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Homemade Peanut Punch (dairy-free)

Peanut punch is a popular drink in the Caribbean. Super simple to make with ingredients you likely have at home, you can easily tweak the recipe to suit your tastes.

Two glass bottles filled with homemade peanut punch. A straw is in each bottle. A bottle of maple syrup, a small bowl of toasted oats and a whole nutmeg are in the background.

To me peanut punch tastes like childhood. It’s a popular drink in the Caribbean, namely Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, that sometimes includes rum. My version does not. The basic recipe is incredibly simple and just requires a blender, making it easy for even a child to make. People often ask if peanut punch is a healthy drink, and while healthy is different for each person, I’ve tweaked this version with options for added nutrients.

What is in Peanut Punch?

Overhead shot of peanut punch ingredients on a wooden table top. Milk, peanut butter, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, salt, chia seeds, whole nutmeg and cinnamon sticks.

The typical basic ingredients in peanut punch:

  • Smooth peanut butter. Smooth peanut butter is best for a smooth, velvety drink but if all you have is crunchy peanut butter then go ahead and use that and blend the drink a bit more to smooth it out.
  • Milk. The kind of milk you use can vary – some people use evaporated milk and some will use whole milk.
  • Sweetener. Most often you will find condensed milk or sugar to be the chosen sweetener.

The adjustments I have made to my peanut punch recipe:

  • Non-dairy. To make a dairy-free peanut punch I used unsweetened oat milk instead of dairy. You could substitute coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk or another plant-based option. I like oat milk because it doesn’t add an additional layer of flavour as you might find with coconut milk.
  • Sweetener. I opted to use honey instead of condensed milk or sugar for my peanut punch. There are a variety of different sweeteners that you can use: maple syrup (this will add a maple flavour), dates or date sugar or date syrup, agave, and coconut nectar are just a few options.
  • Natural peanut butter. Natural, unsweetened peanut butter is my preference. If you only have sweetened peanut butter you can absolutely use it, but you may want to adjust the amount of added sweetener.
  • Chia seeds. Chia seeds are a simple extra ingredient that you can add in for a bit of extra nutrients and fibre . They do need to be blended in and will make the drink a bit thicker, so make sure you don’t overdo it.
  • Toasted oats. Flaked oats can add a bit of fibre and some other nutrients. I like to dry toast the oats before adding them to the peanut punch because the texture of raw oats is not to my liking. Toasting the oats does add a little bit of additional flavour.
  • Sea Moss gel. Sea moss gel is another ingredient that you can add into your peanut punch for some added nutrients. If you want to use sea moss, make sure you are using a gel or powder and not just tossing in whole pieces.
An overhead shot of two glasses of peanut punch with ice. In each glass is a red & white straw. Above the glasses is a bowl of peanut butter, cinnamon sticks and whole nutmeg.

How to make peanut punch

This recipe could not be easier to make. It’s as simple as putting all the ingredients into a blender, blending until smooth and then pouring over ice to serve.

Like many Caribbean recipes, there can be small differences in the recipe from family to family or who you are serving it to. Some people will always blend with ice to serve, some people add rum or Guinness (but if they are making it for kids they will leave this out), you can include protein powder or maybe you prefer it simple.

Whichever way you choose to make it, keep in mind that peanut punch has a peanut flavour. I know it sounds strange to stay that, but I’ve heard a few people say that they didn’t realize that peanut punch would taste so peanut-y.

Two glasses of homemade peanut punch over ice sits on a wooden table. In each glass is a red and white paper straw. Whole nutmeg is beside the glasses and a bowl of peanut butter is in the background.

Peanut Punch

Two glasses of homemade peanut punch over ice sits on a wooden table. In each glass is a red and white paper straw. Whole nutmeg is beside the glasses and a bowl of peanut butter is in the background.
Peanut Punch is a simple drink made in the Caribbean. Simple to make, this version is dairy-free and has some extra ingredients for added nutrition.
Prep Time 5 minutes
10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Serving Size 2

Equipment

  • 1 blender
  • 1 set of measuring cups
  • 1 set of measuring spoons

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oat milk Use milk (dairy) or milk alternative like almond milk, soy milk or coconut milk if you prefer.
  • 3 tbsp smooth, natural peanut butter unsweetened
  • 2 tbsp honey Use brown sugar, maple syrup, date syrup or sweetener of choice.
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg freshly grated
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch salt

Optional Ingredients

  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp toasted oats
  • 1 tbsp sea moss gel

Instructions

  • Add oat milk to a blender jar
  • Add peanut butter to the blender jar
  • Add honey to the blender jar
  • Add salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the blender jar
  • Blend on medium or about 30 seconds
  • Add ½ cup of ice and blend then serve. Skip this step if you prefer to pour the peanut punch over ice.

If using chia seeds or toasted oats

  • Add chia seeds or toasted oats to the oat milk
  • Blend on medium for 30 seconds to start breaking down the ingredients

Notes

Peanut punch notes:
  • If you are using sweetened peanut butter you may need to adjust the amount of added sweetener so that your peanut punch is not too sweet.
  • Whole nutmeg, freshly grated is the most flavourful but if all you have is ground nutmeg then use that.
  • Toasted oats vs raw oats. I don’t enjoy the mouthfeel of raw oats and find them pasty, but if you prefer you can use raw flaked oats.

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