Cream Soda
intro
Fizzy, vanilla-kissed homemade cream soda with a smooth creamy float, made from simple ingredients, perfectly crisp and sweet for sipping on hot summer days.
Ingredients
Steps
Make vanilla simple syrup
Combine 200g granulated sugar, 240ml filtered water, and 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes until sugar fully dissolves and the liquid is completely clear, with no grainy texture at the bottom of the pan. Do not bring the syrup to a rolling boil.
Stir in vanilla extract
Remove the saucepan from heat immediately once sugar is fully dissolved, then stir in 2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Let the syrup cool to room temperature (about 25 minutes) before transferring to a sealed glass jar to chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Prep serving glasses
Take 4 tall 16-oz (475 ml) highball glasses, ensuring they are clean and fully dry on the outside, then add 1 cup of ice cubes to each glass. Dry glasses prevent excess condensation that can dilute the drink as ice melts.
Pour syrup base
Measure 60 ml (¼ cup) of the chilled vanilla simple syrup into each ice-filled glass. Tilt each glass slightly and swirl gently for 5 seconds to cool the syrup against the ice before adding carbonated ingredients.
Top with sparkling water
Slowly pour 240 ml (1 cup) of chilled sparkling water into each glass, pouring down the tilted inner side of the glass to preserve as much carbonation as possible. Leave 1.5 inches (4 cm) of headspace at the top of each glass to prevent overflow when adding cream.
Float cream and serve
Slowly pour 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of chilled heavy whipping cream over the back of a bar spoon held just above the soda surface in each glass, to create a distinct, smooth creamy layer. Do not stir before serving; provide long paper straws for guests to stir the cream into the soda right before drinking for ideal texture.
Tips
2.Keep sparkling water and heavy cream fully chilled until ready to use, as warm ingredients will melt ice quickly, dilute the flavor, and make the soda go flat within minutes.
3.For a dairy-free alternative, swap heavy cream for chilled full-fat canned coconut cream, and add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract to mimic the rich, rounded flavor of traditional cream soda.
OMG this homemade cream soda is SO good! My kids loved it so much at our backyard cookout this past weekend—they kept ditching their juice boxes to beg for refills. It was so easy to throw together in 10 minutes, I didn’t need any fancy gadgets or hard-to-find ingredients. Total game changer for summer potlucks and family dinners, I already have all the supplies to make another batch for our Fourth of July get-together!
Really solid recipe! Made this for my roommates during our weekly movie night and everyone was shocked how close it tastes to the old-fashioned cream soda we get at the corner diner downtown. Only tiny gripe is that my first batch was a little less creamy than I hoped—probably because I eyeballed the half and half instead of measuring, oops. Pro tip: don’t be like me and skip the full hour chill time, warm cream soda is straight up not a vibe, lmao.
Y’all, this recipe is chef’s kiss! I’ve been chasing that old-fashioned cream soda flavor from the small town soda fountain I visited as a kid for literal years, and this is spot on. I made a big batch for our neighborhood block party last weekend and people were lining up to pour cups, even the teens who only drink energy drinks loved it! So easy to prep ahead too, I just mixed up the simple syrup the night before and stirred in the sparkling water and cream right before serving. 10/10, will be in my summer rotation forever.