Vegan Holiday Drinks – it’s the holiday season and let’s face it orange juice mixed with some cranberry juice just isn’t going to cut it. The holiday season is the perfect excuse for excess and making that “oh-so-special” beverage you can get away with only one time of the year. Don’t believe me? Well, according to the Association of British Foods the average person will eat more than 7,000 calories on Christmas day alone. Okay, that is a lot – so instead of stuffing yourself with lots of food, how about treating yourself with a delicious vegan holiday beverage? Enter the official Vegan Bev HQ “holiday drink inspiration list”. Either just to curl up with in the evening, to serve to all your family and friends, or just to get away from them…this list has you covered for all things vegan drink-related this holiday season.
The below list recommends seven of my favorite vegan holiday drinks. All can be made alcoholic or non-alcoholic depending on preference. Most importantly, all can be made at home easily and quickly.
Vegan Holiday Drinks – What You Need To Know
There are plenty of delicious vegan holiday drinks that can be whipped up over the holiday season. These drinks include vegan eggnog, vegan punch, vegan Bailey’s, vegan mulled wine, vegan butterbeer, vegan hot chocolate, and a vegan hot toddy. These vegan holiday drinks can be made alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
Vegan Holiday Drinks – Summary Table
| Best Vegan Holiday Drink for Serving Guests | Best Vegan Holiday Drink When Feeling Under The Weather | Best Vegan Holiday Drinks For Serving Straight Up | Best Indulgent Vegan Holiday Drink | Best Simple to Make Vegan Holiday Drink for Guests | Best All-Natural Vegan Holiday Drink | Best Unusual Vegan Holiday Drink |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punch | Hot Toddy | Vegan Baileys | Hot Chocolate | Mulled Wine | Eggnog | Butterbeer |
Vegan Holiday Drinks – Item-by-Item
1. Vegan Eggnog
Eggnog is the classic holiday season drink and best of all it is super easy to make vegan without compromising any of that traditional flavor. There are many pre-made vegan Eggnogs you can buy in grocery stores nowadays, however, my favorite way is to make my own using the below recipe.
The vegan eggnog recipe below works great either non-alcoholic or with an alcoholic shot added.
Vegan Non-Alcoholic Eggnog Ingredients:
Serves 4-6
3 cups oat milk
1 cup coconut cream (canned works better than cartons as it is thicker)
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Oat milk and canned coconut milk make this vegan eggnog super creamy. The cashews act as the ‘egg’ in this drink – adding to the creaminess. In terms of sweetener, I love using maple syrup, but you can use a different sweetener if you like such as coconut sugar.
Vegan Non-Alcoholic Eggnog Instructions
Simply place the above ingredients into a food blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Serve with ice. Also, if you are looking to add a “whiskey flavor” to your eggnog but without any of the alcohol then I highly recommend checking out my list of vegan non-alcoholic drinks (see my post: Vegan Non-Alcoholic Drinks – Revealing What You Need To Know). There are some amazing non-alcoholic alternatives available.
Vegan Alcoholic Eggnog
If you want an alcoholic version of this vegan eggnog simply add a shot of whiskey (and for examples of vegan whiskeys, see my post: Is Whiskey Vegan? How to Actually Pick Vegan Whiskey).
2. Vegan Non-Alcoholic Punch
Are you entertaining over the Holidays, and want a vegan non-alcoholic bowl of punch that your guests can help themselves to? If so, I have you covered with the Vegan Bev HQ secret punch recipe.
Vegan Non-Alcoholic Punch Ingredients
Serves up to 10
4 cups vegan apple juice
4 cups ginger beer
1 cup chopped apple
6 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
2 cups orange juice
Juice of two lemon
If you want to learn more about ginger beer and orange juice, I recommend checking out my posts: Is Ginger Ale Vegan? Everything You Need To Know and Is Orange Juice Vegan? Revealing Why You Need To Know. Because believe it or not, not all orange juice is vegan.
Vegan Non-Alcoholic Punch Instructions
Not sure if these can really be called instructions, but essentially put mix all the above ingredients in a big punch bowl, and voila. Vegan Non-Alcoholic Punch.
