This Vegan White Russian cocktail is perfect for the holiday season! It’s only 3 ingredients, prepared in a couple of minutes and requires zero fancy bar tools. This cocktail is sure to impress friends and family when entertaining.
When I first started recipe testing this drink, I watched two Christmas classics, Christmas with the Kranks and Elf to really get in the spirit.
Let me tell you! This drink is the PERFECT holiday drink.
Not only is it the easiest cocktail I have on my site to date, but it is reminds me of a milkshake.
If you love thick, creamy milkshakes, this cocktail is for you!
Is Vodka Vegan?
YES.
Vodka is vegan.
I don’t think I’ve come across a plain vodka that was not vegan.
Vodka is generally made from fermented grains, like potato or corn which are both vegan. The liquids left over from that process are then used to make vodka.
If you’re ever curious if your alcohol is vegan, Barnivore is an incredibly vast resource you may find useful. They’ve analyzed over 50,000 alcohols in detail!
Barnivore also provide great information to teach you why some alcohols are NOT vegan, like some wines and darker beers.
Is Kahlua Vegan?
Unfortunately, the widely known store bought brand Kahlua is no longer considered vegan. As of mid 2020, Barnivore determined that none of their products are vegan friendly. One of their sugar suppliers uses a refining process that is not vegan friendly (it uses bone char to bleach the color of the sugar).
The Kahlua brand did inform Barnivore that they are hoping to find a new sugar supplier that is vegan so they can again call their product vegan, but for the time being it is not technically vegan.
If you are a vegan that does not worry about the nitty gritty details of how sugar is processed, you may feel comfortable consuming the store-bought brand. It does not contain dairy so it would otherwise be vegan. Completely up to you!
I am really fortunate to be gifted homemade vegan Kahlua by family friends every year at Christmas and use it in all of my recipes containing Kahlua.
If you want to make your own, I found a Vegan Kahlua recipe for you by Vegan in the Freezer. It has excellent reviews and is very simple to prepare.
It takes a little bit of prep time (a few weeks of soaking), but once it is made, Kahlua has a very long shelf life and can be used throughout the holidays!
More Vegan Holiday Beverages
- Non Dairy Hot Chocolate
- Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
- Easy Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
Enjoy! Happy Holidays!
Vegan White Russian
Ingredients
- 3 ounces full fat coconut milk - from a can **see notes for brand I use
- 1 ½ ounces vodka
- 1 ounce Kahlua*
Instructions
- To a drinking glass, add ice.
- Pour Vodka, Kahlua, and coconut milk over ice.
- Stir well.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust the Kahlua to your sweetness preference. The sweetness level between different versions may vary widely. I use a homemade Kahlua made by our wonderful family friends!
- **I prefer making this cocktail with the Whole Foods 365 Brand Coconut Milk. I don't recommend the Thai Kitchen brand or the Chaokoh brand - both have an aftertaste and Thai Kitchen is quite watery.
- The store-bought brand Kahlua is not technically vegan because it uses a non-vegan process in refining sugar. If this does not bother you, the classic version is otherwise vegan and does not contain milk.
- Link to a homemade vegan Kahlua you may be interested in.
- These are the drinking glasses I used in the photos.
General note about salt
Please pay attention to the type of salt called for in the recipe (if applicable). Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1 for 1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
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