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This delicious Jamaican Vegan Peanut Punch is a healthier twist on the traditional drink, featuring bold peanut flavors + optional rum. This vegan version boasts its creaminess, velvetiness, nuttiness, and generous play on warming spices and a hint of oats. Perfect for family meals or a great way to kick-start your morning! Completely Vegan, Dairy-free + Blender-free option!
Drinks have a special spot in my heart, especially when they let me channel my Jamaican roots into delicious recipes. This Jamaican Vegan Peanut Punch is a household favorite—it's creamy, rich, and oh-so-velvety. Plus, it's vegan + gluten-free, making it a hit with everyone, from the little ones to the grown-ups.
I always stash away leftovers of this in the fridge—it's just as tasty when you go back for seconds! And if you're curious about Jamaican eats, I've got you covered with 22 must-try jamaican dishes and a handy list of 10 go-to ingredients for whipping up Jamaican goodness in your kitchen.
Seriously, once you whip up a batch of this goodness, you'll want to make it a weekly ritual. And if you're up for more Jamaican-inspired drinks, my Vegan Jamaican Irish Moss Drink, Traditional Vegan Jamaican Carrot Juice and Jamaican Rum Cream are must-tries!
In Jamaica, the traditional peanut punch is known as the "adult drink" (aka Jamaican Strong Back) because it usually contains Guinness (and alcoholic beer) which gives the punch it's "burnt-like" flavor. In addition, peanut punch usually contains Supligen (a liquid energy + meal supplement), raw peanuts, oats, nutmeg, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and condensed milk. However, this recipe doesn't contain any alcohol which makes it perfect for the entire family!
When it comes to vegan punches (or drinks), using cashews as the creaminess factor is the secret sauce to it all. Yes, that’s right—-cashews. If I’m honest, I use cashews A LOT in my recipes, especially in my vegan recipes. When soaked and blended, it adds a nice creamy texture to anything.
Here's what you need to make this Jamaican Vegan Peanut Punch:
Here, I’ve curated a list of drinkware and mocktail essentials that I use to achieve my favorite drinking experiences, especially with this Jamaican Vegan Peanut Punch. Everything from my fave glassware, cocktail shakers, ice cube trays, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
First, I must let you know that Sweetened Condensed Milk is a canned milk that has 60 percent of it's water content removed, making it thicker in consistency.
Also, it has 40-45% sugar, making it a great sugar substitute in recipes that use sugar. More importantly, condensed milk creates a caramelized flavor along with it's sweetness, which give the dishes that require it, a beautiful kick of flavor.
That being said---I generally love using the original Sweetened Condensed Milk like the Eagle Brand's version, however, in this peanut punch recipe, I love using Edward's & Son's Let's Do Organic's dairy-free coconut version to make it vegan-friendly.
It is required that you soak your cashews for quite some time before blending. By soaking the cashews, you are softening them to prepare the nuts for blending. Without soaking your nuts, the nut milk would contain grit and a less pleasant texture. Soaking the nuts also creates a creamy texture that does not require straining the solids.
My preferred method of soaking my cashews is overnight at room temperature. I also cover the soaking container with plastic wrap so that everything stays really fresh.
If you do not have all night or many hours to soak your cashews, you can instead use boiling water. By using boiling water instead of room temperature, the nuts will soak much faster due to the presence of heat. Soak the nuts in the hot water for only 30 minutes before blending. While this is a great way of quickly soaking cashews, the overnight method produces the optimal texture + creaminess, in my opinion.
If for any reason you aren't able to use a blender, you can still enjoy this delicious Jamaican Vegan Peanut Punch. Instead, you can use a hand-mixer and have a perfectly whipped peanut punch drink on hand.
To start add your peanut butter or crush the raw peanuts (if using) or cashews a bit and add them in a deep bowl with the milk. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes so that they soften a bit more. Next, using an electric hand-mixer, whip on low-speed until nuts are blended in. Then add softened peanut butter (if using), vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, maple syrup, and dairy-free condensed milk and whip again until smooth and combined.
Add your peanut punch to your fave glass(es), top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream (optional), a few pinches of cinnamon or nutmeg and wallah!
I love using Peanut Butter and have always been a HUGE fan since I was a kid growing up. Honestly, I can only eat chocolate (and truly enjoy it) when there's peanut butter involved. Anyone else can relate?
While traditional peanut punch contains raw peanuts, if for any reason you don't have any on hand and still want to enjoy this drink, substituting them with organic peanut butter works and gives you some of the health benefits as raw nuts would.
So, of course, having this drink mostly made of peanut butter was a WIN, WIN for me! Haha. Usually, I enjoy using Justin's Peanut Butter, but on my recent trip to the Organic Market, I came across Earth Balance's Peanut Butter with Flaxseed and I had to give it a try! Thank goodness I did! It's so tasty! Plus, it comes loaded with Omega-3, Sweetened with Agave, 0 grams of trans fat, and a host of other things that makes it a great Vegan option!
OK, so in case you aren't too familiar with this drink, let's talk about it. As I mentioned previously, traditional peanut punch is considered "Jamaican Strong Back" for this main reason: it has it's advantages for men. There is a notion that this drink (when made traditionally) helps to enhance sexual performance, perhaps because it's said to increase testosterone levels. How? Mainly because of the health benefits of peanuts themselves, which include:
Vitamins + Minerals --- i.e. Vitamin E which has antioxidant, Magnesium which is important for muscle function + energy production, and a host of other things.
Niacin --- An excellent source of this important B Vitamin that helps to convert food into energy, aides in digestion, the nervous system, and helps with the skin.
Biotin --- Contains an excellent source of biotin, which enormously helps with physiological well-being.
Protein --- Protein is essential for building and repairing body cells.
Absolutely! If you’d like to switch things up with the type of plant-based milk that you use—–that’s totally fine! The world of plant-based milk is constantly expanding. From the classics like coconut milk, cashew milk, soy milk and almond milk, we now have delicious options like oat milk, and even potato and quinoa milk.
When properly stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed jar, leftovers lasts for 3-4 days. NOTE: Ensure that you do not store leftover peanut punch with any ice as this will "water down" the drink greatly. Always only add ice when serving.
Yes! Instead of maple syrup, you can use substitute sweeteners like honey or Meedjol dates, if preferred.
Yes, you can prepare vegan peanut punch ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. Just be sure to give it a good stir before serving, as some separation may occur due to the natural ingredients.
If you're loving this Jamaican Vegan Peanut Punch, then you're sure to enjoy these other options as well:
If you tried this Jamaican Vegan Peanut Punch recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea! I love hearing from you!
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Jamaican Vegan Peanut Punch.
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This is great recipe! I have a smoothie of some sort daily, so I was looking for a new recipe and came across this one. It was so tasty! I'll be making this one again, thanks!
Thanks so much, Kristine! I think that You'll definitely enjoy this one! Be sure to let me know how you like it!
These photos look fabulous! I need this right now and everyday for breakfast!!
Thanks so much, Jillian! It really is the perfect breakfast treat!
Peanut butter and banana are heaven to me!! This is one of my fave shakes. I'll have to try it with the Earth Balance peanut butter.
Yes! They really are a great combo, right? Trust me, the Earth's Balance version is so good! Plus, I love the addition of flaxseeds, although you don't taste it!
This peanut punch has to be the perfect start to the day! I love how quickly it comes together. Your photos do full justice to it. I want to make it now!
Thanks so much, Saima! I do hope that you get a chance to try it! It's SO good!
So creamy and delicious! Love that this uses pantry ingredients. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yes! It's so easy and quick to make! I hope that you get a chance to give it a try!