Traditional Eggnog is high in fat because it is made with whole milk, heavy cream, and egg yolks. A significant amount of alcohol is also added. In this article, I will share with you how to make Vegan Eggnog without alcohol for the festive season. I will also include a few healthy additions and variations. This recipe serves 2.
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut milk – you can use any thick non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds – presoak them in a little water for 4 hours
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Banana
- Spices – ½ teaspoon each
- Ground cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
- Ice cubes – you can also use frozen bananas instead of ice cubes.
- A pinch of salt
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth consistency.
Serve immediately.
If you don’t plan on consuming the vegan eggnog immediately, blend everything in advance except the bananas. Once peeled, bananas start to oxidize. So right before serving, add the bananas and blend again.
Why Chia Seeds?
For this vegan eggnog recipe, I use soaked chia seeds because of their “eggy” like consistency. Eggnog is all about eggs and milk (with cream of course). Secondly, Chia seeds are the healthiest natural supplements we have. Research proves that chia seeds contain twice more calcium than milk, more omega 3 than fish, more antioxidants, and the list goes on. In fact, for those of us following the Ketogenic diet, chia seeds play a significant role in boosting your health.
If you manage to get chia seeds from a farmers market, they retail very cheap. But if you can’t, buy the commercially packed ones from online stores. You can use the seeds in any recipe but don’t cook them. Add them raw just before serving.
An Alternative Vegan Eggnog Recipe
If you have more people to serve, this recipe works better. You can prepare in advance and chill in the refrigerator. We will use homemade almond milk and homemade coconut cream. If you don’t have the time, just buy some from your favorite vegan store.
This recipe serves 4.
Ingredients
- 2-cups almond milk
- 2-cups coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (whatever sweetener you like
- Spices – ½ teaspoon each
- Ground cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth consistency.
Serving
To serve like a barista, grind some vegan cookies or biscuits. Coat the glass with biscuit crumble and pour in the vegan eggnog. Sprinkle some of that powder and attach a cookie on the glass. Throw in two cinnamon sticks per glass and a hint of the spices you used on the serving plate. This is very important, especially when serving strangers. The hints help them identify the drink with its ingredients.
The Bottom Line
For the best vegan eggnog, make your almond milk fresh at home. It is more creamy and frothy compared to store bought milk. It is easy to extract milk from fresh almonds, but you need to be patient as the nuts soak in water. If this is not your forte, buy high-quality milk. A mark of good quality vegan products is in the list of ingredients. The shorter the list, the better the quality!
Use any vegan eggnog leftovers to make cinnamon rolls or eggnog French toast.