Whip Up A Vanilla Egg Cream With Just 3 Ingredients

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Few drinks bring back old-school soda shop vibes like a traditional egg cream, and a vanilla egg cream is a play on the original (which usually features chocolate) that may leave you hooked on its frothy, rich goodness. Ironically, egg creams do not contain either eggs or cream, but instead feature whole milk, seltzer, and chocolate syrup — in this case, vanilla syrup. Mix these ingredients together for a tall soda fountain classic, and don't skimp on the milk for this one. Whole milk is still mostly water, but it has a higher fat percentage that lends a luscious texture and a bit of heft for egg cream satisfaction that would be lackluster with a skim milk substitution.

Many credit the Lower East Side of New York as the home of the egg cream, dating back to the 1880s when candy-shop owner Louis Auster supposedly invented the creation by mistake. It became intensely popular for its creaminess, sweetness, and foamy head thanks to the seltzer. Egg cream enthusiasts also wax poetic about the chocolate version, which replaces the vanilla syrup with Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup, which you can order to the comfort of your home.

For a pick-me-up that brings you to the feeling of childhood delight that only a special snack can deliver, grab a long-handled spoon and get to swirling these three ingredients you may already have in your kitchen. Some people swear by the importance of adding the syrup first, then the whole milk, and ending with seltzer to produce the most expansive fizzy top layer. Any way you mix it, a bubbly and tasty treat is headed your way.

If you are feeling game for a road trip, you could visit one of these original New York City soda shops to experience a real chocolate or vanilla egg cream as it was intended. Or, get creative at home and take your vanilla egg cream in a decidedly buzzy coffee-shop direction with the addition of some coffee syrup along with the vanilla syrup. If your vanilla egg cream has inspired you to hop on the vintage dessert train, maybe you can try your hand at making a great cake, potato candy, or ammonia cookies on the side. No matter how you enjoy it, the tried-and-true egg cream is sweeter than ever with a vanilla twist.