Sip On: Healthier Holiday Eggnog

This eggnog is everything. Special thanks to Tess Masters aka The Blender Girl for her vegan variation of this holiday favorite. Go ahead, get your sip on!

I’ve got an amazing healthy holiday eggnog recipe that is sure to impress this holiday season. Enjoy this eggnog as a dessert drink or a festive toaster, with or without the alcohol (but the brandy is just dandy). I could drink it every day of the week and twice on Sunday. It’s so delicious, and unbelievably rich and creamy (as long as you soak the nuts). You won’t believe this doesn’t contain dairy. Happy holidays!

Healthier Holiday Eggnog

(serves 4-6)

Ingredients 

2 cups unsweetened almond milk (strained if homemade)

1/4 cup canned coconut milk (shake, then pour)

1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked (see note below)

3 ounces soft silken tofu

1 ripe banana

1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

1/4 cup  pure maple syrup

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to garnish

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more to garnish

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of natural salt (optional)

1/4 cup brandy

Instructions

Throw all of the ingredients (except the brandy) into your blender and puree on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add the brandy and blast again briefly to combine. Chill the eggnog in a glass container in the fridge for at least 3 hours so the flavors can settle and so the mixture thickens slightly. (If you’re in a hurry, you can blend in some ice.)

Serve chilled, dusted with cinnamon, nutmeg, or a bit of both. The eggnog will keep in the fridge for 2 days, but it is best consumed the day it’s made.

Honest Tip: For the best results with a conventional blender, soak your cashews in filtered water for 2 hours, then drain. Or cover in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain.

*To make a non-alcoholic version, add 2 additional tablespoons of raw unsalted cashews, soaked; decrease the amount of pure maple syrup to 2 to 3 tablespoons to taste; use alcohol-free vanilla extract; and omit the brandy. 

~Tess Masters

Tess Masters (theblendergirl.com) is a presenter, cook, and author of The Blender Girl cookbook and The Blender Girl Smoothies app. 

Credit: Reprinted with permission from The Blender Girl by Tess Masters, copyright (c) 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House LLC.

Photo by Katy Townsend.