15 Dec Totally eggless nog: a booze free vegan eggnog

A hot, spicy drink in summer? Wait; what do you mean, “eggnog is chilled”? Once I’d been convinced (after a bit of suspicious Googling) that eggnog was, in fact, traditionally a chilled drink, I was inspired to concoct a vegan eggnog version of my favourite creamy childhood drink. Turns out it’s delicious in summer. Who’d have thunk?

Oh; everyone. Right.

If you are able to, I hope you’ll plan ahead and make your own nut milk. It’s easier than you think. Nut milk bags are great, but if you have a muslin cloth or piece of netting lying around, use ‘em rather than procrastinate. For an especially lovely boost of flavour, buy whole nutmeg and finely grind or grate it as you need. Remember to deeply breathe that aroma in; it’s heady and addictive, and I’m betting you’ll never go back to pre-ground.

P.S. Mom, your cockles-warming eggnog was always the best!

Ingredients

Makes 4 medium-sized glasses

3 cups cashew or almond nut milk
½ cup coconut milk
¾ cup – 1 cup maple syrup
1 vanilla pod
½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated or pre-ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom
¼ cup cashews, soaked overnight (optional, but yummy)
Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod*, and put them – along with the other ingredients – into a high-speed blender.
2. Blend together until smooth and creamy.
3. Add maple syrup to taste and blend again.
4. Refrigerate and serve chilled with an extra sprinkle of freshly ground nutmeg.

A Waste-Not Tip:
*add the empty vanilla pod to a jar of overnight oats or chia gel to eke the last bit of vanillary goodness from it.

See?  Festive drinks can be booze-free, healthy, and good enough to have even the kids and vegans eagerly coming back with empty glasses and hopeful faces.

Recipe and article created and written by Candice Douglas