Easy Vegan Cashew “Eggnog” Recipe

I have had so many requests to create a vegan eggnog recipe so here it is! Many vegan eggnog recipes use coconut cream or condensed coconut milk to capture that incredibly rich and creamy texture of traditional eggnog. With those versions though, I find that the coconut flavour takes over. For this version, I wanted to offer something different. I use cashews to provide the richness which allows the nutmeg to provide the flavour.

Coconut-free
Rich and sweet
Full of festive nutmeg spice
And simple to make

Ingredients For Vegan Eggnog

This vegan eggnog recipe is made rich and creamy with cashews. In order for the cashews to blend down and create a creamy texture though, they must first be soaked. 

To quick soak raw cashews you can pour boiling water over them and let them soak for 15-30 minutes. Drain the water and you’re ready to make your eggnog. Alternatively, you can long soak raw cashews by covering them with cold water and allowing them to soak in the fridge overnight. Just make sure to not exceed 24 hours otherwise the cashews can get slimy and unpleasant. 

Besides the soaked cashews you will need:

• Plant milk. I prefer to use oat milk because it tends to be thicker than some other varieties of plant milk and has a really pleasant creaminess.
• Maple syrup for sweetness. You could use another liquid sweetener like date syrup. I love using a less refined liquid sweetener because it can be added straight to a blender. If you want to use a granulated sugar then you will have to heat the milk and sugar on the stovetop so that you can dissolve the sugar. 
• Freshly grated nutmeg will provide the best flavour for this vegan eggnog and it’s great to have on hand around the holidays for all of your warmly spiced holiday baking.
• Finally pure vanilla extract helps to bring out all of the flavours in this vegan nog. 

Method

Once you have soaked your cashews as outlined above:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend on high until the cashews are as broken down as possible.
3. Stop your machine once or twice to give it a short break and scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. (The eggnog will be strained but you want to break down those cashews as much as possible to get the full extent of their creaminess in your drink). 
4. After blending, strain the vegan eggnog by using a nut milk bag or laying cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer.
5. Discard the cashew pulp (or save it to toss into a smoothie) and refrigerate your vegan nog until you are ready to serve. 

Serving Suggestions

Typically eggnog is served at room temperature so you can remove it from the fridge a little before you want to serve it and you can garnish the top with more freshly grated nutmeg. 

Some people like their eggnog a little spiked so feel free to add brandy or whisky. 

If you are a whipped cream on eggnog lover then definitely make my 5 minute coconut whipped cream for an even more decadent treat. (It tastes so much better than aerosol whipped cream)!

Oh, and garnishing the glasses with cinnamon sticks is a beautiful and festive finishing touch. 

Recipe Cost For Vegan Eggnog

This is the rare occasion when one of my recipes doesn’t necessarily result in noticeable savings. With that said, the spread between this recipe and a store-bought vegan eggnog is slim.

This recipe costs me about 58 cents per 100 ml. A traditional store-bought eggnog is actually quite thrifty around the holidays coming in under 50 cents per 100 ml. Store-bought vegan eggnog would cost me at least 53 cents per 100 ml and some brands are considerably more.

Since this is a recipe I will only make around the holidays I don’t mind if it doesn’t result in big savings compared to a store-bought version. It’s always a plus to know exactly what has gone into the drink as well. And, it’s fun to make – so why not!

Let me know in the comments below how you like this option for vegan eggnog and have a happy holiday!

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