Rich, creamy and boozy vegan eggnog. This simple recipe uses cashew nuts instead of egg to create a deliciously thick creamy drink perfect for the holidays.
So this vegan eggnog doesn’t have any eggs in it. Of course, because it’s vegan. 
Some people get a bit outraged by naming something with the original term and then just putting ‘vegan’ in front of it.
Like our vegan cheesecake. I am often told on facebook that it should be called a ‘cashew cake’. Um….no.
When you want to make a cheesecake without cheese then ‘vegan cheesecake’ is what you go looking for!
So this is a vegan eggnog, notwithstanding the fact that there is no egg.
I must admit I have never had a regular eggnog so I can’t really tell you how well it compares to the ‘real thing’.
What I can tell you is that this version is awesomely delicious and makes a fabulous holiday drink!
I did go all out and make a full on boozy version. With bourbon no less.
If you’re not a fan of the boozy things then you can leave it out and just have a delicious creamy holiday drink.
How To Make Vegan Eggnog
I chose a mix of coconut milk and coconut cream as the base ingredients along with cashews to thicken and, sort of, approximate the effect that egg would have in eggnog.
This is blended with some cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and sugar and then gently heated on the stove until it reaches a simmer.
Then you add bourbon!
Add in the bourbon and then give it a blend with your hand blender, pour it into a jug and put it into the fridge and let it chill completely.
Well, you can really serve it hot or cold, but we liked these served nice and cold.
It tastes like the most creamy dreamy liqueur. That you made yourself! You should definitely be proud.
Ingredients Q&A
This recipe is pretty forgiving and flexible. You’re creating a creamy, sweet, boozy drink, which isn’t terribly hard.
Coconut milk/coconut cream. I used the full fat canned variety of coconut milk and coconut cream. If you wanted to switch for a different kind of plant milk you could do it, but it would be less creamy and rich. It would still be pretty delicious though, so that’s up to you.
Cashews. The cashews as mentioned are sort of my ‘egg replacer’ in the way that they thicken up the drink so nicely. If you’re not a fan of cashews you could use cornstarch as a thickener instead, I haven’t tested it this way, but it’s something you could try if you can’t do cashews.
Sugar. I used regular white sugar, but you could switch for a different type of granulated sugar such as coconut sugar or even a liquid sweetener like maple syrup. It would change the color of the drink though.
Bourbon. We used Wild Turkey bourbon which was lovely in this. Use any bourbon you like, or switch for rum!
Turmeric. A pinch of turmeric would help recreate the color of a classic eggnog. I didn’t use any when I made this eggnog but if you want the color to be a little more yellow, then this would work great. Just don’t use too much, as a little goes a long way when it comes to using turmeric for color.
Storing Your Vegan Eggnog
Keep your eggnog stored in the fridge and enjoy it chilled. Consume it all within around 5 days.
More delicious vegan drinks!
- Vegan Dom Pedro
- Vegan White Russian
- Vegan Jello Shots
- Vegan Pina Colada
- Vegan Kahlua Coffee
- Vegan Iced Coffee
Vegan Eggnog
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Rich, creamy and boozy vegan eggnog. This super simple recipe uses cashew nuts instead of egg to create a deliciously thick creamy (and don’t forget boozy!) drink that is perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (720ml) Coconut Milk*
- 1 cup (240ml) Coconut Cream*
- 1/2 cup (75g) Raw Cashews
- 2/3 cup (130g) White Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 3/4 cup (180ml) Bourbon*
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the bourbon to the blender jug and blend until completely smooth.
- Then pour out into a saucepan and gently heat, whisking constantly until it just reaches a simmer. You will notice it will thicken quite a bit during this process.
- Then remove it from the heat and add in the bourbon.
- Blend with an immersion blender directly in the pot to remove any lumps that have formed while it was heating. Alternatively you can strain it.
- Place into a jug and place into the fridge to chill for a few hours until completely cold.
- When you’re ready to serve, give it a stir and pour out into glasses. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or nutmeg.
Notes
*I used canned coconut milk (full fat) and canned coconut cream.
*We used Wild Turkey Bourbon. You can use any bourbon you prefer, or switch it for rum.
*You could add a pinch (very small pinch) of turmeric if you want to more closely resemble the color of a traditional eggnog.
*Nutritional information assumes that 5 cups of eggnog could serve 6 people at a little less than a cup per person.
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Blender and Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serve (of 6)
- Calories: 481
- Sugar: 24.4g
- Sodium: 34mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 23g
- Carbohydrates: 28.4g
- Fiber: 0.6g
- Protein: 2.8g
Keywords: vegan eggnog
Hi!! Can I omit the Bourbon or replace it for another non-alcoholic drink?
You can replace it with some non-dairy milk. 🙂
Ok. Thanks a lot!! 🙂
Previously when I’ve used cashews in recipes because I don’t have a high-powered blender the recipe has suggested soaking the cashews overnight first. If I were to make this using only an immersion blender would you recommend this?
Hi Gwendolyn, yes, sure if you’re using only an immersion blender it will be best to make the cashews as soft as possible beforehand. 🙂