The Gluten-Free Homemaker

This is a guest post from Ellen Allard of Gluten Free Diva.


I love egg nog. But since my tummy doesn’t love dairy these days, alternatives are most welcome. Have you had Silk Pumpkin Nog? Making knock-off foods can be tough, but this one is fabulous. It tastes just like the egg nog you love and remember so well.

If you’re new to the world of allergy-free cooking, please let me encourage you to be brave. There are so many ways you can adapt recipes that might otherwise not be usable for you. Start slowly. Find recipes that only require one tweak to be safe for you to eat. Gradually you will work your way up to being able to make multiple adaptations to recipes so that you can eat them and have a happy tummy.

I made a few changes to the recipe. (You can find it at Ricki’s Diet, Dessert and Dogs blog.) Nothing monumental though. I modified the name from Rich and Creamy Chai Carob Latte to Chai Chocolate Nog Latte. I used chocolate chips instead of carob. I used agave (1 tsp) instead of stevia. And I used Silk Pumpkin Nog instead of the milk called for in the recipe.

Here’s the list of all the ingredients I used. You can follow the directions that Ricki provides in her recipe.

• 2 cups (480 ml) silk pumpkin nog
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp-1/4 cup (30-60 ml) raw or lightly toasted cashews, depending on how thick and rich you want the latte
• 2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ginger
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) cardamom
• 1 tsp. agave

Ricki’s original recipe for Creamy Chai Carob Latte is a hands down winner, and I have to modestly say that my adapted recipe for Chai Chocolate Nog Latte falls into the same category, though I might not have created it without Ricki’s inspiration. The only thing that would elevate it to total red carpet stardom would be to dunk a few cookies into the chocolatey pool.

  Ellen Allard (www.glutenfreediva.com) is a freelance food writer and recipe developer specializing in gluten free recipes. She teaches gluten free baking and cooking classes that help empower people to learn to live a happy and healthy gluten free life. She is also part of a nationally touring musical duo with her husband - they perform concerts for young children and families and present keynotes for Early Childhood teachers on the importance of music for young children.

Labels: beverages