Martha Stewart Vanilla Egg Cream

Martha Stewart vanilla egg cream is a quick 15 minute drink built on homemade vanilla simple syrup. Sugar and water boil down, cool, and get stirred with ice cold whole milk and bubbly seltzer. This fizzy, retro New York soda fountain classic takes five ingredients.

Serve this cold, sweet drink on a summer afternoon or as an after dinner treat for two. Use real seltzer, not sparkling water or club soda, because mineral-free bubbles keep the vanilla flavor clean.

Martha Stewart Vanilla Egg Cream

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Course: BeverageCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Calories

125

kcal

Frothy, fizzy, and vanilla-sweet with a creamy white head that forms the moment seltzer hits cold milk. Five ingredients, one saucepan, ready in fifteen minutes.

Ingredients

• sugar
  

• water
  

• vanilla extract
  

• 4 ounces whole milk
  

• 4 ounces cold seltzer
  

Directions

• Make the simple syrup: Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Assemble the egg creams: Add 2 tablespoons simple syrup to two tall glasses (you'll have some syrup leftover). Divide milk and seltzer between glasses, then stir well to combine. Serve immediately.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO steel double jigger, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

What is an egg cream and does it contain eggs?

No. Despite the name, an egg cream has no eggs or cream in it. It is a fizzy, sweet drink from New York City's soda fountain era, made with milk, seltzer, and flavored syrup. The name may come from the Yiddish phrase "echt keem," which means "pure sweetness."

Can I use sparkling water instead of seltzer for an egg cream?

Stick with plain seltzer. Sparkling water and club soda both contain added minerals that change the taste and interfere with the vanilla flavor. Open a fresh bottle right before mixing, since flat seltzer means a flat egg cream.

How do I store leftover vanilla simple syrup?

Keep it in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It works as a sweetener for iced coffee, cocktails, or mocktails, and you can brush it over freshly baked pound cake for extra moisture.

Can I make a chocolate egg cream with this recipe?

Swap the vanilla simple syrup for an equal amount of chocolate syrup, like Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Flavored Syrup, which is the traditional New York choice. For a black-and-white version, use 1 tablespoon each of chocolate syrup and vanilla syrup per glass.

Why does my egg cream go flat so quickly?

An egg cream has no fat or protein foam to trap the carbonation, so the fizz fades fast. Add the seltzer last, stir once or twice, and drink right away. If the milk or seltzer are not ice cold, stash them in the freezer for a few minutes before mixing, since warmer liquids lose bubbles faster.