Dirty Soda Gets a Prebiotic Makeover: The Viral Trend Explained and How to Make It with Prebiotic Sodas

Dirty soda is having a moment—and it just got a gut-friendly makeover. The customizable drink, popularized in Utah’s Latter-day Saints community and pushed into the mainstream by Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is now being reinvented with prebiotic sodas as more drinkers look for non-alcoholic options that feel indulgent without the sugar crash.

The basic formula is simple: soda, syrup and a splash of cream. Swap the base for a prebiotic soda and you get the same nostalgic, milkshake-adjacent flavors with a different nutritional profile.

How dirty soda works

A dirty soda is a sweet drink built on three components—a soda base, flavored syrup and a creamer or half-and-half. From there, the combinations are nearly limitless.

“There’s nothing inherently wrong with dirty soda—it’s just a sweet drink with added sweeteners and creamers. The amount of sugar you’d get from one really depends on whether you’re using diet or regular soda, and sugar-free or regular syrup or creamer,” dietitian Christine Byrne, owner of Ruby Oak Nutrition, told CBS News.

That flexibility is part of the appeal. Yelp trend expert Tara Lewis told CBS News the drink keeps evolving as people experiment.

“What makes this trend so exciting is its endless customizability,” Lewis said. “Recently, we’re even seeing new recipes that swap cream for protein shakes. As we head into Sober October, we also see this trend evolving into a fun mocktail and expect to continue to see this growth as more people search for non-alcoholic alternatives past Dry January.”

Why dirty soda is trending now

Dirty soda’s national profile spiked in September of 2024 after it was featured in the Hulu unscripted series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, according to Food & Wine. In episode five, the show’s stars explain how soda shops anchor social life in the Latter-day Saints community.

“Utah is like land of the Mormon bar, which are all the soda shops that we have,” cast member Jessi Ngatikaura says on the show. “There’s one on every corner.”

The timing also lines up with two non-alcoholic drinking pushes—Sober October and Dry January—that have sent more people searching for mocktails and treat drinks that don’t involve alcohol.

Classic nostalgic flavors to try

These combinations recreate childhood favorites using a prebiotic soda base:

• Orange creamsicle: orange prebiotic soda, vanilla cream and half-and-half
• Cherry vanilla cola: cola prebiotic soda, cherry syrup and cream
• Root beer float remix: root beer prebiotic soda with coconut cream or vanilla creamer
• Strawberry cream soda: strawberry syrup, vanilla and cream

Vacation-inspired dirty sodas

For tropical flavors, try these mixes:

• Piña colada dirty soda: pineapple soda, coconut cream and lime
• Mango creamsicle: mango soda, vanilla and cream
• Coconut lime cooler: lime soda and coconut cream

Dessert-inspired dirty sodas

These versions lean fully into dessert territory:

• Key lime pie: lime soda, coconut cream and a graham cracker rim
• Peaches and cream: peach soda, vanilla and cream
• Raspberry cheesecake: raspberry syrup, vanilla cream and a splash of lemon
• Banana cream: banana syrup, vanilla and cream

Whether you stick with classic soda or swap in a prebiotic version, the formula stays the same—pick a base, add a syrup, finish with cream and adjust until it tastes like the drink you actually want.