I always know that Christmas is right around the corner when eggnog suddenly appears in my parents’ fridge. My father just loves the stuff and he’ll guzzle through umpteen vintage-deckled cartons over the course of the holidays, especially if guests pop by.
Me? I’m not so much into it. Although I can totally dig on the warming spicy scent that wafts from the punch bowl, knowing what it’s made of, kind of makes my tummy flip. Once I realized that it was the sweetness and smell of freshly grated nutmeg that was charming me, I set out to make a raw vegan version that would satisfy even my dad’s discriminating eggnog palate (well, in theory anyway). It’s super rich, so thick and creamy – an amazing breakfast in fact – but decadent enough for dessert. The secret is in the sesame seeds: an unusual addition to a blended drink, but give them a try! They add tons of protein, fiber, healthy fats, calcium and help make this smoothie a veritable meal.
I am also excited to post this recipe because it is the first one I am sharing from the cookbook! It’s a simple one, but a sure favourite. Plus, it seems like the time of year when many of you will be dusting off your reindeer-shaped eggnog cups, so I thought it appropriate to swoop in and present you with a possible alternative.
Smooth Move, Sesame Seeds
If you’ve been reading My New Roots for a while, you are already well aware of my sesame seed obsession. I love their versatility, nutty flavour, nourishing minerals and healthy fats. I love how inexpensive and readily available they are, and how long they stay fresh (storing them in the fridge is always best!). I buy them in bulk and use them for so many things, from dressing up salads to throwing them in my smoothies. That’s right! You can drink sesame seeds. For real.
I first discovered this upon running out of protein powder, and searching the cupboards for an alternative, my curiosity fell upon the holy seed. I soaked them overnight, and the next morning whirred them up with some fruit and greens to reveal a most satisfying meal-in-a-glass. Since then, I haven’t looked back! Now I often add sesame seeds to my smoothies, and even blended soups, as I find they add incredible body and richness to just about anything. If you are the kind of person that loves drinking smoothies, but finds that you are hungry an hour later (me), sesame seeds will really help with the stick-to-your-ribs satiety factor.
It may surprise to find out that sesame seeds are an excellent source of essential minerals. Calcium for the prevention of osteoporosis and migraines, magnesium for supporting our vascular system, zinc for bone health, selenium for antioxidant protection, and copper for reducing inflammation are just a handful of the incredibly important roles these minerals play for us. The biggest surprise of all? By weight, sesame seeds have a higher iron content than liver!
If you have a high-powered blender the sesame seeds will blend up very quickly. If you have a regular blender, remember that it make take a little longer to achieve a perfectly smooth consistency. Just keep the motor running and be patient.
The level of spiciness in this drink, I leave up to you. I like mine super nutmeg-y, but that’s not everyone’s taste, so start with just a little, blend, and add more if you’d like. The same goes for the figs: I usually make my milkshake with just one, but others might enjoy it a little sweeter. If you find that your figs are very dry, soak them the night before beside the sesame seeds, and use the soak water in the eggnog. The turmeric is really just to add a slightly creamy yellow, so it’s optional.
Raw Vegan Eggnog Milkshake
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1-2 dried figs (depending on how sweet you like it)
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds, soaked for 8 hours, or overnight
2 Tbsp. hemp seeds
1 cup milk of choice or water
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground clove
pinch of turmeric (for colour)
a little squeeze of lemon juice
Directions:
1. Place sesame seeds in a glass with ½ tsp. of sea salt, cover with water and soak up to 8 hours. Drain and rinse well.
2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Spice to taste. Enjoy.
If you are looking for Christmas gifts this year, don’t forget that a pre-ordered My New Roots cookbook is probably on everyone’s list, amiright? Not only that, but it comes with the added bonus of arriving in spring, when most people have long forgotten about the holidays and are in serious need of presents! Wow, didn’t I time that perfectly? I am always thinking ahead here, friends. You can preorder the My New Roots cookbook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound and Indigo.
In all seriousness, I have been so overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support from all of you about the book. I know that you are just as excited as I am to hold this collection of from-the-heart recipes in your hands. Only a few more months to go now!
And most thrilling of all, is that my cookbook is going to be published translated into Danish and Dutch! The UK and Australia are publishing it too. Here are the release dates:
US: March 31, 2015
Canada: March 31, 2015
UK: April 9, 2015
Australia: April 9, 2015
Netherlands: June, 2015
Denmark: pending
In the meantime, have a look at the gorgeous quotes below from my friends and peers who have been fortunate enough to have a sneak peak of the book. Thank you to all of them for being so incredibly generous and encouraging with their words.
