December 15, 2024

Vegan Eggnog Cookies (no eggnog needed!)

These vegan eggnog cookies are soft, spiced and buttery with fluffy frosting, and have a lovely eggnog flavor without using any eggnog. The cookies are flavored with nutmeg and rum, are soft with just a little bit of chew, and have an amazing eggnog aroma. The frosting is simple with flavors that reinforce those of the cookies, and are light, and fluffy. Go ahead, throw a log on the fire, get on your coziest socks, turn on some carols and make up a batch.

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All about Eggnog

moEggnog is a classic winter flavor, and where I live it’s actually pretty easy to find vegan versions seasonally. In it’s original, non vegan form eggnog is made as an emulsion of milk and raw egg, sweetened and spiced. The word nog is thought to be from the word grog, as eggnog is often a boozy affair. Store bought, non-vegan nogs still contain at least a small amount of egg in them (as is required to be considered eggnog). And of course they are not sold with alcohol in them. You get to add that yourself, most often in the form of spiced rum.

Turning to vegan eggnogs now. To me, the elements of eggnog to mimic are that it is thick and creamy in your mouth. It’s well seasoned with warming spices. Nutmeg is a key spice in nog. And it’s sweet but not cloyingly so. For me too often where vegan eggnogs go wrong is by making the beverage overall too sweet. If you make your own, start with a high fat vegan milk. Thicken with a teaspoon or so of cornstarch on heat, and add your spices. Add sugar or maple syrup, a little at a time, until it’s sweetened to your taste. Finally take off the heat and add alcohol if desired.

Looking for Vegan Christmas Cookies? Try one of these!

Vegan Eggnog Cookies Tips and Tricks

We made these cookies in our stand mixer, but a hand mixer will work just fine. You can probably also manage with a whisk and a bit more forearm strength than I have.
This recipe doesn’t use any eggnog (vegan or otherwise). If you do have some eggnog you wish to use, I recommend omitting the milk, nutmeg, and rum in the cookies, and swapping it out for a scant 1/2 cup of your favorite nog.
These cookies do contain a small amount alcohol. While the alcohol in the cookies may cook off (or may not), the frosting is uncooked. The total amount per cookie is about 1/2 teaspoon.
Your cookies will be very puffed up when you first pull them out of the oven, but they should fall back down a little. That’s what gives you that little bit of chew.
Make sure your cookies are cool before frosting. The frosting will harden some as it cools, but these cookies are not really recommended for stacking.

Vegan Eggnog Cookies (no eggnog needed!)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 12 cookies

Vegan Eggnog Cookies (no eggnog needed!)

Ingredients

1/2 cup plant-based baking butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup plant-based milk
1 tbsp. spiced rum
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of salt

For the Icing

1/2 cup plant-based baking butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. spiced rum
1/8th tsp. nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Splash of vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside. (Note: you will either have to do two batches of cookie baking, or use two baking trays whichever you prefer).
Add your vegan butter and granulated sugar to a stand mixer, and whip until fluffy. Add the plant-based milk, rum, and vanilla, and mix to incorporate.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer, and mix, slowly at first, until combined.
Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or measure out 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and place on the cookie sheet. Evenly place a total of 6 balls of dough on a single lined cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies have puffed up and are golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a baking rack and cooling to room temperature.
To make the frosting, add your plant-based butter to a stand mixer and mix until fluffy (scraping down the bowl as needed). Add the powdered sugar, nutmeg and salt (starting at a low speed). Once incorporated add the rum and vanilla, and beat, increasing the speed, until fluffy.
Once the cookies are cooled, use a spoon or piping bag to frost. Optionally finish with some seasonal sprinkles or a dusting of cinnamon.

https://veryveganval.com/2024/12/15/vegan-eggnog-cookies-no-eggnog-needed/