Homemade vegan gingerbread eggnog

Like bleu cheese and bananas, eggnog is one of those polarizing foods that divide people into camps of “THIS IS AWESOME” and “THIS IS AWFUL HOW COULD ANYONE EAT THIS”. I, obviously, fall into the former camp. Eggnog is almost a Christmas gift in itself—sticky sweet, slightly thickened milk with a touch of nutmeg? How could you not love that?

But apparently, eggnog still has its critics. Not like it matters. Every year, the supermarket shelves still fill up with an ever-expanding assortment of flavors, from pumpkin to sugar cookie to peppermint to cinnamon to—well, I don’t even know. There are just too many varieties these days. Kinda like lattes.

Uh, Dunkin Donuts? How exactly does that work? source

One flavor, however, has struck my fancy enough that I deigned it worthy of my time to actually make it from scratch: gingerbread.

I feel like this particular flavor loses a lot of its fire to pumpkin spice and peppermint mocha—it’s the in-between flavor, the one that doesn’t get as many rabid fans as its counterparts but remains the classic standby of the Christmas cookie table or seasonally-inclined café (read: Starbucks). I’d like to change that. It’s time we sat back and appreciated the magic of molasses and ginger. Gingerbread lattes are good, but eggnog? This shit is bliss in a glass. 

As my stellar nighttime photography will inform you.

I started out with a recipe from the ol’ faithful Post Punk Kitchen, the veritable Test Kitchen of the vegan blog world. She expressed similar qualms to mine—vegan eggnog, even homemade, tends to be lacking in flavor and texture. Cooking the milk with a bit of cornstarch gives you a more pudding-like mixture, not anything like the classic egg-stuffed concoction. Her solution? Avocado.

Yep. That glass you see right there is filled to the brim (okay not really) with that mushy greenish-yellowish stuff, and you can hardly tell. 

I was quite relieved when the mixture turned out not to be bright green. Low expectations.

And quite frankly, the use of avocado to produce a thick, creamy texture is pure genius. It adds a unique, um, like, a unique depth to the flavor. If you know what I mean. Loads of fresh spices and some molasses don’t hurt either. The only thing missing is a gingersnap on the side.

Fuck. I should’ve made gingersnaps.

Oh well. Here’s the recipe.

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Homemade vegan gingerbread eggnog

Adapted from the Post Punk Kitchen

Ingredients

90 grams • avocado • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons

180 grams • full-fat coconut milk • ¾ cup

366 grams • nondairy milk • 1 ½ cups

40 grams • agave nectar • 2 tablespoons

40 grams • molasses • 2 tablespoons

12 grams • fresh lemon juice • 1 tablespoon

1 gram • vanilla extract • ¼ teaspoon

1 gram • freshly grated nutmeg • ½ teaspoon

1 gram • ginger • ½ teaspoon

Pinch cinnamon and cloves

Instructions

Place avocado and coconut milk in a small container; freeze for about 45 minutes until very cold. 

Transfer to a blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth; serve immediately with a pinch of nutmeg. Try to drink it all as soon as possible (not difficult, I know); can be kept in the fridge for about four hours or so before it starts to discolor.

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Witness my haphazard display and weep.

Being a big fan of gingerbread, it’s a shame that I don’t have more gingerbread-inspired recipes on this here blog. I guess there’s always time to improve. Meanwhile, have a look at these:

Gluten-free pumpkin pie cheesecake bars with gingerbread crust. They’re surprisingly healthy and totally delicious.

Maple gingerbread layer cake with cheesecake filling and spiced crumb. A bit messy in presentation, but still, well, cake.