“My New Roots is beautiful proof that eating with nutrition in mind need not be a compromise. This is an unabashedly enthusiastic riff on the food-as-medicine approach to cooking and eating. Sarah’s playful and encouraging voice is infectious; you get the sense that she is waiting on the other side of each recipe to give you a high five.”
—Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Every Day
“My New Roots is filled with good ideas for fresh new ways of using plant foods. Sarah Britton shows that truly alive ingredients can result in more interesting and better-tasting recipes and are always worth seeking out.”
—Deborah Madison, author of Vegetable Literacy and The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
“Sarah is a veggie-lovin’ culinary goddess! Her unique and seasonal plant-based creations will inspire you to fall head over heels in love with vegetables. There are so many beautiful recipes I can’t wait to make!”
—Angela Liddon, author of The Oh She Glows Cookbook
“I have been waiting for this book since I first started reading Sarah’s blog years ago. She has a gift for writing truly wonderful recipes, vibrant with produce, and has the knowledge to explain why these plant-based foods are good for us. Her sweet spirit shines through every page. So thrilled to have this keeper in my kitchen!”
—Sara Forte, author of The Sprouted Kitchen
“Sarah’s creativity always inspires. With its vibrant recipes, evocative visuals, witty combinations, and approachable ways to live better, this book is a must for anyone interested in optimal, delicious health.”
—Laura Wright, thefirstmess.com
“Sarah always treads the beautiful line between making whole foods practical and also appealing, leading the way in this new real food movement.”
—Sarah Wilson, author of I Quit Sugar
“Being healthy and happy is so easy when you’re cooking with Sarah. Her gentle approach, love and passion for whole foods, and flair for pairing mind-blowing flavors create fabulous and fresh food that looks stunning and is bursting with personality and life-affirming goodness. With unbelievable tastes and textures, My New Roots takes you on an exquisite journey that seduces you with every lift of the fork, leaving you voracious for vegetables.”
—Tess Masters, author of The Blender Girl
“It’s a rare book that delivers inspiration through its every page, yet each one of Sarah’s recipes sings with flavor and originality. The entire collection is a seductive introduction to a more wholesome way of eating and an irresistible call to the kitchen.”
—Clotilde Dusoulier, author of The French Market Cookbook and Edible French
Wow, this sounds amazing…. sesam seeds are already soaking! I have to check out our book, this looks wonderful…
Love the silky eggnog-y thing, love the cookbook, love you! 🙂
I made your eggnog this morning after an hour of swimming. It was filling and just perfect for an post-workout snack. I like mine not to sweet, so one fig is just enough for me. Thank you for sharing!
Lena
i tried it several times and I can’t make it testy as my friend does 🙁
Looks delicious and so easy to make. I’ll give this a try
I love this recipe and I can’t wait for your book! I think this recipe would work throughout the fall and winter as it’s not TOO egg-noggy…I never like egg nog but this sounds so comforting and delicious. I’ll be patiently awaiting the Canadian release date for your book! Congratulations!
Great recipe, for the morning and for the evening as well. I love this healthy and yummy smoothie recipe.
this tastes amazing!
Normal eggnog is so fatty and sugary and kind of grosses me out – this is the perfect solution! I never would have thought all these things could come together to make a vegan eggnog. Genius!
Many thanks for this terrific website and your creativity.
A real inspiration for my career and life !
All the best,
Valérie
Awesome recipe I love it.
This looks so good!! I’ll give it a try for sure!
I am just curious: will there be a german edition of your cookbook? I would buy it right away!
I’m with you on the sesame seeds. Love ’em! Use them in many applications. As always, I love, love, love your beautiful, thoughtful and artful posts! ✨
This was fabulous! I agree with the other commenters, your recipes are wonderfully thoughtful. We had eggnog in a rush, so I went without figs (sub dates) and soaking, but the results were still delicious. I love how you balanced the seeds, bananas, and spices so that no flavor took over. In our second batch I traded half the hemp for cashew, for sweetness and creaminess in place of earthiness. My husband thinks this could be served to unwitting non-vegans.
OMG the photography is amazing and the recipe sounds relish! I hope that I’ll find the time to test this out very soon
Beautiful yet I will make this with coconut milk. Bisous from Paris!
