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.
love it! xx
Excellent recipe! Super simple, came together quick. I didnt get to the heating up part and poured some from the blender for my nephew to try before i put alcohol in and he loved it! I had cherry brandy on hand, used that instead of the bourbon and IT IS SO GOOD! I agree w a previous post- this is a delicious coquito recipe 😋
That’s amazing Luz! Thank you so much for sharing and for your lovely review!
I used this recipe for a vegan egg nog cake. the cake came out great. I didn’t add the alcohol but I was wondering if I can add the alcohol to the remaining egg nog, if it’s already chilled or do I have to heat it again to add the alcohol to it?
It should be fine to add in the alcohol if it’s already chilled Adanna. 🙂
Another winner! I have made this with both coconut milk and homemade cashew milk and it’s been fantastic both times. I haven’t had to blend or strain it after warming it up on the stovetop and it’s turned out fine each time. Thanks for sharing another delicious recipe!
Awesome! Thanks Hazel!
Thank you for this recipe! The idea, to heat up the eggnog is really great, so we had an eggnog like in “former times”!
I’m curious about more of your recipes!
Happy New Year!
Silka from Berlin in Germany
Hello!
About to make this on the weekend and I have a few questions.
Is it necessary that the mixture be warmed up? Can I simply blend and refrigerate?
In the past, before I turned to a plant based diet my eggnog consisted of brandy. Can I use brandy for this recipe as well? I prefer the fruity notes of the liquor.
Yes you can simply blend and refrigerate, but heating up thickens it up a bit which is more like traditional eggnog. But if you prefer not to, that is just fine. Brandy will also work great for the alcohol if that’s what you prefer.
This is delicious! I really don’t like cashews and usually find coconut milk too overpowering but this was perfect. I could not taste the coconut milk or the cashew. Just delicious nog. I made exactly as per recipe only I left mine on the stove too long and it became super thick. I am eating it like a nog pudding with a spoon! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it Jennifer! And so glad it’s delicious as a pudding too! 🙂
Does the nutrition info include the bourbon
Yes it does.
This is very delicious, but you should just call it what it really is: coquito.
Hi Alison! Is there a particular reason you recommend raw cashews over soaked? Can I soak the cashews before blending? I haven’t made the recipe yet but it seems like that would make for a smoother beverage. Thanks!
Hi Vincent, you can soak them if you prefer, no problem. They blend up with quite a lot of liquid so we didn’t find it necessary to soak them first, but we are using a Vitamix. So it could be that if your blender isn’t a high powered blender that soaking them will make a smoother drink.
This was so good! I just finished making it. It is sooo delicious hot, I can only imagine how good it will be once cooled. Thanks for the recipes! I have loved every one of yours I have tried.
So happy to hear that, thanks a million!