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 did go all out and make a full on boozy version. With bourbon no less.
If you’re not a fan of boozy things then you can leave it out and just have a delicious creamy holiday drink.
How To Make Vegan Eggnog
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
This recipe is pretty forgiving and flexible. You’re creating a creamy, sweet, boozy drink, which isn’t terribly hard.
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.
Add this to a blender jug along with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and sugar.
Blend until smooth.
Pour this out into a pot or saucepan.
Gently heat on the stove until it just reaches a simmer. Them remove from the heat.
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 to 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.
Ingredient Notes
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 granulated 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 it 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 Tips
Keep your eggnog stored in the fridge and enjoy it chilled. Consume it all within around 5 days.
It’s not recommended to freeze it.
More Delicious Vegan Drinks
- Vegan Dom Pedro
- Vegan White Russian
- Vegan Jello Shots
- Vegan Pina Colada
- Vegan Kahlua Coffee
- Vegan Iced Coffee
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Eggnog
Ingredients
- 3 cups Coconut Milk (720ml)
- 1 cup Coconut Cream (240ml)
- ½ cup Raw Cashews (75g)
- ⅔ cup White Granulated Sugar (130g)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- ¾ cup Bourbon (180ml)
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.
Video
Notes
- We used canned coconut milk (full fat, unsweetened) and canned coconut cream (unsweetened).
- 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.
- This recipe makes 5 cups of eggnog.
- Keep it stored in the fridge and enjoy within 5 days.
- Nutritional information assumes that 5 cups of eggnog could serve 6 people at a little less than a cup per person.
Vegg Nog!!
This sounds amazing and I want to try it for the holidays. Do you think It will still taste good without the sugar?
Hmmm, I think it would need some sweetener, but you could use an alternate sweetener of your choice. 🙂
Does the coconut milk make the nog harden when this is refrigerated?
Not at all! It’s just thick and creamy but still very pourable/drinkable.
Dear Alison,
this recipe looks and sounds amazing! I want to try it for Christmas this year, but I’m from Germany and here we only have coconut milk, no coconut cream…can I substitute the 1 cup coconut cream with 1 cup coconut milk if I only use full fat milk for the whole recipe?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Isabel, sure that will be fine! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Thank you!!
If I use cornstarch instead of cashews about how much would you suggest? Also can I just guzzle some bourbon while making this?
Yes to guzzling the bourbon, hahaha! If I was using cornstarch I would probably use 1 Tbsp to start. Make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with a little cold water or coconut milk and then stir it in to the heated mix and stir vigorously until it thickens. If it’s not thick enough you can repeat that step. But also keep in mind that it will thicken more as it cools, so just play it by ear for how thick you want to make it. All the best! 🙂
thenkkkz sooo mooch….sarteed ealry oon th boourboonnnnnn
Hahaha!
Does this taste like coconut? I’ve been really wanting to make some vegan eggnog and your recipe looks amazing! I’m just not a huge fan of coconut flavor; so I wasn’t sure if that was a prevalent flavor in this recipe?
Hi Lydia, it does taste like coconut but it’s not the prevalent flavor. It’s more creamy and boozy. The coconut flavor is there though. You could use a different non-dairy milk instead of the coconut milk to cut down that coconut flavor.
I might try some almond milk instead then. Thank you!!
Do you think this would work if I were to replace the cashews with “just egg”? I made a quiche with it for thanksgiving and the texture was exactly like eggs!
Hi Tish, I have never tried that so I have no idea how it would work. I’m also not sure the quantity that you would need to use to replace the cashews if you were going to try it, so it would be a complete experiment! Let us know if you do try it. 🙂
Rum might be better….
Whoops, forgot to leave my five star rating!
Thanks so much Barbara! 🙂
YUM, YUM AND YUM! Thank you Alison, another wonderful recipe from you.
This looks really good. I will have to try it! Do you think you can re-create a vegan version of Bailey’s? Not the Almonde (which I have) but the original version with chocolate I think? Thanks!
That’s a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll add it to my to-do list!
This looks so refreshing cant wait to try this.
Can you make this recipe into ice cream? I don’t have a ice cream maker
You probably can, but I haven’t tried! Not sure if the alcohol would have an impact on it freezing properly though.
I thought about doing that without the alcohol
Such a great holiday drink! I made it after getting your email yesterday and we loved it. Have leftovers in the fridge to enjoy over the next few days and then I think I’ll make some more… ?
does the recipe for the vegan eggnog work if you do it without the alcohol beverage?
Hi Ebba, yes you can leave out the alcohol if you prefer. It might be a good idea to just add in the same amount of non-dairy milk in its place to thin it out a little like the alcohol does, just because it would be extra thick without the addition of alcohol.