Starbucks Eggnog Latte Recipe

Starbucks Eggnog Latte Recipe

It’s that time of year – today we’re doing a remake of Starbucks Eggnog Latte Recipe! I used to be an avid fan of all things eggy. Give me eggy mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, omelettes, hard boiled eggs (the PROTEIN). Basically, eggs were a large components of my diet. But ever since I went vegan, I started making omelettes using chickpea flour, and have found many other substitutes to give recipes that “eggy” taste, such as black pepper. But I never had the will to drink eggs before – I’d heard of eggnog, and didn’t realize that there were real eggs in this drink until years later!

A friend of mine used to work at Starbucks, and she had explained to me how, when they make an eggnog drink, the milk has to be at a specific temperature so as not to cook the raw eggs in the drink itself. Ummmm. Is this weird to anyone else, or just me? I’ve seen people on social media down “protein shakes” full of raw eggs, but I can’t say I’d try that. I was curious to know where eggnog came from, and why/how it had been incorporated into something meant for drinking. Read on to learn more! 

History of the Drink

Eggnog is a super popular Christmas/festive drink in North America. So after some research, I came to find that eggnog goes back to the medieval times – centuries back. It originated from a British drink during that time known as posset. This was a milky, ale-type drink, served warm. By the 13th century, this drink was taken by few with a side of eggs and figs. Back then, eggs were a luxury food, so eggnog was used in toasts to prosperity and health.

Eggnog wasn’t only a festive drink though. It only became a part of the holidays during the 1700s, when sherry became one of the main ingredients used. Milk, eggs and sherry were all ingredients in eggnog, but were only for the wealthy at the time. Around that time, American colonists tweaked the recipe a bit. The rum that they got from the Caribbean was less expensive than other liquors. Therefore, using rum in the drink began to gain popularity.

The name of the drink also has a little background to it. The “nog” came from “noggin,” which meant wooden cup. The “grog” came from the word for a strong type of beer. By the 18th century, these words combined to make “eggnog.”

George Washington’s Eggnog

So the US Food and Drug Administration allows even 1% egg yolk in a drink to be marketed as eggnog, which isn’t even the real thing. If you’ve tasted supermarket eggnog, you may be bashed by eggnog lovers on account of not having tried the real thing. But that’s a story for another day. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you want an EGG-less recipe.

Did you know that George Washington even created his own eggnog (albeit alcohol-rich) and shared it with the world? He did forget to record the number of eggs, so it was estimated that about 12 eggs would work. The ingredients included the following:

One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 pint Jamaica rum, 1/4 pint sherry—mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.

Pretty neat! But this 100% does not include vegans. Even vegan egg substitutes wouldn’t work out too well in this (can you imagine JustEgg being put in eggnog?). I do think that cashews, coconut milk, and other creamer types can be used here as replacements to give the same smooth flavour. I didn’t add cashews to the drink, which makes it easier to make! Otherwise, you’d have to boil or soak cashews overnight, then blend them to use here as a substitute for the traditional heavy cream or whole milk thickness. Instead, I used a mix of coconut and cashew milk. This is also a non-alcoholic drink, and it is spiced with the regular eggnog spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla! You can read more about the origins of eggnog here and here!

Why You’ll Love This Delicious Starbucks Eggnog Latte Recipe

Starbucks Healthy Remake: Coffee shop in home? Of course! Starbucks home remakes make a great DIY – it’s a fraction of the price and made with simple ingredients that are much healthier. Plus more customizable without paying an extra dollar or two or just a change of milk, for example.

Drinks for the Holiday Season: Add this drink to your holiday menu! Eggnog is a great drink to drink while the fireplace is going, cozy socks are on, Christmas movies are playing – we’re all in the holiday spirit! Festive drinks are the best, especially when made in the comfort of your own home – they make you feel that fuzzy feeling inside, agreed?

Substitutions

Coconut Milk: Coconut milk (specifically, canned coconut milk) makes for such a creamy vegan eggnog. The taste of coconut is not super noticeable in the drink for me. If you don’t prefer the taste of coconut, try soy milk or oat milk. Coconut milk is a great way to give recipes a creamy texture, from curries to ice cream to a homemade latte!

It also makes the drink taste “thicker” as compared to another milk which would make for a light eggnog, such as cashew milk. If coconut milk is not in the recipe, it may feel like you’re drinking cinnamon milk instead of a creamy eggnog latte (since eggs make the drink very thick).

Cashew Milk: Another non-dairy milk, such as soy milk, almond milk or oat milk again, can work. The type of milk will make a big difference in the taste and texture of the recipe. I recommend to taste the milk right out of the container before using. If the taste is good enough to drink (and it’s creamy/thick) then it would be good to use in the drink.

Liquid Sweetener: I love using 100% pure maple syrup, but agave nectar will work as well. Coconut syrup or date syrup are other natural sweetener alternatives, but they may leave an aftertaste. Dry sweeteners can work too, but they won’t dissolve as well in the drink.

Brewed Coffee: Three espresso shots can substitute here, then fill the rest with water to make it one full cup. I used instant espresso granules mixed with hot water to make one cup (check the instructions on the back of the instant coffee granules box).

Starbucks Eggnog Latte Recipe Notes

• To make an eggnog frappuccino, freeze this recipe into ice cubes and blend the cubes once frozen! It will turn this warm eggnog into a creamy, iced drink with the same flavour of warm spices we love in eggnog.
• For the vanilla extract, I use pure Madagascar vanilla extract that I find at my local grocery store. Many vanilla extracts have other ingredients added, such as caramel color. The brand I found had the cleanest ingredients, so I recommend to read the back of your vanilla bottle to get the highest quality. It tastes better too as compared to vanilla diluted with other stuff.
• I use Gay Lea brand of Coconut Whipped cream on hot drink recipes, such as hot chocolate or in this eggnog. It’s been my favorite vegan whip for years!
• For a more frothed drink, mix the eggnog mixure in a steel jug (everything except the coffee) and steam/froth the milk with an espresso machine that has a steamer (this is my preferred method) or a milk frother. This will make steamed milk. Pour this over top of the hot coffee, which should already be in the serving mug.
• Add a sprinkle of nutmeg, cinnamon or cinnamon sugar over the whipped cream, then add in a cinnamon stick (see the photos!) for a more festive look.

More Starbucks Copycat Recipes You’ll Love

Iced Vanilla Latte

Matcha Frappuccinos

Mocha Frappuccinos

Peppermint Mocha

Caramel Macchiato

Chai Spice Hot Chocolate (not a Starbucks copycat, but a delicious cozy drink)!

Cardamom Rose Latte (another fun latte drink with unique flavors)!

If you make this Starbucks Eggnog Latte Recipe, leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!