Dairy-free Egg Nog Recipe

If you are frantically getting ready for the holidays and in need of a good alternative to the egg nog in the stores, here’s a terrific dairy free recipe that is quick and easy.

We hadn’t had egg nog for years until last Christmas when we decided to have a battle of the egg nog contest at our house: Joy of Cooking vs. the Internet.  We mixed up a batch of the Joy of Cooking Cooked recipe.  My mom chose an internet recipe that was less rich and less sweet.  The Joy of Cooking recipe was sweeter and richer – much richer.

Our dairy free modification to the Joy recipe was to replace all of the milk and cream with coconut milk.  Of the total quantity, we used half light coconut milk and half full fat.

The hands down winner was the Joy of Cooking recipe.  It’s super rich and delicious, and you won’t be thinking, “Gee this isn’t real milk,” you’ll be thinking, “Wow, this is good!”

The Joy recipe is intended to be served with rum added, which would thin it down a bit, some would say without rum it’s too rich and thick, but there were no complaints at our house!

Here is an online version of the original Joy of Cooking Egg Nog recipe.

A final note from the Editor for corn allergy sufferers:

Those folks avoiding corn have to avoid store bought confectioners sugar unless it is specifically labeled to include an ingredient other than corn starch, such as Trader Joe’s brand powdered sugar made with tapioca starch or Miss Roben’s corn-free powdered sugar.  Folks can easily make their own powdered sugar with a good food processor, some tapioca starch, and a bag of Evaporated Cane Juice (natural sugar).

As an additional precaution, corn allergy sufferers have to refer to specific  corn allergy free alcohol lists for an appropriate liquor that is also corn free. Please also read the labels on your coconut milk container if you are corn free. In our house we use the Trader Joe’s brand. And finally I would like to add a warning for those avoiding corn and not dairy, not all whipping cream is created corn free either. Most (I hesitate to say all, but so far my experience has been *all*) manufacturers include a corn by-product in their pre-made whipping cream in cans and tubs.