A few years ago, I came across a recipe for a cashew-based vegan eggnog on a blog I was following. I was intrigued, but noticed right away that the recipe called for a high-speed blender, which I didn’t have. Having once attempted to soak and puree cashews in a regular blender to lumpy, gritty results, I accepted that homemade nog was not in my future, and glumly scrolled on by.
But in the last days of 2013, I broke down and bought one of those newfangled high-speed blenders that I’d previously eschewed.* Hey, I’ve never owned a cell phone or a car, so I probably figured purchasing an absurdly fancy appliance would whisk (speed-blend?) me into a new and long-overdue era of adulthood. (Is it working yet?) In any case, as I unwrapped my shiny new blender, all I could think about was that cashew nog which had haunted my dreams for years.
Of course, as luck would have it, when I finally went looking for said recipe, I found that it had disappeared from the Internet. Bummed but not dissuaded, I took to the web once more, where I found a plethora of recipes that called for pecans, full-fat coconut milk, bananas, and even avocados. While I’m certain each of those renditions is droolworthy in its own right, I was set on using raw cashews, which are relatively cheap, gentle on my stomach, and neither green nor banana-flavored.
And so it was that I got out the drawing board and created my own cashew-based concoction. This nog is a smooth, warmly-spiced and lightly sweetened drink that’s thick and creamy but not excessively rich or heavy. Some coconut milk (and coconut extract!) did find its way in there — a nod to my favorite store-bought vegan nog (made by So Delicious**, duh!). I opted not to use any additional thickeners because I’m not wild about ultra-sticky beverages. You’d also never know that this drink is sweetened with dates rather than refined sugar. And there’s none of that off-putting bubblegum flavor that a lot of store-bought non-dairy nogs have, either! Seriously, this stuff is good, and comes in second only to that So Delicious nog, which, in a perfect world, would be the only liquid I’d consume all winter.
I have never so much as tasted egg-based nog, so I make zero claims to the authenticity of this drink. I can say for certain, though, that this stuff is thick and dreamy and really puts me in good spirits, whatever the season!
- 1 c raw cashew pieces
- 2 c cold water (plus more for soaking cashews)
- ½ c coconut milk
- 6 medjool dates, pits removed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- ¾ tsp nutmeg
- pinch salt
- Cover cashews in some cold water and soak 2 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse well.
- Blend all ingredients on high in a high-speed blender for 30 seconds, or until completely smooth.
- Refrigerate until very cold.
- Serve chilled.
*Readers, I promise to never, ever become one of those annoying vegan blogs that seems to exist solely to shill for a company that sells high-speed blenders. Most people just don’t need any additional appliances, much less to be dropping a few hundred bucks on one! That said, if you, like me, are the kind of person who would actually make and imbibe cashew nog 365 days a year, more affordable models of high-speed blenders do keep popping up on the market — an unexpected upside of their online popularity!
10 comments
Tama says:
Feb 2, 2015
This sounds delicious! no high speed blender here..but I’m trying this recipe anyway! 🙂
Al Davis says:
Feb 2, 2015
Sounds great, as soon as the snow disappears I plan to head to WF. and pick up some coconut extract–I have everything else.
Hope you enjoy your V.M.–which I notice you didn’t mention by name. I’ve had one for years, and it’s certainly changed my life. Nothing like starting the day–which I do every day–with a carrot juice and spinach smoothie!
Al
(website’s not up and running yet–soon!)
kim says:
Feb 2, 2015
Blessings to You, for this recipe, I will soon try this. But to was able to taste test the SoDelicios version on Nog as well as Silks…i really enjoyed eggnog getting it straight from Caulder Farm store.
Chrissy says:
Feb 2, 2015
I bought coconut extract recently and I had no idea why…until now.
For anyone who might want to make this who does not have a high speed blender, I blend soaked cashews in my cuisinart food processor and that works. (I have had the same sad results as you with my regular blender.)
claryn says:
Feb 2, 2015
Hey, thanks for the tip, Chrissy!
jane says:
Feb 7, 2015
Oh I will make this even though I have a low-speed blender,
which blender did you get? I’m researching for a good one.
also, welcome back……we missed you!!!
Maria says:
Apr 6, 2015
This looks fab! Medjool dates are my favorite sweetener! Yum!
Julia Roberts says:
May 25, 2015
The very look of it makes me to have it. But sad to say its not mine. Anyway I will try to have it as soon as possible. Thanks for sharing.
mahalakshmi says:
Sep 22, 2015
Nice blog. This coconut nog make me to have it. Thanks for sharing this post.
Hypnosis Adelaide says:
Feb 5, 2016
Delicious. This could even be a breakfast smoothie 🙂 Thanks for the recipe