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Two Healthy Vegan Nogs: Chia Nog and Banana Nog

December 9, 2012 By Susan Voisin 41 Comments
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy.

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Two delicious, all-natural versions of vegan eggnog, perfect for serving to all your party guests, not just the vegans! 

Banana Nog

Date-Sweetened Banana Nog: The dates make it tan.

I’m certain that if we didn’t have a kid in the house, my husband and I would never put up a Christmas tree or take the time to stake out the herd of electric reindeer that blazes across our front yard every December. But when you’re a small family, the youngest member sets the traditions, so decorating the tree has become a yearly ritual that we all look forward to.

Part of that ritual, perhaps the part that we adults enjoy the most, is indulging in some vegan eggnog as we trim the tree. Silk makes a perfectly drinkable soy nog, which becomes even more drinkable with the addition of a thimbleful of rum or brandy in the grownups’ glasses. (Sometimes a very large thimble.)

But you know I like healthifying things–otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this blog. So I decided to try my hand at making a nog that isn’t soy based, doesn’t use starch to thicken it, and, perhaps toughest of all, doesn’t contain refined sugar. And you know what? It was easy!

Almond milk makes a delicious base for a vegan eggnog, but it’s not very thick. Blending it with medjool dates to sweeten gives it a touch more thickness (and a not so wintery tan), but it needs a little more help to achieve the richness that we look for in an eggless nog. So on my first attempt, I added chia seeds, which swell up and thicken the nog while adding an interesting tapioca-ish texture.

Chia drinks are becoming popular–there’s a chia-kombucha drink available in the very mainstream Fresh Market here in Jackson, Mississippi (and you know it’s becoming a thing if we get it here in Jackson!) If you like the idea of a nog with some texture to it, you’ll love my Chia Nog. (I used white chia seeds, so they’re not as noticeable as the regular brown ones.)

Chia Nog: A delicious vegan eggnog without added sugar or soy.

Chia Nog: See the little seeds in it?

But what if you don’t like lumps of anything in your nog? My daughter is a chia resister, so I had to come up with another way to thicken her nog. So instead of chia, I added a frozen banana to the Vitamix, and the nog was instantly thicker without a lot of banana flavor.

You can use any kind of non-dairy milk you like, but I’m going to insist that you use rum extract and freshly grated nutmeg. Without at least some artificial rum flavor, nog just isn’t nog–it’s spiced milk. (Here’s an alcohol-free rum flavoring.)

And if you have never tried freshly-grated nutmeg, prepare to be amazed. Not only is it more flavorful and fragrant than the already-ground packaged stuff, but it also has a softer texture. I find pre-ground nutmeg to be downright grainy in comparison. Get yourself an inexpensive microplane grater (your early Christmas gift?) and pick up some whole nutmeg in the grocery store spice section.

More Vegan Christmas Recipes

For more healthy yet delicious Christmas treats, check out my 12 favorite Christmas desserts, including:

  • Chocolate-Orange Cake
  • Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake
  • Vegan Snickerdoodles 
Vegan Eggnog
5 from 6 votes
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Two Healthy Vegan Nogs: Chia Nog and Banana Nog

Gluten Free
Nut Free
Soy Free
Sugar Free
Feel free to add rum, brandy, or bourbon to your glass.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 6 minutes
Servings 2
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
  • 2 medjool dates pits removed
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (packed)
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 frozen banana, chopped OR 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Banana Nog

  • For banana nog, place all ingredients (except chia) in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
  • Check sweetness and add a little of your favorite sweetener if needed. Pour into two glasses and enjoy, sprinkled with a little extra nutmeg.

Chia Nog

  • For chia nog, place all ingredients except bananas or chia seeds into blender and blend until smooth. Check sweetness and add a little of your favorite sweetener if needed. Pour into a glass jar and stir in the chia seeds. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, shaking the jar every now and then to make sure the seeds don't clump together. Shake well before pouring into two glasses. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired.

