The BEST Vegan Eggnog

Name: The BEST Vegan Eggnog
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk; ½ cup raw cashews; ¼ cup water (plus extra water for soaking the cashews); 3 tablespoon maple or agave syrup (granulated sugar works just fine); ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 ounce bourbon (per 8-ounce serving (240 ml))

Published: Nov 25, 2020 · Modified: Jan 20, 2023 by Iosune · This post may contain affiliate links · 89 Comments

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This is the best vegan eggnog recipe, made with only 7 ingredients. It's rich, creamy, sweet, so easy to make, and perfect for the holidays!

It's absolutely delicious, and one of the best drinks I've ever had! And it has the perfect amount of sweetness, not too much, not too little.

Two mugs of vegan eggnog onto a wooden board with some cashews and cinnamon sticks around.

This recipe is also alcohol-free. However, if you prefer your vegan eggnog with some alcohol in it, don't worry, I've got you covered!

As a traditional holiday drink, I like to serve it during Christmas and Thanksgiving, but it's so good I could drink it all year long. It tastes like real eggnog, but it's healthier and easier to make.

I sometimes add some Vegan Whipped Cream on top for an extra touch of creaminess, but it's also delicious by itself, or with a little ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

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🌟 You’ll love this recipe because it is
🧾 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
📋 Substitutions & variations
🍽 Equipment
❄️ Storage
💭 Expert tips
❓Recipe FAQs
☕ More vegan drink recipes
📖 Recipe

🌟 You’ll love this recipe because it is

Ready in just 10 minutes.
Made with only 7 simple ingredients.
Extremely easy to make. You just need to add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, that's all!
Kid-friendly as it's made without alcohol, but if you prefer the version with some alcohol, I'll show you how to make it as well.
Dairy-free, egg-free, and the perfect drink for the Holidays. It tastes like Christmas in a glass!

🧾 Ingredients

Full-fat coconut milk: it's the best non-dairy milk for extra creaminess and the best results.
Raw cashews: you need to use raw and unsalted cashews, otherwise your vegan eggnog won't taste well. They're used to thicken it instead of eggs.
Water: I use water at room temperature, but cold water is also a good choice.
Maple or agave syrup: maple syrup is my favorite one, but agave also works great. Add more or less depending on how sweet you want your vegan eggnog.
Ground nutmeg: I use store-bought as it's more convenient, but feel free to grate it yourself for the best flavor.
Ground cinnamon.
Vanilla extract: you could omit this ingredient, although you should add it if you have some on hand.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Soak the cashews in water the night before. You can also soak them in hot water for 1 hour.

All the vegan eggnog ingredients in a blender before blending.

Step 2: Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender.

A blender with all the vegan eggnog ingredientes already blended.

Step 3: Blend until smooth.

Step 4: Serve it chilled alcohol-free or add 1 ounce of bourbon per serving (30 ml).

📋 Substitutions & variations

Although coconut milk is the best choice, you could also use any unsweetened non-dairy milk instead. I would go for richer ones like soy, almond, or cashew milk.
I've only made this recipe using maple and agave syrup, but pretty much any sweetener will do.
Granulated sugar works just fine, but maple syrup is my favorite choice as it gives the eggnog a little bit of color and dissolves better than sugar, which tends to sink to the bottom.
If you can't eat cashews, feel free to add ½ cup (120 ml) of full-fat coconut milk and dates instead of maple syrup to thicken the eggnog.
Some people use a block of silken tofu or hemp seeds instead of cashews, but I haven't tried it myself.
Add in your favorite warm spices from nutmeg to star anise or even clove or cardamom.

🍽 Equipment

To make this recipe you need a high-speed blender, and a bowl to soak the cashews the night before.

In addition to the measuring tablespoons, and the measuring cups or the scale you use to weigh your ingredients.

Two mugs of vegan eggnog onto a wooden board, a little bowl with cinnamon sticks and some cashews around.

❄️ Storage

Refrigerator: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-7 days. Shake well before serving (a little separation is normal).
Freezer: you can freeze the leftovers into ice cubes and store up to 1 month.

💭 Expert tips

If you like it chilled, I suggest you keep it in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours before serving. It will thicken up and give the flavors time to deepen.
If you want to serve it immediately, you can pour it over ice for a delicious iced drink.
If you want your vegan eggnog a little more yellow, add a pinch of turmeric powder. If you want it whiter, use granulated sugar instead of maple or agave syrup.
For the best results, soak the cashews overnight. However, if you're in a hurry, you can soak them for at least 5 minutes (ideally 1 hour) in hot water.
Add a cinnamon stick to each glass as a simple garnish that also infuses an extra flavor into the beverage.

❓Recipe FAQs

What is vegan eggnog made of?

Classic eggnog is made with egg yolks, heavy cream, cow's milk, sugar, and spices. And it's often spiked with some kind of alcohol.

I've used cashews instead of eggs, and full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream. As they're very rich, no milk is required, just water.

I prefer to use maple or agave syrup, but granulated sugar works just fine.

Can you make this vegan eggnog in advance?

Of course! Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-7 days. However, as it's ready in less than 10 minutes and is better freshly made, I would make it 1 or 2 hours before serving.

What alcohol is used in vegan eggnog?

The most traditional alcohol used in eggnog is brandy, but you can also use bourbon (my favorite one), rum, whiskey, or even a mixture of dark rum and Cognac.

Do you drink vegan eggnog hot or cold?

I prefer to serve this drink chilled and it's usually served this way, but if you prefer it to be warmed, just heat the blended mixture in a saucepan on the stovetop until it’s warmed through.

☕ More vegan drink recipes

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