This healthy vegan eggnog is made with Irish moss and dairy-free milk but tastes as good as the real thing!
Three cheers for a healthy plant-based and delicious cup of cheer! I’m talking about nog, not the eggy, dairy version, but a rich and creamy plant-based version made from Irish moss, a blend of plant-based milk, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup or dates and a touch of whole vanilla, sweet cinnamon, nutmeg and mace. It’s a very merry cup to keep you wassailing in good health.
We drink versions of this Irish moss-based healthy shake all year round, but it surprisingly tastes like eggnog and I’m so happy to share our recipe with you to enjoy this holiday.
Irish moss is a nourishing sea vegetable. There’s been some controversy over it as of late, surrounding the hazards of carrageenan, a common food thickener chemically derived from Irish moss. I do not see them as one and the same. While I would not advocate consuming carrageenan, I think the fact that Irish moss in its natural state has been consumed by generations is enough proof to show it is safe and healthy to consume.
Love this recipe?
If you made my Vegan Irish Moss Eggnog Recipe I would love to hear your feedback! Please leave a star-rating review of the recipe and let me know what you think in a comment below. This small act is a great way to show your support for the food blogs you read and love.
Please tag @fareisle in your photos on Instagram with #fareisle so I can see your creations. I might miss it if you only tag me with the caption because those notifications fall off quickly, but I can always find it if I’m tagged in the photo itself.
Healthy Vegan Eggnog
Ingredients
- 8 g or 1/3 oz. 1/4 cup lightly packed whole Irish moss
- 5 cups water
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- the mace from one whole nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
- 4 cups of non-dairy milk see notes below
- Medjool dates or maple syrup to taste I use 3 dates or 4 spoonfuls of maple syrup, which is not too sweet
- fresh whole nutmeg for grating
Instructions
- Cover Irish moss with water in a jar and let it soak for 30-60 minutes until it plumps up. Rinse it thoroughly to remove salt.
- Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds with the tip of your knife.
- Bring 5 cups of water, cinnamon, vanilla bean pod and seeds, and mace to a boil then add Irish moss and let it bubble for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover the pot and let the Irish moss and spices steep for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture into a bowl and discard what is left in the strainer.
- Pour 4 cups of the prepared Irish moss into a 1/2 gallon mason jar. Then add milk and maple syrup. (If using dates to sweeten, remove pits and blend them with the milk first in a blender until smooth). Grate some fresh nutmeg into the jar. Cap the jar and shake vigorously until everything is evenly mixed and incorporated. It should be thick and creamy.
- Pour into glasses and top with a spoonful of coconut cream, fresh grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground cinnamon to serve. Enjoy!
Making nut/seed milks from scratch:
- For this nog I like to use a 50/50 combination of raw jungle peanuts and raw almonds. You can experiment with combos that you like, such as cashew, hemp seed, coconut, pumpkin seed, etc. Basically any nuts or seeds you see fit. Other non-dairy milk works fine too, such as oat, soy, rice, etc.
- Soak 2 cups of raw nuts/seeds in water overnight. If using flax seeds do not soak or rinse them, but rather add them in when you go to blend. Rinse and drain.
- Blend nuts/seeds on high with 4 cups of water. If mixture seems too thick add a bit more water until you reach your desired consistency. Strain milk through a nut milk bag or a extra-fine cheesecloth. Squeeze the cloth to release as much milk as you can.
- Refrigerate milk in a mason jar until ready to use. I find that homemade nut/seed milk is best used the day it is made.
Kaity Farrell
test