Growing up, we knew egg nog existed, but never actually laid our lips on it. Our Dad was vehement that eggs should never, ever, be in a liquid state. Custard? Weird. Over easy? Unthinkable. Egg nog? Criminal.
I agreed with him up until early adulthood, when I discovered the beauty of a perfectly poached egg. Holy-what-have-I-been-missing-ness!
But the idea of straight-up raw eggs in something? Yeah, still skeeved me out a bit. So even though I enjoyed my fair share of eggnog lattes as a young adult- I guess I was far enough removed from the egg to be okay with them – a cold glassful of simply eggnog just really didn’t appeal to me.
And then. And then! Last year, I came across this vegan eggnog recipe and I had to try it. Laaaaaaaaaaaaaa! (That is the sound of angels singing.)
So so so SO good.
I made and tweaked and made and tweaked that recipe more my fair share of times last December, and for the past four months, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t looked forward to vegan eggnog season almost daily. Because seriously, this is a case in which plant-based beats the plants – er, the pants – off of the original dairy-and-egg version.
My favorite iteration of the recipe is this Chai-Spiced Vegan Eggnog, flavored not only with must-have nutmeg, but also some ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and spicy peppercorns. And a star anise for good measure.
The inspiration recipe started with cashews, which I love. But I thought I’d try to make an easier version, one that starts with Silk Almondmilk and doesn’t need the lead time that soaked cashews call for. (I also like that using almond milk instead of cashews lightens up the recipe a bit).
First, we simmer the almond milk and coconut milk with the spices to infuse in all of that chai-spiced goodness. Then, we add a goodly bit of vanilla and blend it all up with several medjool dates. I find that dates are key to this recipe – they add a richness, thickness, and caramelly flavor. YUM.
Chill and serve it up with a generous dusting of more nutmeg and maybe even some rum if you’re so inclined. It tastes decadent as an evening cocktail, but this vegan eggnog recipe also makes a most excellent coffee creamer the next morning too.
You can bet I’ll be enjoying it both ways right up until Christmas. And, to be honest, well beyond as well. And Dad would approve, so, bonus!
Money-Saving Tip
Grab your spices in the bulk section of your grocery store. You’ll be amazed by how much you save!
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