A holiday treat that tastes more indulgent than it is. Dairy-free almond milk eggnog is kicked up a notch by adding chocolate and, of course, rum! It’s the perfect drink for the season.
Let’s be real here. As soon as we’ve carved the turkey and put on our stretchy pants, for the next month we’re obligated to replace our good ol’ tall glass of milk with super tasty eggnog.
It took me some time to get used to eggnog. My mom’s always been a fan, but I was a bit repulsed by the fact that EGGS made eggnog. She’d inevitably buy a carton every year, have a small glass one night, and then forget about it in the back of the refrigerator and we wouldn’t find it until after New Year’s. True story.
I have to admit, it wasn’t until I tried a boozy, blended version of eggnog (we’re literally talking the pre-mixed, plastic handle you buy in the liquor aisle) that I was open to revisiting the whole concept. I’m now proud to say that I enjoy a glass of eggnog over ice (of course spiked with some rum), once the holidays roll around.
That being said, sometimes the richness of the ‘nog is a little too much for me. I find I can only down a small glass before my tummy starts warning me that I should probably stop or else I will not be a happy camper later. So when Danielle of Against All Grain posted a photo of Califia Farms’ Almondmilk Holiday Nog, I knew I had to track some down. I ended up finding it at our local natural foods store, but I hear you can also get it at Whole Foods.
This stuff is the real deal. It’s only got 50 calories per serving and tastes sooooo good. And since it’s almond milk, my tummy really likes it too. As soon as I bought some, I started experimenting with different ways to use it.
The first (obvious) use for it was as creamer in my coffee. I usually only add unsweetened vanilla almond milk to my coffee anyway, but this Holiday Nog Almondmilk brought my daily cup of joe to a whole new level. Holidays in a mug!
The following weekend, I was playing around in the kitchen before the fiancé woke up, and wanted to make some hot chocolate for another food shoot I was doing that day. Lo and behold, the Nog was front and center in our refrigerator and I was immediately inspired to use that for my project.
I poured a glog of Nog into a saucepan, added some chopped semisweet chocolate we had in the pantry, set the stovetop to simmer, and a few minutes later I had a delicious, creamy pot of cocoa in front of me.
Of course, I couldn’t leave it alone and had to add some rum. Because what sort of a drink is eggnog without rum? I tasted it and immediately knew I had done the right thing. The chocolate melts so nicely into the Nog, which is perfectly spiced without being too heavy on the stomach. The rum gives it a nice kick and makes the drink perfectly suitable for serving at a holiday get-together with friends. (Of course, if hot chocolate isn’t your jam, there’s also this and this.)
And if you’re not into the whole spiking your eggnog thing, the cocoa will be perfectly delicious without the booze. Top it with some powdered sugar or whipped cream, and no one will turn it away.
Let’s have a drink, shall we?
A holiday treat that tastes more indulgent than it is. Dairy-free almond milk eggnog is kicked up a notch by adding chocolate and, of course, rum! It's the perfect drink for the season.
- 1 ounce rum
- 1 tablespoon chopped semisweet chocolate
- 1 cup Califia Farms Almondmilk Holiday Nog
Pour rum into mug that you will be serving the hot chocolate in.
Add chocolate and Nog to small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally; continuing until chocolate has completely melted and mixture takes on a light brown hue. Pour Nog mixture into the mug with the rum in it. Top with powdered sugar or whipped cream and enjoy!
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