Chocolate Egg Cream that’s Sweet, Rich, and Vegan

Despite the misleading name, the classic chocolate egg cream formula has never contained eggs nor cream! Born in New York fountain shops in the late 1800’s, it relied on whole milk for creaminess, seltzer for a bit of fizz, and chocolate syrup to achieve that beloved sweet flavor. So in theory, it’s not difficult to make a vegan and dairy-free chocolate egg cream. But it’s still important to choose your ingredients wisely. Fortunately, I’ve got options for you in this recipe post!

The Secrets to a Perfect Dairy-Free Chocolate Egg Cream

This vegan egg cream has an instant cool, creamy, and bubbly finish. The whole fizzy beverage takes just 5 minutes to make, and is so wonderfully indulgent. But it’s important to choose the “milk” and

Dairy-Free Creamy Milk Options

Classic egg creams use whole milk, not regular milk. This is an important distinction since most dairy-free milk alternatives are even thinner than regular milk. It’s important to use something with a creamy finish, especially since this dairy-free chocolate egg cream recipe calls for just 1/4 cup! Here are my suggestions.

• Coconut Milk: Use regular (shaken) coconut milk for the most richness. For more of a whole milk vibe, and less coconut flavor, use light canned coconut milk or reduce the coconut milk to just 2 tablespoons and add 2 more tablespoons of seltzer.
• Dairy-Free Creamer: This is a seamless solution, particularly since most vegan creamers are designed to be frothy and to blend well with syrups. I like to use an unsweetened plain or unsweetened vanilla creamer, like Nutpods, to keep the sweetness down. But you can use a gently sweetened creamer, if preferred.
• Dairy-Free Half & Half: There are a couple brands on the market, which work great in vegan egg creams. They include Ripple and Califia Farms. The former is also nut-free.
• Milk Alternative: You can simply use a milk alternative if needed, but I would make an adjustment. Increase the milk alternative to 1/3 cup and reduce the seltzer to 2/3 cup for a creamier finish. I would also choose a richer milk alternative. Coconut milk beverage is a great option, but soymilk also froths very well. For those of you who prefer oatmilk, there are some “extra creamy” options on the market, like Chobani.

Chocolate Syrup Options

Believe it or not, many brands of chocolate syrup are naturally dairy-free! They include Hershey’s, Fox’s U-Bet, and Holy Krakow. I like to use Homemade Chocolate Syrup for a few reasons. It tastes better, I control the ingredients, and it costs much less. I can make a big batch for far less than one bottle of store-bought chocolate syrup (which has really gone up in price!).

Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.

Special Diet Notes: Vegan Chocolate Egg Cream

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and top food allergy-friendly. Just be sure to choose a creamer option (see above) that suits your dietary needs.

Alisa Fleming

Dairy-Free Chocolate Egg Cream

5 from 2 votes

This old-school soda is effortless to whip up on a whim, and it satisfies cravings for cool, refreshing, rich, creamy, and chocolaty all in one swoop!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Servings: 1 serving

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Calories: 130

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• ¼ cup dairy-free creamer or coconut milk see Dairy-Free Milk Options in post above
• 2 tablespoons dairy-free chocolate syrup
• ¾ cup plain seltzer water

Method

 

1. Put the creamer or coconut milk and chocolate syrup in a small blender. Blend until combined or frothy, and then pour into a glass. Alternatively put the ingredients in a glass and use a frother to mix them together.
2. Slowly pour the seltzer on top. Stir gently, just until the cream is fully incorporated and the drink is frothy.
3. Sip and savor your creamy soda immediately!

Nutrition

Serving: 1drinkCalories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 0gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 95mgFiber: 0gSugar: 20g

Notes

More Traditional Method: Pour the creamer or coconut milk into a glass. Add a little seltze and stir to combine. Then pour in the remaining seltzer, but do not stir. Drizzle the chocolate syrup down the center of the glass (or the sides for visual effect) and gently rock a long spoon to stir just the bottom of the glass, where the syrup rests.

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