Did you know that you can make your own healthy soda at home?
It’s not hard at all!
And it’s absolutely delicious in a cream soda float!
Use your favorite coconut, vanilla, or homemade Healthy Ice Cream.
(S is not a fan of coconut, which gave me a great excuse to try out a cashew-based version for our floats.)
Way back in the 1920s, my great grandmother would make homemade soda in her basement, then invite all the neighbors over for a party.
Well, soda is not all she made in her basement. But we probably shouldn’t go into that… 😉
Homemade root beer and ginger ale were her specialties; however I’ve always liked cream soda best, and so I adapted my great grandma’s homemade soda technique for the recipe I’m posting today: homemade and healthy cream soda, high in B vitamins, and much lower in sugar than the cola you’d get from a store.
Homemade Cream Soda
- 1/4 cup warm water (60g) (about 110 degrees F)
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or regular sugar or agave (12g)
- pinch stevia extract, or 2-3 tbsp sweetener of choice
- 1/4 tsp brewers or dry active yeast (see below for yeast-free version)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (2g)
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 strip lemon zest (2-in or so)
- 2 cups water (480g)
- 32oz soda bottle, with a cap
Dissolve the 1 tbsp sugar (not xylitol or stevia) in the water, then sprinkle the yeast over top. Set aside 6-10 minutes, or until it bubbles. (If it doesn’t bubble, either your yeast is bad or your water was too hot.) Meanwhile, put all other ingredients into the soda bottle and shake well. Pour the bubbly yeast mixture into the soda bottle, either using a funnel or pouring through a paper cup with a small hole at the bottom. Shake, then put the cap on the bottle and store it in a warm, dry place. Wait about a day and a half (no longer), then slowly open the bottle over the sink—just in case. Your soda is ready to drink, or store it in the fridge. I’m sure that if you want instant cream soda, you could just use carbonated water and skip the yeast
For Instant Cream Soda: Omit the yeast and the 1 tbsp sugar. Use carbonated water for all the water in the recipe. Stir all ingredients together, and there is no need to wait.
Click for: Cream Soda Nutrition Facts
Question of the Day:
Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper… What’s your favorite type of soda?
When I was really little, I loved to buy orange sodas from the vending machine at a park near our house. But I’d never actually drink the sodas, as I didn’t like the sugary sweetness or carbonation. This was always a struggle between my mother and me… she knew the only reason I’d ask for money for a soda was because I liked pushing the button and watching it fall from the machine. The actual drink would end up in the trash after a few sips. Looking back, I tell my mom she should’ve been happy about this; she didn’t have to deal with a crazy-hyper kid on a sugar high!
Link of the Day:
I only like cream soda and its variations, and root beer. I don’t drink any soda with aspartame, though, so I rarely drink soda. I don’t like the carbonation, and I always stir the bubbles out of my soda or wait for it to go flat.
I try to drink just one Coke Classic a year (okay the waitress always refills it…but still…) I prefer cream soda, sarsaparilla, etc. to anything else, though. I’m not a huge carbonation fan….
Katie, your recipes never disappoint! I am sooooo excited to make this!
I used to love root beer and we would buy a brand called Virgil’s. Recently, I had a taste and it’s too sweet for me now. :\ I’ll admit I was a little disappointed, but now I can make my own! Thank you so much! 😀
This is SO COOL! I never knew you could make homemade soda without a machine thing to carbonate it. I need to do this!
So cool! Cream soda is my favorite too, but I rarely have it because it is so high and sugar. Here comes CCK to the rescue! Thanks for sharing this Katie 🙂
Oh my goodness, i’m definitely going to try this recipe. I used to LOVE cream soda. I stopped having fizzy drinks 5 or 6 years ago now i think and this looks yummy!
I gave up soda a long time ago but cream soda always remained a favorite. Do you think you could use sucanat for the sugar?
Yes! It would give a nice caramel-y flavor. (The recipe just says “not stevia or xylitol” because the yeast needs something on which to feed. Sucanat would be fine.)
This is an amazing idea! I was just listing after my friends soda maker, but I’m excited to be able to make it without investing in another gadget! Thank you 🙂
Really?? It’s that easy? Your grandma must have hosted quite a few parties if her sodas were on the menu — yours looks amazing! My guy goes through almost an entire 2-liter of soda (Dr. Pepper, root beer, Coke, ginger ale, you name it) every day. It got a little expensive, so we borrowed his aunt’s carbon dioxide tank and make our own. It’s really fun, but since I love the smell of yeast, your version of soda sounds even better!
Virgil’s Zero Calorie Cream Soda would be PERFECT with this recipe 🙂