What is better than enjoying a tasty treat? Not feeling guilty about it! This recipe gives you a guilt-free version of cream soda that you can reach for whenever you want to reminisce on the good ol’ days.
With just a few ingredients (ones you likely already have in your pantry), you can turn your homemade kombucha into a healthy craft soda.
Despite the name, there is no actual cream in cream soda. So, what is it that gives cream soda its unique flavor? Turns out, it is vanilla, caramelized sugar, and lemon! Cream soda flavors vary a bit by culture, but the famous brands we all know and love in the United States focus on vanilla.
The easiest way to achieve a caramel flavor without caramelizing anything is to use dark brown sugar. Molasses works great, too, and you can substitute it in for a 1:1 ratio. Take about 2 tsp of dark brown sugar and add it into a clean, 16 fl oz bottle. Remember that the yeast will eat some of the sugar during the secondary fermentation, which helps you get strong carbonation.
Next, add in vanilla extract. Use about ½-1 tsp of a good quality vanilla extract per 16 fl oz bottle. You can experiment with different bottles to see how much vanilla you prefer. I will typically eyeball about ¾ of a tsp using the vanilla extract cap to measure (the cap is 1 tsp).
The final ingredient besides kombucha is just a little squeeze of lemon juice. If you don’t have fresh lemons on hand, it can be left out because the kombucha itself will add acidity. The lemon juice gives it that extra edge and marries all the flavors together.
Now that all the flavorings are in the bottle, fill it about halfway with kombucha. Cap it and gently shake to incorporate the ingredients, then fill the bottle the rest of the way up minus about 1-2″ for headspace.
Cap the bottles tightly and allow them to sit at room temperature (Ideally above 75°F) for 2-10 days. Check on the bottles every day or so to assess the carbonation levels. Once you’re happy with the level of carbonation, chill bottles in the refrigerator. If you’re struggling to get carbonation, don’t worry. Carbonation naturally varies between batches depending on the pH of your kombucha and other environmental factors.
It’s important to note that brewing homemade kombucha is almost always a two-step fermentation process. Brewing kombucha is only a one-step process for those who prefer an unflavored flat kombucha. Otherwise, the steps consist of a primary fermentation and secondary fermentation.
Since this recipe is for the secondary fermentation, to make this recipe, you’ll need to have kombucha that has finished the primary fermentation and ready to bottle.
Dark Brown Sugar:Â Using dark brown sugar is a great way to achieve caramel-like flavor without going through the motions of caramelizing anything. The sugar also provides food for the yeast, resulting in more robust carbonation.
Vanilla Extract:Â This is what gives cream soda its characteristic flavor. A high-quality vanilla extract yields a fresher end product but feel free to use what you have on hand to experiment.
Lemon juice:Â Fresh lemon juice is optional but recommended. A little bit goes a long way to help the flavors come together.
This recipe makes one 16 fluid ounce bottle. For a 1-gallon batch, make 7 16 ounce bottles of kombucha or times the ingredients by 7. Before beginning this recipe, you will want to:
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minutes2-10 Days
This cream soda kombucha recipe is for one 16 fluid ounce bottle. For a gallon batch, make seven bottles. To scale this recipe to a gallon batch, multiply the ingredients by seven or toggle the serving size up to seven above. Before bottling your kombucha, remove the SCOBY pellicle along with 12-16 ounces of kombucha starter tea from your brew, and reserve for your next batch.
16 Oz Kombucha from a completed primary fermentation.
2 tsp Dark Brown Sugar (can substitute molasses in a 1:1 ratio)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
16 Oz Swing Top Bottles
Measuring Spoons
Add sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice to a clean bottle.
Using a funnel, fill the bottle about halfway with kombucha, then cap and shake gently to incorporate the ingredients.
Top bottle off with kombucha, leaving about 1 to 2 inches of head-space. Tightly place the caps on each bottle.
Keep bottles at room temperature for 2-10 days; it will carbonate faster at higher temperatures and slower when cold.
Burp the bottles as necessary to release excess pressure. This is done by removing the cap to allow built-up pressure to escape then placing the cap back on.
Chill in the refrigerator once you’re happy with the carbonation levels. Based on preference, you can serve as is or strain before drinking.