Notes

Banana Nog nutrition below. For Chia Nog:
151 calories, 35 calories from fat, 3.9g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 151.2mg sodium, 357.2mg potassium, 28.2g carbohydrates, 4.2g fiber, 23.3g sugar, 2.1g protein
Nutritional estimates use sweetened almond milk (60 calories per cup); other types of milk will have different nutritional values. Deduct 30 calories per serving if using unsweetened almond milk.
Nutrition Facts
Two Healthy Vegan Nogs: Chia Nog and Banana Nog
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 185 Calories from Fat 26
% Daily Value*
Fat 2.9g4%
Sodium 151mg7%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 4.3g18%
Sugar 30.5g34%
Protein 2.1g4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Drinks
Cuisine Holiday, Vegan
Keyword vegan eggnog
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
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Two delicious, all-natural vegan eggnogs, perfect for serving to all your party guests, not just the vegans! #wfpb #wfpbno #christmas #eggnog

Happy drinking (and decorating, if that’s part of your traditions)!

Susan

 

This post contains Amazon and VitaMix affiliate links. When you buy something through them, I receive a commission that helps keep this site running. Thanks for your purchase!

Filed Under: Beverages, Recipes Tagged With: Eat-to-Live, Gluten-free, Holidays, Nut-Free, Ridiculously Easy, Soy-free, Sugar-free

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MK

    December 9, 2012 at 9:48 am

    Susan, how do you think it would work with ground chia? There would still be a little texture, but not full-on seeds. I’ve been grinding them for baking now (they are, hands down, The Best egg replacer I’ve found for gluten-free baking), and they work great. I can’t wait to get home and try this.

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      December 9, 2012 at 10:40 am

      I was afraid it would be grainy, so I didn’t try ground chia. And I kind of like the plump seeds. 🙂 Let me know how it comes out!

      Reply
    • Connie Fletcher

      December 10, 2012 at 7:01 pm

      Have you ever used ground chia to help hold a veggie burger together? I have a fabulous recipe for a tempeh-loaf, but to serve it while it’s still hot is almost impossible to get nice slices cuz it falls apart. The flavor is really wonderful, and chia wouldn’t do anything to interfere with the flavor. And, can you give me an idea of how much ground chia is needed to make a “chia egg”?

      Reply
      • Susan Voisin

        December 10, 2012 at 8:38 pm

        I’m not sure that chia is strong enough to hold a burger together. I tend to think of starches as being better for that kind of thing. But if you want to try, the general ratio for a chia egg is 1 tablespoon chia to 3 tablespoons water. Some people grind the chia, others don’t.

        Reply
  2. Joan

    December 9, 2012 at 9:51 am

    This comes in the nick of time. Can’t wait to try it. Commercial brands can taste nasty.

    QUESTION: May I ask where you got that marvelous glass with the gold polka dots? LOVE IT.

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      December 9, 2012 at 10:42 am

      I’m afraid it’s one of those things I picked up at a thrift store or antique store. I wish I had more than one!

      Reply
    • Radhika Sarohia

      December 20, 2012 at 1:52 am

      I was going to ask abt the glass too! It looks so cute:)
      And this recipe sounds so good

      Reply
  3. Barton Keyes

    December 9, 2012 at 9:51 am

    Sounds tasty!

    Am I the only one who went “Banana Nog……Do Do Do Do Do” to the Muppets Mana Mana tune?

    Reply
  4. Louise Placek

    December 9, 2012 at 9:54 am

    I am not a fan of the chia lumps so I grind the chia before adding to recipes. You get the same thickening with a smoother texture.

    Reply
  5. margarita

    December 9, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Wonderful! Thank you so much for these recipes! I’ve been looking for a do-it-yourself version, and now I have it! Also, I bet a little avocado would help thicken the nog up without adding any unwanted flavor. I’m going to try it. I’ll let you know!

    Reply
  6. Janne Swearengen

    December 9, 2012 at 11:19 am

    Susan, am also in Jackson, so I feel/share your pain. Eagerly waiting of Whole Foods. Use your site all the time. May give this a go but the high caloric count is a deterrent for me.

