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    Home » Recipes » How To

    How to craft homemade sodas (with only three ingredients)

    Originally Published: Dated: June 10, 2012 Last Updated: Apr 3, 2021 By: Christina

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    how to make homemade soda

    Aaaaah, sweet, bubbly soda. How I drank thee all throughout college with no idea what you were doing to my health.  Like your high-fructose corn syrup, caramel color and chemical preservatives.  Don't consume these imposters. Put them down. PRONTO. And read on for how to make homemade soda instead. Your waistline and health will thank you!

    How to make homemade soda with just three ingredients

    • carbonated water, club soda or sparkling mineral water (I like Perrier, but I have an affinity for all things French)
    • a flavoring agent such as root beer extract or fresh/frozen fruit
    • organic granulated sugar (or even coconut sugar or honey)
    Ingredients for homemade soda by Edible Times

    The ratio + method

    A good formula is 1 tablespoon of simple syrup or fruit purée for every 6 ounces of club soda.  For a basic simple syrup, bring one cup of sugar and one cup of water just to a boil, then let it cool.

    Vanilla bean syrup for homemade soda by Edible Times.

    From there you can add vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste (look at all those beautiful specs of bean!) or even citrus peel. Or root beer extract. You can also blend fresh fruit and mix it with sugar before boiling like we did with blueberries. The options are truly endless.

    Child pouring blueberry syrup in measuring glass for homemade soda by Edible Times

    Recruit the kiddos for added fun

    This is a GREAT activity to do with kids. My littlest one is constantly stealing my bottle of Perrier, so he was game. Plus, crafting your own fizzy drinks at home gives you (the parent) control over the sugar content (and resulting sugar high) of each cup.  But they're not just for youngsters. 

    Child screwing cap on vanilla extract bottle, for homemade soda by Edible Times

    WARNING: You must be 21 or older to read this message

    For us big kids, homemade soda is refreshing, guilt-free and satisfying.  But we can do better than that. You didn't hear it from me, but on a Friday night you could easily trade in the club soda for a little bubbly. Or simply add a shot of vodka. Or both. You just made homemade soda. You deserve a little reward.

    Yours in libations of all kinds,

    Christina Bailey digital signature on Edible Times
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    Child sipping homemade blueberry soda through a straw in backyard,

    Simple Syrup Recipes for Homemade Soda (Paleo/GAPS)

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
    • Author: Christina
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 10-20 minutes
    • Yield: 1 cup simple syrup 1x
    • Category: Drinks
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Feel free to mix the fruit up to your fancy!  
    A plethora of extracts can be found online.  If you have vanilla extract and heavy cream, you can add a splash of cream to vanilla soda for a cream soda! For orange cream soda, do the same but with an orange-flavored syrup. 


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For Blueberry Syrup

    • 1 cup fresh fruit, blended
    • 2-4 teaspoons granulated/coconut sugar, or 1-2 teaspoons of honey
    • Squeeze of lemon

    For Basic Simple Syrup

    1 cup granulated or coconut sugar (or ½ cup of honey for Paleo/GAPS diet)
    1 cup water


    Instructions

    For Fruit Syrup

    1. Blend fruit with lemon juice until smooth.
    2. Strain through a fine sieve/mesh strainer.
    3. Combine fruit purée and sugar in a small saucepan, and bring just to a boil
    4. Cool completely, and serve a couple spoonfuls with a glass full of club soda or sparkling mineral water.

    For Basic Simple Syrup

    1. Combine sugar/honey in a small pot.
    2. Bring just to a boil, them remove from heat.
    3. If making a lemon/lime/grapefruit/orange/ginger syrup, add fruit peel or crushed ginger and steep for 30 minutes to an hour.  Remove fresh ingredients and cool completely.
    4. If using a concentrated extract such as vanilla or root beer, add 1-2 tablespoons depending on how strong a flavor you'd like. Taste and see is the best method. 

     


    Notes

    When replacing sugar with honey for Paleo or GAPS diets, a good place to start is cutting the amount in half. Honey is about twice as sweet as table sugar. 

    Keywords: simple syrup, homemade soda, berry simple syrup, lemon simple syrup, homemade cream soda, gluten free, paleo, GAPS

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @edibletimes on Instagram and hashtag it #edibletimes

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    Filed Under: Drinks, How To, Kids Tagged With: homemade syrup

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. R. Martinez

      March 19, 2021 at 1:34 pm

      Loved doing this with the kids. So much less sugar than regular soda!

      ★★★★★

    2. Heather@Creative Family Moments

      June 10, 2012 at 10:46 pm

      We're doing this! Awesome idea.

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    Chef Christina Bailey, Boise Private Chef, Creator of Edible Times

    I'm Christina, a classically trained, Michelin-star restaurant alum and private chef. And more importantly, Chef Mom to two little boys.
    I'm here to empower you in the kitchen and in health. I share way more than delicious, chef-tested recipes. I explain the professional formulas, ratios, and techniques, too.
    So if you the endless scrolling: You can ditch it.
    And if you love collecting reliable recipes, I'm here for you, too.
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