Traditional Homemade Dairy Free Holiday Eggnog

Keeping with our current theme of late, (favorite traditional holiday recipes made allergen friendly) I decided to redesign a holiday favorite I often enjoyed as a kid when visiting my grandparents: Eggnog! Nothing made Christmas Eve more magical than our trip to grandma’s house! Where I gathered around the fireplace with my siblings and cousins, listened to stories told by my dad and drank grandma’s homemade eggnog! Because of my son’s severe dairy allergies, we have not been able to share this family tradition with my children and their cousins. With this dairy-free recipe, it is a tradition I am looking forward to bringing it back this year!

In the past, we have tried several store-bought dairy-free eggnogs. Some had great taste, but severely lacked in the area of creaminess. Others simply failed to meet his expectations in both the creaminess and taste departments! So at his request, we decided to hit the drawing board for some testing and eggnog exploration! And what a journey it was; designing a dairy-free eggnog was much harder than I had imagined.

Like with anything, but especially food and drink, eggnog has its adorning fans and it’s sworn enemies! Yet with so much variation in both quality, ingredients and recipes, this is a beverage that truly deserves sampling a few variations before making any firm taste decisions! Traditionally, eggnog is made from a mixture of eggs, milk, cream, sugar, spices, and liquor, which makes this rich holiday beverage a no-go for those with dairy allergies. Our version is not only dairy-free and without the added preservatives found in most of the eggnogs sold in stores today, it also does not contain the artificial dyes some brands choose to add. Say goodbye to the nastiness and hello to real earth goodness! Naturally sweetened for added health benefits, and easily tweaked to suit your individual taste, makes this holiday eggnog one we hope you will keep coming back too. For extra freshness and pure simple ingredients, if you have the nuts and a little time, we found making your own nut milk from scratch was well worth the effort. For directions on how to make your own nut milk check out this post —> Fresh Homemade Cashew and Almond Nut Milk

Ingredients:
5 cups of nut milk (Homemade or store-bought)
½ cup pure maple syrup
a pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon ginger
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites (optional)

If you want to create that classic yellow tint to your eggnog feel free to add the tiniest pinch of turmeric to give it that creamy yellow hue. Just remember the slightest bit goes a long way when you’re using
turmeric! Add too much and it will overpower your flavorings with a not so traditional taste. Spill it and your counter and dishcloth will be yellow.

To make the historical boozy version simply add 1/2 to 1 ounce of your favorite bourbon per 8 ounce serving. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey complements the spices very well and brings out an amazing complexity of flavor that was truly surprising. Please remember to double check the gluten-free status of any liquor before serving guests with gluten allergies. If you choose to spike your eggnog, please remember to drink responsibly, no one wants a repeat of the great Eggnog Riot of 1826! You can read more about that event here —> Eggnog: the Rich History of a Holiday Tradition

To make your dairy-free eggnog, place your nut milk in a pan on med-low heat. Be careful not to scorch it, you are looking for it to just start steaming. (If using homemade nut milk only place 3 cups of milk in the pan and set the other 2 aside for later in the recipe.) Homemade nut milk will slowly start to thicken on its own, so watch it carefully so it don’t scorch on the bottom.

Separate eggs. Place yolks in a bowl and add pure maple syrup. Whisk thoroughly.

Slowly pour a cup of the heated milk into the egg mixture and whisk until well mixed. This step is called tempering. It brings the eggs up to temperature slowly and prevents chunks of cooked egg in the final product. Slowly pour tempered eggs mixture into pan of heated milk while stirring.

Cook over med-low heat stirring constantly until a candy thermometer reads 160°-165° F. Be patient, do NOT turn up the heat to quicken the cooking process. This recipe curdles very quickly! Once the target temperature is reached, your eggs should have been safely cooked. Remove the pan from the heat immediately. Do not let it set on the hot burner. I had batches start to curdle from simply sitting on the turned off but still warm burner.

Homemade nut milk tends to naturally thicken during heating, while the store bought nut milk does not. If you are using the homemade nut milk from this blog, now is the time to add the reserved milk and whisk until smooth. This will thin the consistency back down to the beverage zone.

Add the spices and vanilla to your cooked eggnog and blend well with your whisk. When the spices were added before cooking they tended to overpower the delicate flavor of the nut milk, alternately reducing the amount of spices used left the eggnog lacking depth of flavor.

If adding the egg whites, whip them in a mixer until stiff peaks form. For an explanation of stiff peaks check out this link →.The Ultimate Angel Food Cake Adding a little cream of tartar is beneficial. Fold meringue into the eggnog. If you prefer to not have the uncooked egg-whites in your beverage, save the whites to make meringue for a pie or meringue cookies.

This recipe is best served well chilled.

You can also top it with coconut cream and a dash of fresh nutmeg or cinnamon for an added festive flare.

Store any leftovers in a covered glass jar. Leftovers will keep in a refrigerator for around 4-5 days, or feel free to freeze into ice cubes and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Always shake before you serve as settling will occur naturally with eggnog.

Want to get more acquainted with the rich and colorful history of this holiday beverage? You might enjoy our post on the history of eggnog found here. → Eggnog: the Rich History of a Holiday Tradition

Anticipating Christmas Eve with fireplace, stories and eggnog, The Homesteading Hen

Do you have a favorite dish or beverage that you wish was gluten or dairy free?