Crook

    The reason you all are having trouble with the kefir rootbeer is due to the addition of hops, for those that are using it. Hops has a bacteriostactic (stops the bacteria from growing) effect on some of the bacteria strains; no growing bacteria=no gases; thus reducing your fizziness.
    https://www.hopsteiner.com/antibacterial/

    Maybe you will want to hop it at the end? Once you’ve reached the fizziness you desire, then give it a short ferment on the hops?

  18. Renae Avatar

    Thank you for the recipe! My grandfather used to make homemade root beer just about the same way every Christmas so I can’t wait to start on this with my kids this year! Also, how many 16 oz bottles will this recipe fill? Just wondering so I can have enough on hand. Thank you!

  19. Rose Avatar

    I’m planning on trying out your recipe. Your recipe makes about a gallon. Right now sassafras root bark is about $42/lb at Amazon. Your recipe calls for 1/2 cup. Can you tell me roughly how many cups do you get from 1 lb? I already make the ginger ale regularly and it turns out great!

4.08 from 76 votes (52 ratings without comment)

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