A glass of chilled dairy free eggnog is equally refreshing and cozy. This thick and creamy holiday drink is the perfect night cap spiked with brandy and topped with fresh ground nutmeg.
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Does eggnog have dairy?
Traditional eggnog is made with milk and heavy cream and does contain dairy. But if you are dairy free, this recipe is perfect for you because we're swapping the milk and cream with dairy free milk and coconut cream.
What is dairy free eggnog made of?
- Full fat canned coconut milk
- Dairy free milk (like almond or oat milk)
- Eggs
- Coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)
- Spices: cinnamon, salt and fresh nutmeg
- Vanilla (fresh pod is best but vanilla extract works!)
FAQs
The best alcohol to spike your eggnog is rum, brandy or bourbon. My first choice would be a brandy, but I also love a spiced rum because it's more subtle and goes well with the eggnog spices.
Eggnog is typically served chilled with fresh nutmeg. However, that doesn't mean it can't be served warm on a chili night! Heat it slowly in a saucepan on the stove.
You can spike your eggnog with rum, add nutmeg on top. Beyond that, you could add chocolate or orange liquor, ground spices like all spice and cloves or even peppermint schnapps.
This all depends on the recipe and the quality of the eggs. Store bought eggnog is pasteurized and if you buy eggs that are pasteurized then you're good! However, you can also bring the eggnog base to a temp of 160°F while you're cooking to ensure it's safe, which is what we do in this dairy free eggnog recipe.
Eggnog's roots date back to British aristocracy when the wealthy would drink this custard-based beverage topped with pricey spices during the winter. Because nutmeg is such a prevalent flavor in eggnog, it makes it perfect for the holidays.
How to make dairy free eggnog
Temper the Eggs
- Add the dairy free milk and canned coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat then remove from the heat.
- While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and coconut sugar in a large bowl until combined.
- Whisk the egg mixture constantly while you slowly add a small amount of the hot coconut milk. Repeat whisking and slowly adding the milk until they're combined. It's important to temper the eggs (slowly warm them) so they don’t curdle.
whisk the eggs and sugar whisk constantly while you slowly add the eggs
Chill and serve
- Transfer the eggnog back to the saucepan and heat over medium-low until it reaches a temperature of 160°F and the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove the eggnog from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a pitcher, cover and refrigerate until chilled (2-3 hours) or overnight.
- If your eggnog got too thick while chilling, stir in more non dairy milk until it reaches your desired consistency. Spike with alcohol (like rum) if desired and top with nutmeg.
heat over medium-low it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
Expert tips
- Use fresh ground nutmeg: Hold a citrus zester over the top of the cup of dairy free eggnog and grate it back and forth to sprinkle on top. You can also use a special spice grinder. You can purchase organic whole nutmeg on Amazon!
- Know when it's thick enough: stop cooking and chill when it coats the back of a spoon. Dip the back of a spoon in the mixture and pull it out. If you can't see any of the spoon then you know it's done.
- Separate the egg yolks right: use the egg shells to transfer the yolk back and forthbetween the two halves until the egg whites fall. You can do this over the sink or a small bowl to save them.
How to serve dairy free eggnog
Serve eggnog chilled in your favorite fancy mug, coffee mug or really any glass (like a mason jar!). Top with fresh ground nutmeg (already ground works too) and add a cinnamon stick.
Additional mixers: peppermint schnapps, white chocolate liquor, maple syrup. You could even use this as coffee creamer and add it to your morning cup!
A note on store-bought dairy free eggnog
You can buy store bought dairy free eggnog like Trader Joe's Almond Nog, Almond Breeze's Nog and the So Delicious Holiday Nog, but I love that this recipe only has 7 ingredients (no extra additives or thickeners) and you can make it in under 20 minutes.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More holiday drinks
Dairy Free Eggnog
Ingredients
- 2 (13.5 ounce cans) full fat coconut milk (about 3 cups)
- 1 ½ cups dairy free milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg plus more to top
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 vanilla bean pod split with the beans scraped out (or 1 teaspoon vanilla)
Instructions
- Add your dairy free milk of choice with canned coconut milk into a saucepan and bring to a slow boil then remove from the heat.
- While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and coconut sugar until combined.
- Whisk the egg mixture constantly while you slowly add a small amount of the hot coconut milk. Repeat whisking and slowly adding the milk until they're combined. It's important to temper the eggs (slowly warm them) so they don’t curdle.
- Transfer the eggnog back to the saucepan and heat over medium-low until it reaches a temperature of 160°F and the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove the eggnog from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a pitcher, cover and refrigerate until chilled (2-3 hours) or overnight.
- Serve: If your eggnog got too thick while chilling, stir in more non dairy milk until it reaches your desired consistency. Spike with alcohol if desired and top with nutmeg.
- To spike it: Add your desired amount of brandy or spiced rum in each glass.
Barbara A Harrison says
Eggnog tastes great! Concerns with recipe: 1. No actual instruction to separate the eggs. I knew to do it, but not everyone might know this. 2. Nowhere do the instructions tell the user when/where to add the dry spices and vanilla. I added them where I thought most logical, but I don't know if that was correct.
Stacey McCullough says
Hi Barbara,
I made this tonight, and you’re correct about the instructions. I followed the photos, which were not clarified in the written instructions. I’ve made custard type dishes before, but for the novice, I think that they would probably end up leaving the ingredients out.
Jason Fisher says
Recipe is hot garbage, I'm sure there egg nog taste fine but they left out what to do for half the ingredients. As someone making egg nog for the first time I just had to guess.
Molly Thompson says
Hey Jason! I'm confused about what you're referring to. The recipe clearly has all of the information needed. The post itself has step by step images with details to show you what each step of the process is like. And if you scroll to the recipe card at the bottom it has the detailed instructions. Thanks.
Sarah says
Just made this last night and it's fantastic tasting, although the recipe instructions don't state when you're supposed to put the spices or vanilla in. The text instructions seemingly forget about them completely.
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Zellie A says
Eggnog turned out well but the step-by-step instructions didn’t explain what to do with the spices and vanilla, I had to use another recipe to confirm.
N says
Yummy! I added a pinch of salt and a slash of vanilla.
Kat says
Recipe does not say where to add the spices. Also is not clear whether the egg whites are used or not. This recipe is not for a beginner. There's a lot of guesswork involved.