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      December 9, 2012 at 11:26 am

      Hi Janne–Looks like they’ve started work on the Whole Foods, so I’m hoping it will open on schedule.

      About the calories, my servings are 2 to 3 times the size of the 1/2 cup serving that Silk uses, so it’s really not too bad for an occasional treat. (Silk has 90 calories in 1/2 cup.) You can also reduce it by about 65 calories by skipping the dates and sweetening with stevia or another low-calorie sweetener.

      Reply
  7. Mary

    December 9, 2012 at 11:26 am

    Chia blends well and you get the thickness without the “boba” effect. Yum, yum, I plan to make these! Thanks, God bless.

    Reply
  8. Lea

    December 9, 2012 at 11:34 am

    Do you use sweetend almond milk?

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      December 9, 2012 at 11:37 am

      I meant to use unsweetened, but when I went to put in the nutritional info from my box of “original” almond milk, I realized it did contain sugar. But I recommend using unsweetened and then adding a little low-calorie sweetener if necessary. That reduces the calories by 20.

      Reply
  9. kimichan

    December 9, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    I apologize for my questions but I am relatively new to the site.

    How do I find my recipe box after I have added things to it?

    All I want to do is print out the recipes so that my sister and I can share them on ‘cooking Sunday’. How do I reasonable print them out and do I need to add them to my recipe box to do so?

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      December 9, 2012 at 1:48 pm

      You should see a link to the recipe box in the top menu bar, third from left. As for printing, the only way I can think to so that is to select the list and then choose print selection from your browser’s print options.

      Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      December 9, 2012 at 2:05 pm

      Also, if you want to print the actual recipe, you will need to do that one at a time from the recipe page. Good luck!

      Reply
  10. Jewel at Eat.Drink.Shop.Love

    December 9, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    Where did you get the glass in your first photo?
    Jewel@eatdrinkshoplove.com

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      December 9, 2012 at 3:58 pm

      I picked it up at a thrift store. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Alyssa | Queen of Quinoa

    December 9, 2012 at 4:00 pm

    Just whipped up a batch of the Chia Nog and it’s waiting in the fridge to get all nice and thick. Will definitely be adding a splash of rum. A great way to end the weekend! I’m so happy I found this recipe. Thank you!

    Reply
  12. max

    December 9, 2012 at 5:25 pm

    Hi Susan,
    I just made a fanstatic Butternut Nog, ingredients per person are roughly:
    – a hand full frozen Butternut cubes (microwaved for 5min. and then frozen)
    – a hand full ice cubes
    – 1 cup rice milk
    – 0.25 cup Rum
    – 0.25 ts Xthantan gum
    – 0.25 ts Stevia
    – vanilla extract
    – nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon, allspice

    Throw everything into your blender and blend until smooth. This Butternutnog was a big hit with everyone!

    Reply
    • moonwatcher

      December 9, 2012 at 5:59 pm

      Max,

      That sounds really interesting. I might try that too!

      Thanks,

      moonwatcher

      Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      December 10, 2012 at 10:17 am

      Thanks for sharing! I never would have thought of butternut nog!

      Reply
  13. moonwatcher

    December 9, 2012 at 5:58 pm

    Wow, Susan, I can’t believe I missed this until now! It looks FABULOUS. I don’t have ready access to white chia seeds but I sure have bananas frozen in the freezer. This is definitely on my “to make” list for this holiday season. And the pictures make me want to have some right now. It’s so cold here the thimble full of rum sounds just about right too.

    Thanks!

    moonwatcher

    Reply
  14. Vicky

    December 9, 2012 at 7:35 pm

    I love your posts and your recipes and am looking forward to trying the banana nog, but I just checked the ingredients of the rum flavoring you recommended:

    •Contains: Water, Propylene Glycol, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Xanthan Gum, Caramel Color.

    I just can’t use anything with Propylene Glycol as an ingredient.

    Reply
  15. Anni

    December 10, 2012 at 2:24 am

    Lol I thought that was Chai nog – which I just might try, by adding chai spices to the banana nog 🙂 Easy to grind them with my Thermomix !