As I mentioned above as well, if you want to give your punch an “alcoholic flavoring”, but without any of the alcohol, there is a whole range of amazing vegan non-alcoholic spirits available you can use from non-alcoholic vodka to gin, to whiskey. To learn more, check out my post: Vegan Non-Alcoholic Drinks – Revealing What You Need To Know.
Vegan Alcoholic Punch
Add a hefty dash of vodka if you want it spiked. If you want to know what vodka brands are vegan check out my post: Is Vodka Vegan? Hidden Surprises To Know About In Vodka.
3. Vegan Mulled Wine
Is your favorite vegan holiday drink a warming cup of mulled wine? If so, you must try these vegan mulling spices from Amazon.
If you want a non-alcoholic version, you can mix it with apple juice. Or you can use a non-alcoholic vegan wine. Yes, those exist, and you can learn about them in my post: 10 Non-Alcoholic Vegan Wines You Need To Know About.
Alternatively, if you are looking for an alcoholic mulled wine then you can mix mulled wine spice with a red wine of your choice (plus I recommend some cranberry juice). When purchasing or using any wine make sure you are purchasing a wine that is: (1) labeled as vegan; and/or; (2) unfined; and/or (3) uses only vegan fining agents. A lot of wines are not vegan due to the fining agents they use in the production process. If you want to learn more, I broke down everything a vegan wine drinker needs to know in my blog: Why Is Wine Not Vegan – How To Know The Truth?
4. Vegan Baileys
Ahh, Bailey’s. Vegans around the world sighed in relief when Baileys released their almond milk version of Baileys a few years back. You can read my review of it here – Vegan Baileys – The Truth About This Surprising Drink.
However, what if you want a non-alcohol version? Nothing like that exists, right? Wrong. It does with the Vegan Bev HQ Vegan Non-Alcoholic Vegan Bailey recipe:
Vegan Non-Alcoholic Baileys Ingredients
Serves 2
14 fl oz Unsweetened Vegan Milk (almond or oat work well)
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla (paste or extract)
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (you can use any vegan sweetener such as maple syrup or raw or organic sugar)
Vegan Non-Alcoholic Baileys Instructions
Put the coconut sugar in a jug and then add a very small amount of boiling water – enough just to dissolve the sugar. Then add the milk, coffee, and vanilla and stir. Then simply pour over ice and enjoy.
5. Vegan Alcoholic Butterbeer
“Barkeep, I would like two Butterbeers please”. If you are a Harry Potter Fan then you are all too aware of what is the most popular drink in Hogsmeade. The good news is that Butterbeer does exist, and it can be made vegan.
But what exactly is Butterbeer? Butterbeer is a buttery vanilla drink with a whipped topping. Obviously, butterbeer isn’t traditionally vegan as it contains…well butter (the name says it all). However, that does not mean that it can not be made vegan.
There is a whole range of amazing butterbeer recipes out there. If I am being completely honest, a lot of them just seem like a lot of hard work – involving making vegan caramel on the stove, or soaking cashews, or crushing up butterscotch candies. In life, I like to keep things simple, quick, and easy. So, how about a super simple recipe for vegan alcoholic butterbeer that you can quickly pour into a glass if you fancy a quick Harry Potter-themed tipple in the evening?
The below is as simple as it gets – whilst still giving you all the butterscotch vanilla.
Vegan Alcoholic Butterbeer Ingredients
Serves 1
1/4 cup Lyle’s Squeezy Butterscotch Syrup
1/2 cup cream soda
1 shot of alcohol of your choice
Vegan Whipped Cream for topping
Some ingredient notes:
- Did you know that Lyle’s butterscotch syrup is vegan – it even says so on the back of the bottle! I’m far too lazy to bother to make a vegan caramel on the stove so this is perfect.
- On the topic of Cream Soda, most of them are vegan. However, I dedicated a post to all things Cream Soda-related so you can learn exactly everything you need to know about this drink. To check out my post on which cream sodas are vegan (see: Is Cream Soda Vegan? Unlock All You Need To Know).
