Let the party begin! Egg-not Nog is a less food-coma inducing holiday drink made from all natural whole food ingredients…except the bourbon- that’s the real deal. It’s a play on traditional eggnog that contains cashews, macadamia nuts, warming spices, and some other goodies. This Egg-not Nog is a vegan version lower in sugar and fat, but still tastes dangerously good!
Even though I do enjoy farm fresh eggs ever so often, eggnog has been something I’ve never enjoyed. I first tried traditional eggnog with my family several years ago and I immediately thought “gross…”, it wasn’t until I tried it again a couple years ago and the flavor grew on me. The thought of mixing eggs + alcohol always turned my stomach upside town, but the essence of eggnog is really a great recipe. It’s thick, creamy, has all of the great warming spices of the season, and let’s not forget… it’s boozy. We all can indulge in a little bit this time of year and this Egg-not Nog is no exception!
Typical ingredients found in egg nog include: heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, alcohol, sugar, alcohol, oh and sugar. All of which combined (sugar, alcohol, and fat) are a perfect recipe for fat gain especially when overindulged. I wanted to give eggnog a slim down so herein lies the Egg-not Nog.
It was important for to keep the great qualities of eggnog and make it completely dairy free (vegan friendly) and lower in calories, sugar, fat, and alcohol in comparison to traditionally made eggnog. I do this by making the base out of cashews and macadamia nuts which both make it very thick, frothy, and creamy; then add in dates and stevia to sweeten, and boost the flavor with warming spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. The result is a velvety, frothy, sweet, and spicy eggnog.
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup cashews (soaked for at least 30 min.)
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (soaked for at least 30 min.)
- 3 dates, pitted (sugar free version use stevia to taste)
- 4 ounces good quality bourbon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon maple extract
- pinch of sea salt
- Soak both cashews and macadamia nuts for at least 30 minutes in filtered water. Discard water after soaking.
- Combine all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until thick and smooth.
- The end result should be very creamy, thick, with no lumps.
- Serve chilled.
- Garnish with cinnamon stick, ground nutmeg, and a dash of extra bourbon, which is optional.
- Enjoy!
NOTE // just because this one is dairy free doesn’t mean it’s significantly lower in calories. It still should be consumed in mindfulness (i.e. don’t go back for thirds or fourths). Although it does contain healthy fats from the nuts, it still is calorically dense. Follow the tips in the recipe to make adjustments to your needs!
I hope you all love this one as much as I do! I have several REALLY fun recipes I can’t wait to share with you all before the big holiday arrives. Stay tuned tomorrow for the ultimate gift guide!
Lots of love…and boozy egg-not nog,
McKel
