Old Fashioned Egg Creams (Eggless…weird, I know)
This past weekend my in laws came from Georgia to visit with us over the holiday weekend. The kids had a great time with their grandparents as they always do. My mother in law brought me several recipes she’d printed out for old fashioned fountain style drinks and I couldn’t resist playing around with them! My son and I instantly fell in love with a wonderful concoction known as Old Fashioned Egg Creams.
Until this past weekend, I’d never had an Egg Cream before. As I’m writing this I can honestly say I’ve lost count of how many I’ve had!
What does an Egg Cream taste like?
Many of you may be wondering “What is an egg cream?” so I’ma gonna tell ya! Taste wise, it is kind of like a milkshake, only not as thick and it actually quenches your thirst rather than induces it. Egg Creams can easily be made to light in terms of sugar content, and has just a small bit of milk in it, although it tastes much milkier than it is. When you taste it and see the ingredients you’ll be surprised there isn’t more involved – or that egg or cream aren’t in it, because of the light richness.
Why is it called an Egg Cream if it doesn’t have Eggs or Cream?
Many people have speculated over the title and the reason that makes the most sense to me is that during the height of soda fountains, it was popular to add a raw egg and cream to drinks for flavor, thickness, and richness, but during the onset of World War II they became cost prohibitive (kinda like many groceries are becoming for us now!). Since this miraculously tastes like it may indeed have an egg and cream in it, the name was sort of a marketing ploy to help sell an inexpensive drink. I am just glad that these Old Fashioned Egg Creams exist! And I’m drinking one right now as I type this 🙂
Ingredients for the basic Old Fashioned Egg Cream are simple: Chocolate syrup, Club Soda (or seltzer water), and whole milk.
It is important for your ingredients to be cold so put your club soda and syrup in the fridge for a while before making these. You can always add ice later if you like, too.
Club Soda is something I’d never bought before making Egg Creams. If this is the case for you, I’ll make your life easier by telling you that you can find it in the alcohol section as it is commonly used for mixed drinks although it has no alcohol in it. It also doesn’t have any flavor or sugar, which makes it a fun ingredient to add to things because it just adds bubbly refreshment to whatever you put it in!
While the ingredients above are the basic ones, you can get all kinds of creative with this. Use Almond milk or soy milk if your diet requires it, and also have fun with different syrups such as:
Strawberry Syrup, Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup, or even some of those fun flavored syrups like they use in coffee – pictured is my Sugar Free Caramel Syrup.
 To begin with, pour about two tablespoons of syrup into a glass.
I’m using pretty little soda fountain glasses here but most times I make these in a plastic generic solo cup – I live large like that.
Now add 1/3 a cup of milk.
I am using exact measurements to get you started here but once you play with this recipe you may find you prefer more or less milk. I like less milk, my son likes more.
There is no right or wrong way to make an egg cream written in the constitution of the Unted States of America so don’t let anyone try to convince you there is.
Stir that up really well.
Like this!
Pictured are the bases for : Chocolate Egg Cream, Strawberry Egg Cream, and Sugar Free Caramel Egg Cream
But we’re not done yet!
Fill each glass the rest of the way with cold club soda or seltzer water.
Enjoy your Soda Fountain Treat!
P.S. this photo of the Old Fashioned Egg Creams was taken in my little “diner”. It’s very exclusive, I’m the only member of the staff and I serve two to three meals a day but only to people I’ve either married or mothered :).
If you’d like to read more about it, click here.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Chocolate Syrup can also use Strawberry or syrup of your choice
- 1/3 Cup whole milk
- 3/4-1 Cup cold Club Soda or Seltzer
Instructions
- Pour syrup into bottom of tall glass.
- Add milk and stir vigorously. Add in club soda slowly, leaving room for it to fizz at the top.
- Insert a straw and enjoy!
Nutrition
A bad attitude is like a flat tire…
you can’t go anywhere until you change it.
~Unknown. Submitted by Val. Click here to submit your positive or motivational quote, or to read others!
Oh my. Every time I read Southern Plate I come away with a new phrase or word. : ) I’m going to be throwing out “mothered or married” today! I hope it’s a good thing to drink this for breakfast, cuz I fear that’s going to happen. : )
Oh goodness, I think one for breakfast is the best idea all day!!
These look very good. I have made something similar by adding cream to a glass of any flavor of soda, my favorite was root beer or strawberry. Something like an Italian cream soda!!
They just feel like a decadent treat don’t they Elle?!
I will definitely try these with my kids this summer:)
They are going to love it Kathy!!
Grew up at the Jersey shore and we had these all the time. Thanks for the memory.
Oh wow Evelyn!! What a fun treat to have!
I love these for a summertime treat. The only thing I do differently is use a small scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of the milk. The soda soon melts it and the finished effect is the same. My favorite variation is a bit of chocolate syrup, a small scoop of chocolate ice cream and cola for the carbonated liquid. I use diet cola and then tell myself it can’t be fattening. I believe my own versions of reality!
I like your version of reality Elaine!!!
Looks yummy!
Christy, I teach nutrition to kids, and one of my favorite simple recipes uses carbonated (or seltzer) water.
To make a healthier-for you soda, use a can of your favorite frozen 100% juice concentrate and mix with carbonated water per directions on the can.
Then add one more can of carbonated water and if it’s a sweet juice like grape, add a 2 – 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice to make the flavor really POP.
Kids go nuts for this healthier soda and they get all the nutrition benefits that come with it.
Just remember that those benefits usually peak at 1 cup.
Oh wow, thank you for sharing such great tips!!
I grew up in NY and we drank these as a special treat in a soda shop! Thanks for the blast from my childhood!!! 🙂
Oh what wonderful memories Gloria!! What was your favorite flavor?