Dairy-Free Eggnog Recipe

December 13, 2023 by Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

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If eggnog makes the list of why you love the holiday season, then you’ve come to the right recipe. Eggnog is rich, sweet and creamy. Typically, those desirable attributes come from things like milk, cream, eggs and sugar in the majority of eggnog recipes.

For this eggnog recipe, we’re definitely keeping the eggs, but instead of conventional cow’s milk, we’re going to be using coconut milk. Instead of sugar, maple syrup and real vanilla bean will provide some natural sweetness.

These changes result in an eggnog that is just as festive and delicious yet totally free of dairy and health-hazardous refined sugar. Diet-wise, with just 5 grams of carbs alongside 26 healthy fats per serving, it qualifies as low-carb, Paleo and even keto.

Warning: This just may be the best dairy-free eggnog recipe you’ve ever tasted!

What Is Eggnog?

Eggnog is traditionally a rich and sweet drink created with milk, cream, egg yolks and egg whites (whipped separately) and sugar. Thanksgiving through Christmas is the classic time to consume eggnog and when you’ll see it on store shelves in the U.S. and Canada.

An alcoholic eggnog recipe (like a brandy eggnog recipe) is also called a spiked eggnog recipe. In addition to brandy, other common alcohols added to eggnog include rum and bourbon. Historically, when alcohol was included in a recipe for eggnog, it was referred to as egg milk punch or milk punch.

Culinary historians aren’t totally sure about eggnog’s exact origins, but most guess that it started in early medieval Britain when they drank posset, a hot beverage consisting of milk curdled with wine or ale and spices. Around the 13th century, monks are said to have begun drinking somewhat of a hot eggnog recipe when they added eggs and figs to the posset mixture.

So what about the name “eggnog”? Well, it includes eggs as a unique and key ingredient, so that explains the “egg,” but the “nog” is possibly derived from “noggin,” which, in the 1600s, meant a small cup or mug. By the late 1700s, the name “eggnog” was here to stay.

You can drink this delicious eggnog by itself or make it for recipes using eggnog such as an eggnog pie recipe.

Key Ingredients

This homemade eggnog recipe is high in protein and healthy fats as well as several essential vitamins. Here are some of the healthy ingredients you’ll be consuming in this amazing dairy-free eggnog:

Eggs: What would eggnog be without eggs? If you’re concerned about the safety of this eggnog recipe, the FDA recommends making sure that the eggnog base reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring constantly. Eggs are highly nutritious, providing significant amounts of protein, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin D and multiple B vitamins in just a single egg.
Maple syrup: Instead of using processed white sugar, this eggnog recipe gets its sweetness from healthier natural sweeteners like maple syrup.
Coconut milk: Coconuts and their milk are high in fat, but not cholesterol. Coconuts are an excellent source of medium-chain fatty acids (or MCFAs), which have been shown to have impressive health benefits. One study published in The Journal of Nutrition demonstrates how these natural fatty acids may have positive effects on both fat loss and weight loss for healthy men and women.
Spices: No eggnog recipe would be complete without spices. Cinnamon is not only delicious, it’s also been used medicinally for centuries. It’s the same story with nutmeg and cardamom, two valuable spices that add great flavor.

How to Make Eggnog

This is a non-alcoholic eggnog recipe, so it doesn’t require having any alcohol on hand. To make this easy eggnog recipe, you’ll simply be combining all of the ingredients together, but it will be in a very specific way to ensure that you get a perfectly crafted eggnog.

Before you get started, separate the eggs so the yolks are in one bowl and the whites are in a container for the fridge (make egg white omelettes tomorrow!).

Add the coconut milk (you can also use unsweetened almond milk but it will be thinner) to a large pot over medium-low heat. Then add the almond extract, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Scrape the vanilla bean and put the contents into the pot.

Add the maple syrup and stir. Don’t let the pot come to a boil.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the four egg yolks. Keep whisking until small bubbles form.

Take a small amount of the hot milk mixture and add it to the egg yolks. Temper the yolks, which means to aggressively whisk the egg yolks while adding the hot liquid.

Once the yolks reach the same temperature, add them into the pot with the hot milk mixture. On medium, allow the mixture to come to a slight boil, and then stir well and remove it from the heat.

Allow the eggnog to cool before chilling it in the fridge. Then let the eggnog sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to one hour before serving.

Top with some optional coconut whipped cream (or use the store-bought version), additional nutmeg and enjoy this rich, festive treat.

Holiday Treats to Serve with Eggnog