I would substitute creamy homemade almond milk for cow’s milk. I make with raw almonds with skin on. Blend. It’s just like cream! Recipe at Food52.com. Thanks for giving me the healthy eggnog idea!
Sue
Can you please talk about the pros and cons of hulled vs unhulled sesame seeds?
Great!!!!
This eggnog looks good!!!
Yum! That looks like a great alternative! It also looks like it could be my morning smoothie 😉
Oh my, what a great recipe! Thank you! Already made it twice and I just can’t get enough of it! It’s just perfect for those ‘craving something rich and sweet’-moments.
As I don’t own a high speed blender, I like to strain the smoothie through a sieve to remove the pulp. I was left with quite a bit of pulp, so I decided to bake it. Turns out it makes a sweet and crunchy topping for yoghurts or porridge!
Hope it’s okay if I post a link to a photo: http://imgur.com/r05Y90I
Nice Book
Cant wait to try……I have a choice in my bulk section at the market…do I choose raw or toasted sesame seeds?
Raw. Modt recipes calling for soaked seeds or nuts require raw ones. Toasted ones would be too strong and wouldn’t make it a raw smoothie 🙂
This was delicious – I made it twice this past weekend! Since it tasted nothing like egg nog, I added kale to the second batch and that made it even better. Thanks for the wonderful inspiration.
Made this today and it’s great with some slight modifications…definitely had to increase the nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.
And for those without a high speed blender like a Vitamix, I highly recommend making the seed milk first (soaked sesame and hemp) and straining off the seed pulp (save for making baked goodies) in order to eliminate a crunchy texture.
Can’t wait to have a copy of your book ! Just hope, even if there is no french translation, your editor will authorize the french apple store to sell it !
I love eggnog and I will definitely be trying your healthier approach. Also, so many congratulations! I am eagerly awaiting the launch of your book.
Really grateful for this healthy alternative to egg nog. Flavors were great! Substituted lemon + spices with Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice and was lovely. Also found that dates gave it the right sweetness. For those of you who ended up with runny smoothies, you might want to add more frozen bananas…chop them into thirds to blend more easily. If you still want it thicker, ice will do the trick. Used homemade cashew nut milk and added coconut cream for thickness. Yummers!
So unbelievably excited for your book!! Congratulations on all the beautiful words already said about it. It is sure to be a kitchen staple. xo
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love your website and will definitely be purchasing your book!
Even better is that your book comes out ON MY BIRTHDAY in the UK 😀 xxx
Made this tonight after watching a holiday boat parade. It’s much lighter than the store-bought soy-nog I’m more familiar with (never had real eggnog). I think I might up the nutmeg and decrease the liquid next time, as mine tasted more like cinnamon banana juice with fig chunks. Will keep trying until I get it just right.
OH YUM!! this is too good to be true!
Wow! I made this this morning and i LOVE it. I was never a fan of eggnog but THIS, this is something I could drink on for all the holidays (and beyond). Thank you for having such a brilliant imagination.
Made it this morning. I didn’t have figs on hand so I soaked a few dates in almond milk overnight. It turned out delicious. My husband and almost 2 year old both loved it. We’re planning to make it for Christmas morning in a much bigger batch.
It’s very creamy, however the flavor is very different than eggnog to me. Maybe mine needed more nutmeg?
This looks like my kind of eggnog- never really liked the idea of eggs in a drink. . I am new to your blog and am blown away with your fresh natural recipes , interesting writing style and solid information.Congratulations on your book-will look for it.
Made this smoothie this morning and it’s so delicious. It’s creamy and flavorful in a gentle way, and it’s deceptively filling. Thanks for a great holiday smoothie recipe Sarah!
This is a beautiful post. So Ayurvedic! Thank you Sarah.
I’m curious to know what can I substitute with the sesame seeds? Perhaps, flax seeds or chia seeds?
Can you please tell us the ration of vegan:non vegan recipes (such as last week’s) in the book? A little preview of the table of contents would be wonderful too 🙂
Thanks.
i eat mostly plant foods, but always scoff a little when i see smoothie recipes without any notable protein. i love your idea of soaking sesame seeds for use in smoothies. i’d never have thought to do that but it’s so wholesome and simple. this recipe is beautiful. i really appreciate how thoughtful you are about putting flavors and foods together. it’s not kitschy or gimmicky or as if you’ve cloned someone else’s ideas; what you do is wonderful and special. thanks so much for sharing!
i eat mostly plant foods, but always scoff a little when i see smoothie recipes without any notable protein. i love your idea of soaking sesame seeds for use in smoothies. i’d never have thought to do that but it’s so wholesome and simple. this recipe is beautiful. (figs and sesame were not what i expected to see after reading the name of the post.) i really appreciate how thoughtful you are about putting flavors and foods together. it’s not kitschy or gimmicky or as if you’ve cloned someone else’s ideas; what you do is wonderful and special. thanks so much for sharing!