    Reply
  16. G

    December 10, 2012 at 7:03 am

    I’m definitely going to try this recipe! Am I the only vegan who absolutely CANNOT STAND the soy nog from Silk? After so much hype from the veg world, I tried it for the first time this holiday season but threw it out after one sip. I’ve had plenty of good eggnog years ago when I wasn’t vegan, so I know what it’s supposed to taste like. But the Silk soy nog was just really gross. Everything tasted so…artificial. Even the alcohol taste they added tasted strangely man-made and absolutely foreign. I’m hoping your homemade version would lift my nog-deprived spirits! 🙂

    Reply
  17. Robin Johnson

    December 13, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    Hi Susan! Just in time to keep me from drinking that morning coffee! I used ground chia (in the vitamix) and I go NO gritty issues. It is actually LOVELY! I am drinking it hot right now – and have the other half in fridge to try cold. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  18. Stephen@HappyHeart

    December 20, 2012 at 7:21 am

    Fantastic twist on a classic! Not many people drink eggnog in Ireland but I love the banana vegan version! Sounds yum!

    Reply
  19. NotBuyingIt!

    December 24, 2012 at 12:08 pm

    What a brilliant holiday post! I was so craving the Vitasoy brand egg nog I used to get back in the states (the European nondairy manufacturers think that offering chocolate flavour is variety enough). I should have known you could fix my hankering in a pinch with one of your simple and healthy recipes! Though I will be using actual rum for this one… Thanks:)

    Reply
  20. Amelia

    January 11, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    This recipe looks delicious. If I don’t have rum extract will the substitute of real rum work or is rum extract a stronger flavor? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      January 11, 2013 at 10:41 pm

      Sure, feel free to add as much rum as you like. 🙂

      Reply
      • Amelia

        January 16, 2013 at 2:50 pm

        I like that answer, Susan! My husband and I are on our annual January fast but I will let you know how we like, which I am sure will be very much, when we make it in February.

        Reply
  21. Walt

    December 19, 2013 at 8:27 pm

    The second time I made this, I just tossed the chias into the blender as well. Makes it much smooother.

    Reply
  22. Stacey D

    December 9, 2014 at 10:00 am

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I was dubious about adding so much banana, but it really IS undetectable! And you are so right about fresh nutmeg. (I was blown away the first time I grated my own- by the smell and the amazing beauty of the inside of the nut!) I found most of my dates wedged under the blades of my not-so-high-speed blender when I went to clean it, but I didn’t even miss them. The flavor of this nog is that good. Can’t wait to make this for my husband! (:

    Reply
  23. Pamela

    December 11, 2014 at 7:04 pm

    I just tried cashew milk for the first time (So Delicious brand) and thought this is just slightly too thick for drinking. Betcha it would make a great nog base.

    Reply
  24. Dave

    December 12, 2014 at 8:54 am

    I find that if I soak the chia seeds with my liquid ingredients in the blender before blending for 5+ minutes, they soften and aren’t grainy in the finished product.

    Kind of like making a small batch of chia gel, which also incorporates much better in smoothies and drinks.

    Reply
  25. Paul

    December 17, 2014 at 8:14 am

    Great recipe. Didn’t have dates on hand at the time so I put a 1/4 cup of maple syrup in there. It is pretty close to tasting like commercial eggnog. My 2 year old absolutely loves it and goes around saying Eg Nog!!

    Reply
  26. Lyle

    December 7, 2016 at 11:03 am

    I have to stay away from eggs, sugar, and all fats, including almond milk, so I came up with a recipe that fits the bill, I use packed pumpkin, fat-free milk, make as thick as you like just add nutmeg and pumpkin spices, blend with hand homogenizer.

    Lyle

    Reply
  27. Carol

    December 17, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    This was sooo good! I tried both and liked them both. I also made it with some home made cashew milk and that was very yummy Too! It is now part of my holiday tradition! 5 stars from me!

    Reply

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