Let’s have a drink with our avocado toast!

clementine cream soda I howsweeteats.com

At least that’s probably what I’m doing right now. Bringing basic well into 2016 and it tastes so good.

Gotta have something wonderful to sip on and this one is boozeless! It’s worth it, I promise.

clementine cream soda I howsweeteats.com

This isn’t A cream soda, it’s just… cream soda. You know the bubbly, bottled version that tastes like wonderful vanilla frosting? I loved cream soda as a kid and then I feel like it disappeared for a million years.

But like everything else, it returned (boylan’s is our fave!) and a few summers ago I was loving it up once again.

Does that mean I’m a cool cream soda hipster? I mean, technically I liked it before it became trendy again.

clementine cream soda I howsweeteats.com

So I made some! My own faux cream soda version with juice from a million clementines. Or like ten.

Ten clementines.

I adore the cuties, much like everyone else. Last year I made this chocolate covered orange shake with clementines. I’ve covered them in chocolate. I’ve put them in chicken skillets. I’ve eaten them by the ton.

You know, the usual things.

clementine cream soda I howsweeteats.com

It goes a little something like this:

Make a lovely vanilla syrup.

Juice your citrus!

Lots of crushed ice. Must be crushed. Crushed is heaven.

Stir your syrup and juice, lots of spoonfuls to the mouth.

Top with seltzer!

Bubbly, sweet and citrusy. Exactly what I want right now.

clementine cream soda I howsweeteats.com

Oh but WAIT.

This is exactly what I want right now, plus ice cream. A big scoop of vanilla (or lemon, I tried both and uh, don’t hate it) dropped into the homemade soda. It’s like creamsicle central, but homemade! And not in a 34-month old popsicle found in the back of your freezer in a January desperation sabotage attempt on your “lifestyle change.” I know you get me.

clementine cream soda I howsweeteats.com

Clementine Cream Sodas

5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup clementine juice, this was about 7 clementines, juiced, for me
  • seltzer water, for topping (about 3 to 4 ounces per glass, or whatever you’d like!)
  • vanilla ice cream, if you want a float!

Instructions 

  • Place the sugar, water and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat. (Note: you can scrape the vanilla beans out or leave the pod whole – I leave it whole so they beans don’t get all throughout the syrup. Then use the pod for another drink, coffee or more syrup after!) Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and set it aside. Cool it to room temperature, then stir in the vanilla extract. You can store this sealed tight in the fridge for a week or so. You will have extra!
  • To make the sodas, stir together 3 tablespoons of the vanilla syrup with 1/3 cup of the clementine juice in the bottom of a glass with crushed ice. Fill the glass with 3 to 4 ounces of seltzer and stir. Taste and add more orange and/or syrup if you wish. Serve!
  • If you’d like to add ice cream, use a big glass. ;)
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clementine cream soda I howsweeteats.com

at least it’s packed with vitamin c?