28 Secret Soft Drink Uses

Updated July 26, 2016

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Surprisingly, soft drinks become the star ingredient in a number of recipes. Whether you're seasoning meat or baking a cake, soft drinks add a special flavor.

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Cola- Marinated Flank Steak

Cola- Marinated Flank Steak Recipe

Have cola with dinner, but on your steak. Cola lends a sweetness to flank steak, mixed with savory flavors.

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How to Make Coca-Cola Cake

Learn how to make this Coca-Cola Cake that is simply one of the best sheet cake recipes. The magical brew of carbonated cola is the secret to the airy feel while mini marshmallows add nice texture. Fun yet decadent, this Coca-Cola cake is top tier.

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Cola Baked Beans

Cola Baked Beans Recipe

Adding cola to the brown sugar and molasses is the secret to the complex sweetness of these bacon-accented beans.

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Lemon-Lime Pound Cake

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Lemon-Lime Pound Cake Recipe

This recipe is based on a classic Southern favorite called 7UP Pound Cake, which was created in the 1950s when the soda company suggested using its soft drink instead of other liquid in pound cake recipes. The result: one of the best, and simplest, cakes you'll ever make.

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Cola Shredded Beef Tacos

Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon

Cola Shredded Beef Tacos Recipe

This recipe features shredded beef chuck roast flavored with cola, tomatoes, chiles, and cumin.

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Club Soda Waffles

Credit: Lee Harrelson

Club Soda Waffles Recipe

This homemade waffle recipe requires just four ingredients, including one special ingredient: a bottle of club soda.

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Grilled Beef Ribs with Smoky-Sweet Barbecue Sauce

Credit: John Kernick

Grilled Beef Ribs with Smoky-Sweet Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Before grilling, these beef back ribs are braised in Coca-Cola and brushed in homemade barbecue sauce.

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Nanny's Famous Coconut-Pineapple Cake

Credit: Charles Walton; Styling: Gage Trinda

Nanny's Famous Coconut-Pineapple Cake Recipe

This coconut pineapple cake recipe is sure to please family and friends, with its surprising blend of flavors and a "secret" ingredient: lemon-lime soft drink.

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Root Beer Baked Beans

Root Beer Baked Beans Recipe

Transform canned pork and beans into superb baked beans by stirring in peppery-sweet root beer, dry mustard, and hot sauce. The 5-minute prep time might make this dish one of your summertime favorites.

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Grilled Chicken with Cola Sauce

Credit: John Autry; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Grilled Chicken with Cola Sauce Recipe

The secret ingredient to this deliciously tangy grilled chicken is 3/4 cup of cola. You'll love the unique flavor that the cola gives it, mixed with warm spices like cumin, paprika, and chili powder.

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Brined Maple Turkey with Cream Gravy

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro

Brined Maple Turkey with Cream Gravy Recipe

Before baking, top this turkey with a flavorful cola and syrup mixture.

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Sloppy Cola Joe Dogs

Credit: Melina Hammer; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Sloppy Cola Joe Dogs Recipe

These sloppy joes are enlivened with a splash of cola, which gives the ground beef a sweet boost that plays well off the filling's spices. Try these with traditional or split-top hot dog buns or hoagie rolls. Garnish with your favorite coleslaw for crunch and color.

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Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes Recipe

Use a classic cocktail combo to flavor a chocolate cake by adding bourbon and cola to the cake batter and topping the mini Bundt cakes with a sweet bourbon and cola glaze.

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Sweet and Tangy Short Ribs

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Cindy Barr

Sweet and Tangy Short Ribs Recipe

This saucy dish is worthy of a dinner party; just serve with a side of brown rice or rice noodles. Cola is the secret ingredient, yielding a luscious sauce with great body.

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Grilled Vidalia Onion and Steak Sandwiches

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Vidalia Onion and Steak Sandwiches Recipe

Cola in the marinade tenderizes the meat. A simple homemade sandwich spread, made with mayonnaise and minced arugula, completes the sandwich. Serve with chips or fresh veggie slices.

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Peanut-Cola Cake

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Annette Joseph

Peanut-Cola Cake Recipe

The South's favorite drink is a key ingredient in this moist Peanut-Cola Cake.

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Root Beer-Can Chicken

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Root Beer-Can Chicken Recipe

This is a family-friendly take on beer-can chicken in which we use an opened root beer can to support a whole bird on the grill. The liquid inside the can adds moisture, resulting in succulent, tender meat. Complete the meal with roasted red potatoes and a sweet-tart broccoli slaw.

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Country Ham with Redeye Gravy

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Country Ham with Redeye Gravy Recipe

A mixture of cola and water balance the salt and add sweetness and caffeine to this ham and gravy recipe.

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Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake

Credit: Howard L. Puckett

Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake Recipe

Warm chocolate cake topped with chocolate coca-cola icing is a delicious combination.

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Slow Cooker Barbecue Pork

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Pursell

Slow Cooker Barbecue Pork Recipe

This simple-to-fix pork recipe includes a surprisingly delicious mixture of barbecue sauce and cola.

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Root Beer Float Cake

Credit: Gooseberry Patch

Root Beer Float Cake Recipe

This 5 ingredient cake will become your fast favorite for dessert. Root beer is the secret ingredient that keeps this cake sweet, moist and flavorful.

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Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Recipe

Start with a whole chicken, cut up, and simmer in a homemade barbecue sauce of ketchup, cola, cider vinegar and a splash of bourbon for a Southern barbecue flavor.

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Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches Recipe

The slow-cooked barbecued chicken made with cola is delicious served over Sweet Potato Cornbread and topped with Pickled Peppers and Onions and Simple Slaw.

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Cola-Braised Brisket

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Cola-Braised Brisket Recipe

Hands-off cooking is ideal for busy weekenights. Try Cola-Braised Brisket that's cooked in the slow-cooker. Enjoy any leftovers of this tender brisket by shredding the meat, and stirring it into the gravy. Serve brisket and gravy over cooked egg noodles.

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Tempura Green Beans with Mild Cayenne Sour Cream

Credit: Oxmoor House

Tempura Green Beans with Mild Cayenne Sour Cream Recipe

Batters like this one that use carbonated beverages such as club soda produce gas bubbles that discourage oil absorption, yielding a lighter fried food.

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Soy and Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder

Credit: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Soy and Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder Recipe

Serve this cola-braised pulled pork on hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls with shaved cucumber and carrot ribbons tossed with rice vinegar. Or stuff it into tortillas for Asian-style tacos with matchstick-cut cucumber and carrot.

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Jen's Pulled Pork

Credit: Oxmoor House

Jen's Pulled Pork Recipe

Diet cola is used in this recipe because it is less sweet in flavor. There's no right or wrong amount of sauce to use...simply stir in as much as you'd like. You can also add sliced jalapenos, minced garlic or sautéed onions and green peppers.

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Chocolate Cola Cake with Cola Frosting

Chocolate Cola Cake with Cola Frosting Recipe

Cola plays a part in the cake batter and the chocolate icing in this decadent dessert.

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