Nut Milk Nog

By Brooke Bass of Chocolate + Marrow

Every year for Christmas my husband makes an eggnog that knocks anyone who drinks it off their feet. I say this both literally (it’s quite boozy) and figuratively (it’s also rich in that leave-a-mustache-on-your-upper-lip kind of way that good eggnog should be.) But this year, a year when we’re already doing so many traditions differently for the holidays, I wanted to do something different. 

So I took his recipe and began tweaking. I took out the eggs. I got rid of the unconscionable amount of cream. And I started adding in ingredients that were wholesome and healthy and wouldn’t leave me feeling like there was a balloon in my stomach at the end of the night. 

Raw cashews are at the base of this recipe. I soak mine on the countertop overnight, right before I go to bed. The next morning, I give them a good rinse, then add them to my high-speed blender along with macadamia nut milk, chia seeds, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and, of course, a not-insignificant amount of rum and bourbon. The whole thing blends for two minutes, or until all of the nuts and seeds have broken down into a luscious kind of cream, and then chills in the refrigerator until we’re ready to drink.  

If your blender isn’t as supercharged as mine, you may end up with bits and pieces remaining even after the blend. If this happens, just strain everything through a cheesecloth before serving. 

I handed a glass to my husband the other night, feeling timid and a little nervous wondering how he’d react to my more planet-and-body-friendly reimagination of his beloved nog. He took one sip, flicked his brows up in surprise and with just the faintest line of nut-milk-mustache on his upper lip, said, “Dang, that’s some good nut milk nog!” We’ll see what next year brings in our nog chronicles but if I had to guess, I’d say this is how new traditions are born. 

Nut Milk Nog

This recipe is so easy it makes me want to drink it all holiday season long. It’s also pretty adaptable to your tastes and ingredient availability. For example, if you don’t have macadamia nut milk, substitute with almond or oat milk. If you have rum but no bourbon, use all rum instead. 

Serves: 2

Active time: 5 minutes

Inactive time: 6-12 hours

Ingredients

½ cup of raw cashews

1-1/2 cups of macadamia nut milk or other nut milk

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

3 tablespoons of sugar

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

1 dash of salt

2 ounces of dark rum

2 ounces of bourbon

Nutmeg, for garnish

Instructions

The night before you want to drink your nog, add cashews to a small bowl and add water to cover. (Too much water is better than not enough.) Let sit overnight. The next morning, strain soaked cashews and rinse. 

Add cashews, along with all of the other ingredients besides nutmeg, to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes or until creamy. Pour into a pitcher, straining if your blender left behind bits and pieces, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to one week. 

Pour into glasses and top each with freshly grated nutmeg.

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