The 5 Best Healthy Soda Shirley Temples, Ranked & Reviewed

What is a Shirley Temple, you ask? It is, quite simply, lemon lime soda (like Starry, Sprite, 7-Up or even ginger ale, if you’re feeling fancy) mixed with grenadine and garnished with a maraschino cherry. It’s known for its sweetness and distinct, fruity flavor. As a health-conscious fan of the original, I love the idea of a nutrition-first formula—lower sugar, lower calories and none of the bad stuff you can’t pronounce. But if it doesn’t deliver on flavor…well, honestly, what’s the point?

In an epic search for the best healthy soda Shirley Temple, I taste-tested every option on the market. Here are the five best blends I’ll be restocking ASAP, ranked and reviewed from good to great.

• Nutrition Facts: 35 calories, 4 grams of sugar, 5 grams of fiber

Kicking off my list is Slice, the functional soda brand that’s technically been around since the ‘80s, but thanks to a strategic rebrand in 2025, is back on our shelves with a low-sugar, gut-friendly formula available in multiple flavors. Competing with the likes of healthy soda giants like Olipop and Poppi, I was excited to try this new-old brand’s modern rendition of a Shirley Temple. Taking the signature “splash of grenadine” literally, this version really leans into the citrusy notes of Sprite or 7-Up, with just a whisper of maraschino cherry laced throughout. While I enjoyed the subtle flavors and found it refreshingly light and bubbly, my taste buds were missing that tongue-puckering sweetness of a classic Shirley Temple.

If your palate leans more tart than sweet, you’ll love this bev, but if you’re a Shirley Temple purist, you might be left craving something more.

• Nutrition Facts: 40 calories, 4 grams of sugar, 6 grams of fiber

I’ll preface this review by saying that I’m an Olipop stan. From Classic Grape and Strawberry Vanilla to Vintage Cola, there’s nary a flavor I wouldn’t happily enjoy. So, when I discovered the brand was coming out with a limited-edition Shirley Temple, I had to give it a try—and my first sip surprised me.

In line with many of Olipop’s other reimagined classics (like Ridge Rush and Doctor Goodwin), I was expecting a traditional take on the Shirley Temple. However, what I got was something altogether unexpected, with strong notes of vanilla reminiscent of a cream soda. The cherry flavor was present but nuanced, like a sophisticated blend of berry and cherry—not too sweet, but not too tart. In my eyes, this drink is delicious, but, like Slice, it didn’t quite satisfy my craving for a true Shirley Temple. (Bonus points for having the most aesthetically pleasing can, though!)

• Nutrition Facts: 30 calories, 5 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fiber

Tasty options aside, I was beginning to lose hope that I’d find a better-for-you soda that actually tasted like the Shirley Temple I know and love. That is, until Poppi came along. As an internet favorite, I had high hopes for this offering and was downright giddy when I first cracked open the can. The smell was undeniable—heavy on the nose with no shortage of grenadine and maraschino cherry—with the flavor quickly following suit, hitting you over the top with syrupy sweetness that could not be mistaken for anything other than a Shirley Temple. Though I enjoyed each sip, it was a little overpowering, and half a can was all I could stomach.

A tight race in the middle of the pack, it edged out Olipop thanks to its clear ties to the Shirley Temple roots. However, if I were to brew a batch, I’d tone down the saccharine sweetness and ramp up the citrus to help balance out the overall flavor.

• Nutrition Facts: 30 calories, 7 grams of sugar

Celeb-backed spirit brands are so 2019. Now, your favorite stars are ditching the distillery and going gastronomic. In September 2025, Ben Stiller launched Stiller’s Soda, a better-for-you soda company featuring all-natural ingredients and a “no-biotics” philosophy, staunchly separating itself from the gut-friendly narrative of so many other brands. Though there are currently four flavors on the market, Stiller launched Stiller’s with one hero in mind: the Shirley Temple. “My love of soda goes way back,” he said in an interview with Food & Beverage Magazine, “and for me it began with Shirley Temples.” As a fellow Shirley Temple lover, I fully appreciate the dedication. 

Admittedly, this brand kickstarted my quest to find the best better-for-you Shirley Temple. I bought it on a whim while perusing my local Target and fell in love with the flavor: Lemon lime forward with a hint of dark cherry sweetness, featuring real cane sugar and zero artificial aftertaste. My husband likened the flavor to a lemon lime Skittle (the green one), but I hold firm that it’s more Shirley than Sprite—though the cherry is subtle, it still stands on its own.

No, it’s not a carbon copy of the usual Shirley Temple formula, but rather a delicious grown-up twist on the throwback classic.

• Nutrition Facts: 20 calories, 3 grams of sugar

Unlike many of the other better-for-you sodas on this list, this was the first and only flavor I’ve tried from the Bloom Pop brand—and it totally surprised me. Of all the sodas I sipped in search of the ultimate Shirley, this was the closest to its bubbly namesake. It has a delightfully sweet, cherry-forward flavor that’s light on the tongue and easy to enjoy. There’s a touch of tartness that comes through at the end of each sip, reminiscent of the deep pomegranate flavor you’d find in grenadine (yep, grenadine is pomegranate juice, water and sugar), but it’s in no way distracting. I finished the can with ease, debating whether or not to crack open another—in the name of research, of course. As an added bonus, it’s also the “healthiest” of the bunch, clocking in at a respectable 20 calories with 3 grams of sugar per serving.

Hitting on all the major hallmarks of the classic American mocktail—from smell to taste—the Bloom Pop Shirley Temple was my clear winner.