I’ve spent half of my life in California and the other half in North Carolina–sushi, avocados, and Cheerwine were abundant… But egg creams? Not so much.
I think I’d be hard pressed to find many people who even know what an egg cream is in my area, let alone serve it.
However, I frequented New York quite a bit as a kid to visit my grandparents. Throughout my travels, I discovered the magical creation that is an egg cream. (No, it does not contain actual eggs nor cream.)
Egg cream is basically milk, chocolate syrup, and club soda. So simple yet so delicious. My life was instantly transformed upon first sip. Every subsequent trip to Manhattan involved egg creams galore. I did actually find one diner in California that offered the beverage, but it was just not the same as the east coast version.
Since going vegan, I have not had an egg cream. In fact, I didn’t even think to recreate the beverage until recently- but I’m so glad I did. I thought it would be fun to make a variation of the drink that was not just vegan but raw as well. Creamy almond milk and sweet cacao lend themselves perfectly to this nod at a classic. The end result was an “egg cream” that is wholesome and just as good as I remembered it.
Raw Vegan Egg Cream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw almond milk
1-2 tbs. raw chocolate syrup (equal parts agave syrup and cacao powder, plus a splash of water to thin)
1 cup sparkling water
Directions:
Combine almond milk and syrup in glass and whisk until well combined
Quickly add sparkling water and whisk once more to create a layer of foam at the top of the drink
Serve quickly to keep the beverage from going flat
Also by Quincy: 10 Reasons Why You Should Plant a Garden This Spring
Is Freeganism the Next Step Toward Sustainability?
Photo: Quincy Malesovas
