Vegan White Russian Recipe

If you’re vegan with a taste for white Russians, you’ve come to the right place. Lose the cream and dairy-based coffee liqueur and make a cocktail that mixes well with your lifestyle. This vegan white Russian recipe will be the perfect balance of tasty, creamy, and cruelty-free to the highest degree.

Always creamy, rich, and tasty, we’ll teach you how to make the perfect vegan white Russian for the holidays, share with a vegan friend, or just enjoy one at home. This simple, three-ingredient vegan recipe is destined to be a fan favorite for the plant-based community.

Can White Russians be vegan?

While the traditional white Russian is nowhere near vegan (cream and dairy alert!), it’s incredibly easy to substitute dairy products for vegan-friendly milk or creams in this case.

The real kicker that makes a traditional white Russian non-vegan-friendly is because it uses cream or milk. But, come on. It’s 2022; who needs to do things traditionally? The easiest and tastiest way to substitute dairy products for vegan-friendly products is to use coconut cream and plant-based coffee liqueur. Here are the ingredients that need to be substituted to make your new favorite vegan white Russian. 

• Cream —> Coconut cream
• Traditional baileys —> Bailey’s Almande
• Vodka…well, the vodka you can keep

Swap these out, and you’ll be ready to roll.

Which ingredients are different in a vegan white Russian?

As stated above, the real difference between a traditional white Russian and a vegan white Russian is that a conventional white Russian uses dairy products. So naturally, there are pretty different ingredients in our vegan white Russian. Instead of cream and dairy-based coffee liqueur, we’ll use coconut cream and almond milk-based coffee liqueur. Don’t worry; you’ll still get the optimal creaminess. 

What coffee liqueur is vegan?

These days, there are a few coffee liqueurs that are vegan, but our favorite and one we’ll use in this recipe is Baileys Almande. 

Bailey’s Almande is the cream of the crop for vegan coffee liqueurs. It’s delicious, light, and made with almond milk. Seriously, it’s just almond milk, cane sugar, and water- it’s that simple. And trust us, the notes of nut and vanilla will add wonders to your vegan white Russian.

What are alternatives for heavy cream in a vegan white Russian?

Short answer? Any plant-based milk will do. Medium-longish answer? Coconut cream and Cashew milk. Hands down. 

Coconut cream has many of the same textures as regular cream and is even a bit sweeter. Cashew milk is known for its rich, textured flavor profile, and the creaminess you get, while it isn’t CREAM, will get you very close to the thickness you’ll miss without dairy. 

How to mix a vegan white Russian

To make the best vegan white Russian possible, it’s vital that you shake it, not layer it. Because of the overall nuttiness in the milk/cream you choose, you’ll want the ingredients to blend together better.

Add two large ice cubes to a tumbler. Large ice cubes will be essential to keep the drink cold for longer. Next, pour 1 oz of Vodka in, and follow that with 1 oz of Bailey’s Almande. Put the lid of the tumbler on, and shake Shake SHAKE! Once shaken, pour into a glass of your choice. Finally, add as much coconut cream as you want! We like to do 2 oz, but you’re free to add or subtract from there to make it as creamy as you want. It’s your life.