- If you want more of the Butterscotch vibes and aren’t so keen on vanilla from a Cream Soda then I would recommend using Wild Bill’s Vegan Butterscotch.
- What alcohol you choose depends on how you want your Butterbeer (or it just depends on what spirits you have lying around in your drinks cabinet). Personally, I believe Whiskeys are great to use in the drink. And, as above, if you are looking for a “liquor” flavor to your drink, but with none of the alcohol, there are a whole host of non-alcoholic liquors available you could use as well (see my post: Vegan Non-Alcoholic Drinks – Revealing What You Need To Know).
- The above recipe is sweet, so if you like your drink less sweet, I recommend a shot of whiskey. You can see which Whiskeys are vegan in my post: Is Whiskey Vegan? How to Actually Pick Vegan Whiskey).
- If you love vanilla, I recommend a vanilla vodka to give it more of a vanilla flavoring or if you want a non-alcoholic version then a touch of vanilla extract.
- If you are all about the butterscotch rather than the vanilla, then I would recommend a shot of butterscotch schnapps. A lot of Butterscotch schnapps is not vegan. But Teichenne Butterscotch Schnapps is vegan so is a good option.
- For the whipped cream topping – Amazon does a great vegan whipped cream you can use.
Vegan Alcoholic Butterbeer Instructions
How to make it? Simply pour the syrup into a glass followed by the cream soda and then add your shot of choice. Top with the vegan topping. Simple, easy, and delicious.
6. Vegan Alcoholic Hot Toddy
Who doesn’t love a Hot Toddy on a cold day? Traditionally Hot Toddy’s are alcoholic drinks, however, you can turn any hot toddy non-alcoholic by replacing the whiskey with apple juice.
Serves 1
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons lemon
1 shot whiskey
1 cup hot water
Vegan Alcoholic Hot Toddy Instructions
Simply pour the above ingredients into a cup and sit back and enjoy. If you want to know the Whiskey to use which is also vegan, then check out my post: Is Whiskey Vegan? How to Actually Pick Vegan Whiskey.
7. Vegan Alcoholic Hot Chocolate
To be honest, holiday season or no holiday season, how can you go wrong with vegan hot chocolate? It is, frankly, delicious any time of the year. Below is the Vegan Bev HQ secret “spiked” hot chocolate for you to try. Again if you want it non-alcoholic, just make it without the Baileys.
Serves 1
1 cup oat milk
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 shot Vegan Baileys
A dollop of vegan whipped topping
Vegan Alcoholic Hot Chocolate Instructions
Heat the oat milk, cocoa, and maple syrup together. Pour into a cup, followed by the shot of vegan Bailey’s (I adore Baileys in hot chocolate, but whiskey, brandy, or even red wine also work well). Because I love Vegan Baileys so much, I wrote a whole blog about it Vegan Baileys – The Truth About This Surprising Drink.
The final step is to cover it with a dollop of vegan whipped cream. As recommended above previously, this vegan whipped cream from Amazon is one of my favorites to use.
Vegan Holiday Drinks – The Final Sip
Deck the halls and “PUT THE COOKIE DOWN…NOW” – and make way for some delicious vegan holiday drinks. I tried to put in a wide selection of drinks to suit everyone’s tastes and preferences. The best thing about these drinks is that they can all be made non-alcoholic if you are not drinking alcohol or just don’t drink. In fact, with the advent of some amazing non-alcoholic vegan liquors hitting the market from brands like Lyre, it means that for a lot of these drinks you can still enjoy those “liquor-flavors” without having to compromise. My personal favorite on the list…Eggnog. Just call me a plain ‘traditionist, but I love the stuff. Nothing sums up the holidays like a delicious cool (because it must always be iced) Eggnog, especially when it is vegan. Now the question is: What is your favorite holiday drink?
…now you know.
Beverage makers may change ingredients and/or manufacturing processes. Always double-check ingredients before purchasing any beverages.
Like What You Are Reading
Need to know more about all things holiday-related? How about the best vegan holiday drink at your favorite coffee chain? Or a breakdown of the best all-time vegan holiday drinks at Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts? Find out and check out some of my other articles: