I just love the holidays. I mean, how could you not?! People are typically more happy, giving, and generally nicer this time of year (except for Black Friday. The devil comes out of some people!) Then there’s all of the yummy holiday treats we get to indulge in. It’s practically encouraged with all the Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, gingerbread house building, etc..
For us, eggnog is one of those “must-haves” during the holidays. My kids beg for it as soon as we pass it in the milk section at the grocery store. I buy the regular one, but since I can’t handle a lot of dairy I will opt for Silk brand or one of the other dairy free nogs whenever they’re on sale. They’re pretty pricey on average.
Making homemade eggnog was a foreign concept until a few years ago. For some reason it seemed like one of those items that you could only pick up at the store…kind of like cow or goat milk. I don’t know why I thought that…Like there’s an animal that produces eggnog or something, haha! I guess it’s that I had never heard of people making it before, but I saw it made in an episode on Food Network and I immediately put on my “to-make” list (along with the other fifty thousand recipes I plan to make someday;)
I finally made my own dairy and refined sugar free version of eggnog recently and I must admit that I don’t know what took me so long! It is SO good, like even better than the one from the store! I know that doesn’t mean much since most everything homemade is better than store-bought, but I was surprised, especially since it was pretty easy to make! The most tedious part is standing by the stove and stirring it often as it cooks over low heat. It takes a good 20-25 minutes to slowly heat to the right temperature which cooks the eggs thoroughly. I know most recipes use raw eggs, but I’ve never liked the idea of taking that kind of risk with my family, so I make sure it heats up high enough to kill any bacteria. Also, I prefer my eggnog cold, so waiting for it to chill is also pretty difficult for this impatient girl, but other than those two things, this recipe is very simple!
If you like eggnog and are looking for a healthier version, give this a try! It’s a new favorite in our house and I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we did!
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Dairy-Free Eggnog
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Description
This eggnog is a healthier version of the classic holiday drink! The eggs are cooked and it’s non-alchohoic so it’s safe for the whole family to enjoy! Dairy, gluten, and refined sugar free!
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (or heavy cream, if not dairy free)
- 2 cups almond milk or other milk of choice
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and whole pod
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon rum extract, optional
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- coconut whipped cream, optional
- extra nutmeg or cinnamon for sprinkling, optional
- cinnamon stick for garnish, optional
Coconut Whipped Cream: (Optional)
- 1 can full fat coconut milk, stored in the fridge for at least 24 hours
- 1–1.5 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (or other sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or rum extract
Instructions
- Combine yolks, coconut milk, and almond milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan (or double boiler if you have one) and mix well. If you’re using a vanilla bean, add seeds and whole pod now. Set on the stove over low heat and stir periodically until mixture heats to 170F on a candy thermometer, about 20-25 minutes. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. If you want it to taste like traditional eggnog, be sure to add the rum extract as well. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or seasonings to suite your taste. The flavors will also deepen as the mixture cools. Strain mixture through a mesh sieve into a clean container. Don’t skip this part just in case there are some cooked egg pieces. Store in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.
- Before serving, whip the coconut cream, if you plan to add that to your drink. It’s totally optional and is still delicious without it. Take the can of coconut milk out of the fridge and open the can. The hard cream and water should have separated. Place only the hardened coconut cream into a mixing bowl and discard or reserve the remaining water for smoothies.
- Beat the coconut cream with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sweetener and extract to the cream and continue to beat until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes altogether.
- Take eggnog out of the fridge and mix thoroughly. It may have separated overnight, but that’s okay. Pour eggnog into glasses, top with coconut cream, and sprinkle with nutmeg/cinnamon or garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Drink, Seasonal
Haha! Like there is an animal that makes eggnog…too funny! I wouldn’t think of making homemade eggnog either. I love eggnog also, but usually add extra milk to make it less sweet. I know, weird for me, right? This looks and sounds delicious! I love the garnish too…so festive!!
Ok so I admit, I am a total Black Friday shopper. I know, it’s like having the scarlet letter on my chest. But I promise I am nice!!! Annnnnyway….THIS IS AWESOME. I love eggnog but when I gave up dairy (mostly) I figured my eggnog days were over. Totally pinning this. You rock!
Regular milk has started giving me some tummy issues. So, I have slowly been switching over to dairy free milk. Totally saving this recipe for the holiday season! Can’t believe how close we are to christmas!? 😀
This is so gorgeous.. Thank you so much for the lovely share dear 🙂
I am already drooling for egg nog – OMG lol
Samantha | pearlsandpolkadots.net
Jostle, your recipes always make my mouth water! I love that you used coconut milk instead of heavy cream, what a fantastic idea!
This is going to sound silly, but I had no idea that eggnog had eggs in it. I thought it was just a name, like hamburgers don’t actually have ham in them haha
I’ll definitely try making my own eggnog for our Christmas eve party this year, I’ll be using your recipe so I know it will be a hit!
I adore eggnog! It’s definitely a christmas must-have in our household too! I love that you’ve made a healthy dairy free version Joscelyn! This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this!
Yum, looks delish Joscelyn! I love the photos as well!
Thanks, Danica! Really appreciate it!
What a beautiful dish, Joscelyn. These are so delsih and just awesome for holiday season. Lovely share, my friend. Hope you are having a good time! 🙂 I love it.
Thank you, Anu! I’m so looking forward to the holidays as well! Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend!
This looks absolutely delic.
Thank you so much for sharing.
xox
Laurie
Thank you, Laurie!
I’m always looking for healthier holiday recipes and I very much appreciate that this in non-alcoholic. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Kailei! Hope you get a chance to try it!
I made eggnog for the first time last year and now I’m addicted. This looks absolutely wonderful, love that it’s dairy free and your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you, Annie! Yes, homemade eggnog is addictive! Thank you for your kind words, friend 🙂
I love egg nog, and like you I’ve always thought it was one of those you don’t make you just buy (lol, I have no idea why)! Thanks for this recipe. Adding this to my list of holiday recipes to try this year. It looks easy to make, and I love the addition of coconut milk.
Thanks, Evi! It is very delicious, just like “store-bought” haha! Can’t even taste that it’s dairy free! Please let me know if you get a chance to try it sometime 🙂
Looks so yummmyyyyy..amazing clicks..
Thank you so much! It was very yummy 🙂
This looks gorgeous! It’s getting me all excited about the holiday season.
So lovely. I really like the idea of not using raw eggs either for the exact reason you mention.
Thanks for sharing and always inspiring.
Thank you, Kimberly! I know I’m excited too…so many delicious holiday foods to make! Yum! Enjoy the rest of your week dear friend! 🙂
Yum! My hubby is a huge egg nog fan!
Thanks, Bianca! It’s really delicious and very easy to make!