These warming vegan drinks for winter are the perfect treat to offer up to guests on a cold day
By Lora O’Brien
It’s officially that time of the year: wine gets hot and spicy, whiskey gets toddied, and coffee chains replace their trademark cups with red ones adorned with kitschy Christmas motifs. Ordering an extra dry soya latte isn’t enough; now we crave the addition of eggnog or gingerbread syrup!
But you may want to re-think that: you’d be astounded by the amount of sugar they pump into those Christmas drinks. Sure, they look cute in their snowman cups, sprinkled with edible glitter, but there’s nothing festive about a sugar high followed by a nasty slump hours later. A typical medium eggnog latte packs a whopping 24 teaspoons of sugar and well over 500 calories! No wonder most of us start gaining weight in winter…!
Luckily, we’ve found the perfect way for you to enjoy festive drinks without the unhealthy additions of sugar and sickeningly sweet syrups. Make these delish vegan drinks for winter at home and take them with you on your commute (ok, maybe not the alcoholic ones!) or re-create them when you’ve got friends over. Most of these can be served hot or cold, and of course if you don’t drink alcohol, our boozy recipes are just as yummy as ‘virgin’ versions too!
(PS: Why not try one of these holiday manicures to make sure your hands look pretty holding a drink?)
Hot, Warm Vegan Drinks for Winter
1. Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Pumpkin lattes are huge – Instagram finds itself hashtagged with thousands of the Starbucks Christmas favourite every year, and this may be one of the most popular vegan drinks for winter in the world! So I thought I’d bring a little of that American flavour to you. And if you want this drink to be a little more festive, may I suggest going a bit rogue and adding an ounce of dark rum?
Get the recipe here.
2. Healthy Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is one of the best vegan drinks for winter, right? I mean, who doesn’t look forward to a rich and creamy mug every now and then? And there are lots of variations on how to make it. This recipe is actually three-in-one: you’ll find a way to make this classic drink perfectly suited to your taste buds!
Get the recipe here.
3. Vegan Chai Latte
This is one of my favourite vegan drinks for winter! It’s creamy, dreamy and of course, 100% vegan. It has a little kick to it from the chai spices, yet with a delicious sweetness from the vanilla. And that creamy topping? Coconut whip! Genius!
Get the recipe here.
4. Peppermint Mocha
This just looks exactly like Christmas in a mug! There’s something about the combination of coffee and chocolate that is simply delicious – the only thing that could make it better is maybe a touch of mint! Whilst you can order this in Starbucks in the most vegan-friendly way, you won’t be rewarded with the whip on top (our personal favourite) or will you get that creamy almond milk. So why not take a break and get creative in the kitchen?
Get the recipe here.
5. Hot Apple Cider Smoothie
If you’re a smoothie fan like me, you might want to adapt your recipe slightly for this festive period. And this hot apple cider smoothie is the perfect recipe for doing just that! It has sweet flavours from the apples, yet holds a little spice from the ginger and the cinnamon. Perfect flavours for drinking warm! And ginger is also a great preventative for colds, too. So all the more reason to knock this back and bid farewell to a virus this holiday season.
Get the recipe here.
6. Vegan Matcha Latte
If you associate the colours red and green with the festive season, then this is the tea you should be serving to guests. Matcha green tea is definitely something you should try purely for its wonderful health benefits, sure. But it tastes great in a latte, too. One of the healthiest vegan drinks for winter, for sure. It even brings benefits for your skin!
Get the recipe here.
7. Maple, Cinnamon & Chamomile Tea Latte
This is a real game changer for those that aren’t necessarily keen on the flavours of chamomile. The flowery flavours of chamomile blend with the creamy cashew milk and vanilla, whilst the cinnamon gives it a real wintery kick. It would be perfect with a cookie – or three!
Get the recipe here.
8. Vegan Eggnog Recipe
This vegan-ised eggnog recipe is another of my favourite vegan drinks for winter. It’s a great replacement for those overly sugary ready made options. Which are obviously not vegan, either. This is SO quick and easy to make, and the additional shot of rum in this recipe makes this a wonderful drink to serve at a Christmas gathering.
