The holiday season would not be complete without eggnog. It is typically made with ingredients such as heavy cream, egg yolks, whipped egg whites, spices and, of course, generous amounts of alcohol. I have a love-hate relationship with this holiday drink. Personally, I have always found the off-the-shelf varieties too rich, too sweet, and with too much nutmeg for my taste. The fact that many members of our family are lactose-intolerant also makes this seasonal drink inaccessible. Therefore, my objective for this post is to introduce to you an eggnog that checks all the boxes: dairy-free, nutmeg-free and reduced in sweetness and with a little “something-something” that sets it apart from the rest – namely, Dairy-Free White Chocolate Eggnog with Cranberry Coulis.
The addition of white chocolate is not only festive, but it gives a creamy flavour without the cream. I decided to up the game by adding Cranberry Coulis. The thick coulis is drizzled onto the side of the glass and provides a unique look to the drink. Cranberries have a lot of natural pectin so the sauce holds its own on the side of the glass without disappearing or bleeding when you add the eggnog to the glass (see photos). As a bonus, cranberry pairs extremely well with white chocolate. This is a game changer.
Give this special dairy-free eggnog cocktail a try during the holiday season – you will love it! A sprinkle of nutmeg on top is entirely optional. 🙂
Dairy-Free White Chocolate Eggnog with Cranberry Coulis Swirl
CHEF TALK: Eggnog is essentially a custard sauce, similar to crème anglaise. Be careful not to overcook the egg mixture – slowly bring the temperature of the eggnog mixture to 160oF/70oC. Cranberry sauce typically includes oranges in the ingredients. I used cranberry cocktail to cook the cranberries instead, and lightly spiced the mixture with cinnamon and cloves. The cooked cranberry sauce is then strained to remove the tiny seeds which achieves a silky-smooth sauce. You will end up with more coulis than you need for this recipe – use the remainder as you would any cranberry sauce. Refrigerate the leftover sauce, or for longer storage, freeze in an airtight container or vacuum sealed bag. This recipe uses dairy-free coconut milk, however, feel free to use any milk you want. Use a good quality white chocolate. Add the Crème de Cacoa liqueur right away or wait until you serve the eggnog. I find it easier to add the liqueur when I serve the drink to adults. That way, I have a ready supply that is alcohol-free to serve to the little people in our life.
A Note about Crème de Cacoa liqueur: The French word “crème” refers to the creamy texture of this sweet liqueur, which is achieved by having a sugar content level required by European law. There is no dairy cream in it.
Dairy-Free
Yield: 1 litre (4 cups) eggnog
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cans coconut milk (400 ml each) or 750ml (3 cups) milk or non-dairy milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 70g (1/3 cup) organic cane sugar or granulated sugar
- 100g quality white chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup Crème de Cacao (optional)
- Sprinkle of nutmeg, optional
METHOD
- Heat coconut milk or milk of your choice in a saucepan over medium heat until it is simmering.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar in a medium to large sized bowl. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until combined. (This is called tempering).
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring, over low heat with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture thickens slightly (about 8 minutes) or until the temperature reaches 160oF/70oC. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the white chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts. Strain the mixture through a fine meshed strainer.
- Chill until required. In the meantime, make the cranberry coulis.
To serve:
Drizzle a little cranberry coulis into the bottom or sides of the cocktail glass of your choice. Gently pour the white chocolate eggnog (with or without Creme de Cacao). Garnish with an orange twist and fresh cranberry on top. Enjoy!
Cranberry Coulis
Yield: 1 ½ cups coulis
Ingredients
- 2 cups (170 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup cranberry juice (or orange juice)
- 1/4 cup (55 g) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons Cointreau (or your favourite orange liqueur)
METHOD:
- In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, juice, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Simmer over medium heat until cranberries burst, about 15 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from heat, add the orange liqueur, and mix well.
- Mash the mixture or use a hand blender or food processor to puree the mixture.
- Strain the coulis through a fine meshed strainer to remove tiny seeds. The coulis will be thick and smooth.
- Chill the coulis until serving.
Storage: Homemade Eggnog will keep for 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator. Serve it cold or warm. The coulis can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the coulis in a vacuum sealed bag or airtight container. Serve leftover coulis with poultry dinners or as a dessert sauce. It is delicious!
What Else Can I Do With This Recipe?
Use the leftover Cranberry Coulis to make these Holiday Pinwheel Biscotti – a filled biscotti that is a perfect accompaniment to Dairy-Free White Chocolate Eggnog with Cranberry Coulis.
Please CLICK the link above to access my Urb’n’Spice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:
- Favourite Kitchen Tools: Spatula
- Tempering Process of Eggs
- The Digital Thermometer Process
- Egg Yolk Chemistry
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If you try my recipe for Dairy-Free White Chocolate Eggnog with Cranberry Coulis, please leave me a comment below with your feedback. Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later!
Denise Paré-Watson
The Urb’n’Spice Chef
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Sources:
Wikipedia – Eggnog
You might also enjoy:
Raspberry Cordial – An Old-Fashioned Beverage
The Ultimate Christmas Morning Breakfast Pastry
Our Family Favourite Christmas Morning Coffeecake
I couldn’t agree with you MORE about commercial eggnog! I just don’t like it! Much too sweet and, as you said, too much nutmeg. I’ve never attempted to make homemade eggnog before, but now I’m armed with your reliable recipe. Great to have a drink for kids, too! Thanks so much. Pinned.
Thank you for your kind comments, Elaine. I think that you will find that making homemade eggnog is very easy to do and so much better than store-bought.
Even if I weren’t lactose intolerant, I’ve never found the store bought eggnogs the least bit tempting, and the rest of my family are not fans, either. This homemade version with white chocolate & cranberries is going to change our minds about eggnog, Denise. I’m going to make this for Christmas Eve dessert. Thank you!
Awe! Thanks so much, Colleen! I am excited that you will be trying this eggnog. I cannot wait to hear about your family gathering. By the way, this recipe works well with any kind of milk, dairy or non, but I did find that the coconut milk is surprisingly creamy. Cheers and happy Christmas season to you and yours.
Like you I have a love hate relationship with eggnog but I’m loving this version of yours with coconut milk. The cranberries add a lovely bright and festive touch!
I understand completely about your love-hate relationship with eggnog, Marisa. I know that I am going to change your mind with this dairy-free white chocolate eggnog. Thanks so much for your comments. Happy holidays.