Eggnog is a holiday favorite for many. My Mom especially looks forward to this time of year for the family gatherings, but also for the eggnog. But lets face it, the eggnog that you buy from a carton at the grocery store is not the same eggnog my great grandmother use to make from scratch at home. When I looked up the ingredients in one of the more popular eggnog flavored creamers you can buy from almost any market, the ingredients listed are:

CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND/OR PALM KERNEL AND/OR SOYBEAN), SODIUM CASEINATE (A MILK DERIVATIVE)**, LESS THAN 2% OF DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ANNATTO COLOR.

Wow. I don't know about you, but I don't recognize more than half of those ingredients. And if I don't recognize them, it's unlikely that my body will either. And the thing is, making your own eggnog at home from scratch is pretty simple and it tastes SO MUCH BETTER than the chemical storm that's in most processed creamers.

There are a couple things you should consider when buying ingredients to make your own eggnog. First, the eggs. Traditionally, eggnog is made with raw egg yolks. There is nothing wrong with consuming a reasonable amount of raw egg as long as your eggs are coming from a trusted source. You should look for eggs that are organic and from pastured chickens. Second, this recipe calls for coconut cream. Organic coconut cream can be found at many health food stores or online. My favorite brand is Natural Value because it doesn't have any preservatives in it. The only two ingredients you'll find are organic coconut extract and water.

This recipe also calls for homemade cashew milk. Don't worry. This is really easy to make. You simply soak 1 cup of raw cashews in water for 2 hours. Strain them. Rinse them. Then add them to a powerful blender with 3 cups of filtered water, 2-3 pitted dates and 1 vanilla bean. Blend for 2 minutes and then strain through a nut bag. That's it. If you don't have a nut bag, don't worry. Just leave out the dates and vanilla bean OR just skip that last step. As long as you have a powerful blender, the dates and vanilla bean will pulverize completely and you wont even notice they're there! If anything, they'll help thicken your milk a little bit more. If you want more details on how to make cashew cream (you can add more water to turn it into cashew milk, go HERE).

So...if you're ready to spend 30 minutes in the kitchen to make an amazing homemade eggnog from scratch, that is dairy free AND full of nutrient dense ingredients that will actually nourish your body, here you go!

I teach the RESTART® program. This program is a simple, powerful way to give your body a vacation from having to process toxins like sugar. With a 3-week sugar detox built right in, the program focuses on how to use REAL FOOD to boost your energy and cut sugar and carb cravings. But, you know what this means...no more flavored coffee creamers.  This is probably the single most often heard complaint I get from RESTART® participants when they first start the program. "I don't know how I can drink coffee without flavored creamer!" If you really like the flavored CREAMER that is in the coffee, then no, you won't like the coffee anymore. BUT, if you really like the COFFEE, with a little bit of creaminess (I understand, that's how I like my coffee too), I'll show you can have your coffee and creamer too!

First, you can use organic (preferably raw) heavy whipping cream. But if you've decided that you want to find an alternative to dairy, look no further! Here's your recipe. It calls for 3 ingredients: 1 cup raw cashews, 1 vanilla bean, and 2-3 organic, pitted dates*. Oh, and water.

To make this amazingly delicious cashew cream, you have to plan ahead. 2 hours ahead. Why? Because the cashews have to soak. Soaking the cashews softens them and allows them to pulverize in the blender. Once they've soaked them for 2 hours, you drain them, rinse them, then throw them into the blend with the dates and vanilla bean. The amount of filtered water you choose to add will determine the thickness of your cream. The more water you use, the more milk-like the final product will be. If you like thick cream in your coffee (come on, who doesn't want that!?!), use less water. I use about 2 1/2-3 cups of water when I make my cashew cream. It's the perfect amount of water (you may need to play around and find your perfect amount of water). To make cashew milk, I use about 4 cups of water.

Once everything has been blended, you can strain it through a nut bag to remove any small particles of date, nut or vanilla bean that might be left over. Honestly, I rarely do this step. My blender is powerful, I'm often in a hurry, and I don't mind the consistency when it's not strained. If you want perfectly creamy milk, don't miss this step.

The cashew cream can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, but mine rarely lasts that long. You can also freeze it for future use.

*If you are following the RESTART® program, then dates are one of the items on the DO NOT EAT list. While on the program, just leave them out of your cashew cream. Your milk will still have a sweetened, vanilla flavor from the vanilla bean. Once the program is over, you can choose to put the dates back into your cream to add some sweetness. I'd much rather see any of my clients consume a few raw dates over preservatives, artificial or "natural" flavors.

We are Tiana and Alex! Certified nutritional therapy practitioners. We joined forces in the fall of 2015 to form Wholesome Beet Nutrition, a small business located in Grass Valley, CA. At the wholesome beet, we strive to provide education to our clients on how to balance their body to achieve optimal health and wellness.

Through this blog we want to share our passion for nutrient dense, whole-foods, along with the tips and tricks that are helping us live healthy lives while working full-time jobs and staying active.  We welcome comments and feedback at anytime. If you have a question, or want to see us write about something in particular, let us know! We want to hear from you!

If you want to learn more about us, click HERE to read our stories.