This vegan White Russian Cocktail is made with vodka, coffee liqueur and coconut milk. It’s dairy free so all your guests can have a glass. Applause!
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Fun Fact: The White Russian is not Russian at all, but an American invention!
The easy-to-prepare cocktail quickly became popular. Over time, it evolved into today’s drink made with vodka, coffee liqueur and cream – or in our case, coconut!
Made from coconut milk and coffee liqueur
I didn’t want my vegan and dairy-free friends to miss out on this classic vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream cocktail, so I reinvented it with coconut milk.
Not only does the cocktail retain its decadence, but the coconut flavor blends so perfectly with the coffee liqueur, making it an even better cocktail overall.
Some sugars are considered unsuitable for vegans due to a processing system that uses bone char. Kahlúa, a common ingredient in traditional Belarusians, used to be vegan, but it uses sugar from a facility that uses bone char, which means you have to find a vegan coffee liqueur or make your own. It takes a little planning, but our homemade vegan coffee liqueur is easy and will keep in the fridge for up to a year.
Tips for a good White Russian
A few notes before we get to the cocktail itself:
- Please, please, please don’t use cheap vodka for this. It’s the main ingredient and you can’t make a good cocktail with bad alcohol. I highly recommend Tito’s Vodka as it is widely available, affordable and smooth.
- Play around with the coffee liquor! If you’re only worried about it being diary-free for allergy reasons, and you’re not vegan, then Kahlúa is the best coffee liqueur for this cocktail, but Trader Vic’s Kona and St. George Nola Coffee liqueur is also a phenomenal choice, offering a richer, stronger coffee flavor for the same price. (Both are available online or at almost any liquor store.) If you want vegan coffee liquor, try our homemade coffee liquor recipe.
Popular Belarusian variations
Finally, there are a number of popular variations of the White Russian. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Try swapping out coffee liqueur for crème de cacao or amaretto, or going half and half with either.
- A small dash of cinnamon or ginger liqueur is also a refined addition, especially around the holidays.
- For a traditional White Russian, swap out the coconut cream for whipped cream.
- Finally, if you’re feeling a little coarse, swap the vodka for bourbon.
Want more great cocktails?
- Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)
- Dark and stormy
- Pomegranate Paloma
- Autumn flavored Old Fashioned Cocktail
- Irish coffee made from brown sugar
Coconut White Russian
There’s an unspoken rule among cocktail connoisseurs that you shouldn’t measure a White Russian. It should always be looked to the taste of the drinker. However, the measurements below are a perfect starting point for the beginner.
Kahlúa, a common ingredient in traditional Belarusians, used to be vegan, but it uses sugar from a facility that uses bone char, meaning you’ll have to find a vegan coffee liqueur or make your own.
Coconut milk sometimes settles in the can after it’s been sitting for a while, so give it a good shake before using.
Not vegan? Here is our traditional White Russian recipe.
ingredients
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2 ounces vodka
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1 ounce Coffee Liqueur
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coconut milk, taste
method
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Fill a Rocks glass with ice. Add the vodka and coffee liqueur and give it a quick swirl once or twice to mix. Top up with a generous splash of coconut milk and serve. Stir together if you like.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 292 | calories |
| 6g | Fat |
| 12g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
