the sweet times of melty ice cream and drippy milkshakes. unless you and dairy are on the outs. like me. hence my constant desire to make dairy-free versions of those cold treats. (like this one, this one, and this one.)
and because we now live in dairy country and ice cream stands have burst alive like the flower buds in spring, you may see a few more “ice cream” posts here this summer as i deal with my limitations.
today, it’s a nice cold soda shop beverage. i love that soda shops are trying to make a come-back. maybe it’s the idyllic mayberry, norman rockwell-like visions of it all. the sweetness of sitting high on a barstool watching the soda jerk mix his refreshments with chemist perfection.
the egg cream, despite its name, contains no egg. there’s a little controversy about how the drink came by the name. basically it is a bit like a fizzy chocolate milk. the coconut imparts a great layer of flavor and makes it fully dairy-free. honestly, my son’s favorite part was licking the homemade chocolate syrup-ed spoon… which would make a perfect topping your next indulgent (dairy-free) ice cream sundae!
Coconut Egg Cream
Ingredients
For chocolate syrup:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
For egg cream:
- 2/3 cup chilled canned unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
- 2/3 cup chilled seltzer water
- 4-5 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- gluten-free pretzels or gluten-free chocolate-coated pretzels
Instructions
To make chocolate syrup:
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles a bit and thickens. Allow to cool completely.
To make egg cream:
- Pour milk into a tall glass. Add seltzer to milk. Stir in chocolate syrup with a tall spoon, being careful not to deflate foam on the top. Serve with pretzels, if desired.
