Let's take a classic holiday recipe and turn it up a notch! This recipe for homemade Dairy Free Eggnog is actually easier than you think, and gives you all the creamy goodness you want without any of the cow's milk.
Who doesn't love a good eggnog during the holidays? Maybe people who don't drink dairy, that's who. Well look no further - this recipe takes oat milk and creates a super creamy, perfectly spiced eggnog that you'll crave all holiday season! Serve this with a slice of brown butter banana bread for a cozy breakfast treat.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (4 glasses): $0.67
- Total Cost (about 32 oz.): $2.69
- Those Other Guys: $4.29 per 32 oz. carton
Ingredients
- Extra Creamy Oat Milk - The base of this non-dairy eggnog recipe is oat milk. If you can find the carton marketed as "extra-creamy", use that... if not, any plain oat milk will be fine; Oat milk is naturally thicker than most other dairy-free milk options.
- Egg Yolks - You can't have eggnog without egg yolks! The recipe instructions will temper the egg yolks, so they are fully cooked and safe to drink. And don't worry, you can use the egg whites in other baking recipes or for breakfast.
- Granulated Sugar - We whisk the egg yolks with a touch of sugar to provide sweetness to our eggnog.
- Holiday Spices - Cinnamon and nutmeg are staples for that holiday feel. I also use a pinch of allspice for more depth of flavor. And a little bit of salt offsets all of the sweetness. See below for some other super tasty spice suggestions!
- Alcohol (optional) - The standard recipe for this is alcohol-free. But if that's your thing, I include instructions on how to stir in some bourbon or whiskey towards the end of the cooking process!
Variations and Substitutions
Chai Eggnog: Instead of the spice blend below, stir in 1 teaspoon of chai spice blend for a delicious chai eggnog!
Gingerbread Eggnog: Double down on the holiday flavors by stirring in some ginger liqueur towards the end. Serve it in glasses with a crushed gingerbread cookie rim!
Eggnog Latte: Stir in espresso and steamed milk into a glass of steamed eggnog. Perfect for Christmas morning!
Cranberry Eggnog Loaf: I love to use leftover eggnog in this moist, fluffy Cranberry Eggnog Loaf Cake! It's made with fresh cranberries and even has an eggnog glaze on top.
How to Make Homemade Dairy-Free Eggnog (Without Coconut)
So you want to make a creamy, dreamy dairy free eggnog without coconut milk or almond milk. The key? Extra-creamy oat milk!
Step 1: Start by separating your egg yolks into a large mixing bowl and add sugar.
Step 2: Use a hand mixer to whisk the yolks and sugar together until light yellow and fluffy.
Step 3: Meanwhile in a large pot, heat your milk and spices to a slight simmer, being sure to stir continuously.
Step 4: It should look like this and be hot to the touch. Don't let the milk boil!
Step 5: Spoon half of the hot milk into the egg bowl to temper the eggs, a little at a time. Stir well after each ladle of milk.
Step 6: Now your mixture should be silky smooth and well combined. This is how we temper the raw eggs to make them cooked and safe to drink.
Step 7: Pour the tempered eggs back into the pot. Stir continuously until the eggnog thickens.
Step 8: Once the mixture reaches 160℉ (if you don't have a candy thermometer, just ensure it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon), you're almost done.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and any alcohol if you choose to use liquor. Let the eggnog cool in the fridge, and serve with extra cinnamon on top!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Use a hand mixer for whisking the egg yolks. Sure, you can also do this with just arm strength - but save yourself some time and effort and use a mixer to get those eggs light and fluffy.
- Practice your ambidextrous skills. When tempering the egg mixture, try to use one hand to ladle the hot milk into the eggs, and the other hand to whisk simultaneously.
- Don't let your mixture boil! If the milk and eggs begin to boil, they could curdle which is not what we want for eggnog. You may be able to save the batch by adding it to a blender and blending on low until smooth.
- In a hurry? To chill eggnog quickly, add it to a shallow bowl over an ice bath.
- Use decent quality alcohol. If you're stirring in bourbon or whiskey towards the end of this recipe, don't use the cheap stuff. But you don't have to waste the super premium liquor either! A medium-grade spirit works perfectly.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe for dairy-free eggnog does start with raw egg yolks, but by the time you drink the finished product - they are fully cooked. We temper the eggs with hot milk. This changes the proteins in the eggs to make a more creamy, custard-like substance. Also, bringing the eggnog base to 160℉ effectively pasteurizes the eggs. So it's very safe to drink!
Both! I typically drink my eggnog chilled. However, you can also serve it warm for a cozy holiday treat like an eggnog latte.
Try bourbon, whiskey, brandy, or rum.
I've stored this homemade oat milk eggnog in the fridge for up to 6 days. It actually tastes better the longer that the flavors combine in the refrigerator.
Yes! I put the freezing instructions in the recipe notes below as well as in here.
Simply add the finished eggnog to a freezer-safe round container and store for up to 3 months. When ready to drink, thaw the eggnog in the refrigerator overnight.
Other Christmas Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this Dairy-Free Eggnog Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Dairy Free Eggnog
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- Saucepan
- Ladle
- Wooden Spoon
- Mason Jar
Ingredients
- 6 count egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups extra-creamy oat milk
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup bourbon or whiskey optional - if you want spiked eggnog!
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and creamy using a hand mixer.
- In a large pot or saucepan, add the milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
- Heat this milk mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly.
- Ladle some of the hot milk into to the egg mixture to temper the eggs. You want to add the milk a little at a time, then stir until everything is smooth. You should only need about ½ of the hot milk for this.
- Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan, and whisk constantly until slightly thickened. You should be able to swipe it with your finger off the back of a spoon.If you have a candy thermometer, the milk should reach 160℉.
- Remove the saucepan from heat, then stir in the vanilla and (optional) whiskey/bourbon into the eggnog.
- Add to a mason jar, and let come to room temperature on the countertop.
- Once the jar is no longer hot, refrigerate until chilled. Serve with whipped cream and extra cinnamon on top. Enjoy!
Mery G. says
After being officially diagnosed lactose intolerant, I’ve been dreading our family holiday parties because eggnog is my absolute favorite Christmas drink.
This recipe satisfied the craving beautifully! It’s very creamy and well spiced. Not too sweet (some recipes use 1 cup or more of sugar - OMG) and my kids don’t even notice there isn’t real milk in there.
Thank you for this recipe. I’m making extra to freeze for after New Years!
Shani W. says
Thank you for this kind comment, Mery! Our family tries to limit dairy as much as possible, and as a fellow eggnog lover, I knew I had to make this recipe. Happy Holidays!