I will definitely have to try this when I go home for Christmas! I don’t have a blender in my dorm room…but mum does! I never really liked Eggnog before I went vegan because I felt that it was really heavy and too rich, but maybe with a light plant milk (and the banana instead of all that animal fat!) it will be yummy.
Can’t wait for your cookbook!
~ Samantha
Hi Sarah! Great timing! I am generally not a fan of eggnog either–too rich and dairy-ish, so I was so pleased to read that I can make this with other ingredients like sesame seeds! Great facts about sesame seeds too. I had NO idea they were so healthy! We are whipping up a batch of your eggnog this weekend! Thank you and looking forward to your cookbook!
Yum! This looks amazing! I love eggnog.
I’m not generally a big fan of eggnog for the raw egg icky factor, but this sounds great! Your photos are lovely, too!! So much beauty! Thanks for sharing
I’m so, so excited for your book, Sarah. Seriously, let the countdown begin! x
Mmmmm Sarah B! I cannot wait to get that eggnog into my glass 🙂
I also can’t wait to get my copy of your book. I pre-ordered but March can’t come fast enough. xo
Is there something I can use in place of the hemp seeds? They make me really nautious.
Looks cool . When the pile elements of proof, how it tastes .
Just love your imaginative recipes and have pre-ordered the cookbook. Cannot wait for it to arrive.
We are not able to buy Hemp Seeds in NZ, so I don’t know what they taste like? What do you recommend as a substitute?
Suzy
Wow, this looks incredible Sarah. I’ve always wanted to like eggnog but the inclusion of raw egg makes me queasy. Which type of plant milk did you use, or would you suggest, to include here?
I also made your sweet potato skillet hash last week and it was magnificent. You are wonderful and it’s so great to see you succeeding in a way that seems true to who you are. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of your cookbook and I will be giving it as a gift to friends who love to explore in the kitchen. Peace and love to your family!
Oh this is what holiday treats should look like! What an amazing recipe! Thanks for sharing with us!
Would dates work to replace the dried figs?
I am in love with this recipe and your photo!
What a fabulously healthy and delicious sounding version of a Holiday classic!
Mary
I was just talking to my hubby the other night about how I wanted to find a vegan, sugar free version of eggnog and than this sweet surprise showed up in my inbox…Thank You!
Could you use tahini instead of sesame seeds?
can I use dates instead of figs to sweeten? 🙂
Could I use dates instead of Figs to sweeten? 🙂
I love this! Enjoying eggnog is one of my favorite holiday traditions, and I love that this is a single-serve recipe. Absolutely fabulous and healthy!!
Looks amazing Sarah, I can’t wait to give this a try asap!
Love that sesame is such a powerhouse seed. This eggnog looks so good, especially with the dried figs. And oh yes, I can hardly wait for your cookbook!
This is just gorgeous! I also don’t like eggnog, but I could get on board with this!
The release of your cookbook cannot come fast enough!! I’m so excited for it!
I never found the idea of eggnog very attractive, so I’ve never had the real thing before – but this recipe sounds out-of-this-world delicious! I love the addition of sesame seeds and cannot wait to try this!!
I’m with you Sarah-so keen for a new version of an old favourite! I love using frozen young coconut meat & hemp hearts but your banana sesame version sounds deelish!! So excited for your book!
Wow, this sounds amazing…. sesam seeds are already soaking! I have to check out our book, this looks wonderful…
Looks good, but does it taste like eggnog?
This looks so good–definitely making this right away as I have everything needed. I cannot wait for the cookbook–it will be a sure addition to my collection.
What a great idea! I want to try this eggnog as soon as possible. THanks for sharing!
I’ve been reading your blog for ages and always look forward to seeing your posts, can’t wait for the cookbook to arrive ! Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas 🙂
omg! that’s awsome! So happy for you!
Can’t wait to have a copy of your book!
Who needs raw eggs when one could make this creamy gorgeousness? And your photo just couldn’t be more adorable!