Get the recipe here.
9. Hot Apple Cider (with Superfood Power!)
This recipe proves just how the power of healthy food combined with additional tasty spices can create something so packed with flavour. We’re thinking oversized blankets, a good book and a massive Mason jar full of this. Perfect on the coldest of days, and it will help you battle colds and flu, too!
Get the recipe here.
10. Cinnamon Latte
This recipe doesn’t really qualify as one of our vegan drinks for winter, since it calls for milk. But it can oh so quickly be made vegan friendly by the addition of soya or almond milk (which tastes better anyway). Whilst it’s nice to go out and treat yourself to a coffee shop beverage, sometimes it’s just as nice to stay indoors in your winter socks and enjoy a drink you can just as easily make yourself.
Get the recipe here.
11. Boozy Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate
What part of this doesn’t just sound incredibly amazing? Prepare to have your taste buds rewarded for making this. And with the naughty addition of bourbon, the spicy edge from the pumpkin and spices, this makes the perfect little Christmas drink.
Get the recipe here.
12. Vegan Baileys Irish Cream
If since going vegan you never thought you’d be able to enjoy a glass of Baileys ever again, we’re here to tell you otherwise, sister. Angela Liddon of Oh She Glows has come up trumps (as she always does) to bring us this vegan-friendly version. You can also add a shot of coffee for a unique twist. (oh, and guess what? I just discovered Baileys now makes a vegan version, which you can get here!)
Get the recipe here.
13. Cranberry & Rosemary White Christmas Sangria
Sure, we usually only associate a pitcher of sangria with swimming pools and glorious tans. But this twist is really festive and delightful. And our favourite part? Most of the ingredients are most likely items we already have in our kitchen. Surely that’s the perfect excuse to go whip up a glass of this right now, no?
Get the recipe here.
14. The Drunk Uncle Christmas Cocktail
This is definitely one of the best-named vegan drinks for winter! It was created by Lauren and John of Hot for Food blog. Secondly, we just love how quaint and tasty it looks. Alongside the mulled apple cider, cinnamon and not forgetting the gin, we’re picturing cosy fireplaces, loved ones and a tray of these to simply wow everyone.
Get the recipe here.
15. Cranberry & Ginger Cocktail
This is one of the easiest vegan drinks for winter to make. It’s sooo easy to throw together, making it the perfect go-to drink for those last minute guests that pop round over the Christmas season. The fresh cranberries add a festive touch, too!
Get the recipe here.
16. Pomegranate Christmas Punch
This is one of the booziest vegan drinks for winter! But if you can’t indulge over the holidays, when can you? This festive drink blends rum with pomegranate juice and hibiscus tea and pulls them together to create something very tasty indeed! Of course, you can make this without the alcoholic ingredients, too. Just add a few drops of natural rum flavouring if you like, or a touch more lemon.
Get the recipe here.
17. Heartwarming Mulled Red Wine
The process of making mulled wine is very similar to mulled cider, but the key difference comes down to the wine that you choose. For a traditional wassail bowl, aim for a dry red wine and a full-bodied brandy. This is a perfect punch for Thanksgiving, Halloween, or any number of winter holidays.
Get the recipe here.
18. Maple Old Fashioned
Retro drinks are making a comeback, and the Old Fashioned is a favourite – especially for fans of brandy! It’s easy to make, sweet, and will warm you up from the inside out. Here, maple and cinnamon merge with the smoky taste of whiskey or bourbon to create one of the best vegan drinks for winter.
Get the recipe here.
19. Irish Mule
This is just a spin on the classic Moscow Mule cocktail (ginger beer + vodka + lime), that has whiskey in it instead of vodka. You can use any whisky you like, and I love how the spice of the ginger beer marries the coolness of the rosemary.
Get the recipe here.
20. Vegan Hot Toddy
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thank you for sharing my recipe!!! LOVED THE POST!!