Whisky Sauce is a traditional Scottish recipe, usually served on Burn’s Night and usually loaded with heavy cream. This veganified version replaces the cream with coconut cream (trust me, it’s AMAZING), making it paleo as well, apart from the whisky! This vegan Whisky Sauce without cream pairs perfectly with your favorite Scottish meal – haggis, neeps, and tatties!
I love making sauces – they really bring dishes together, like this haggis dinner. If you love sauces as well, my Loaded Vegan Queso Dip is super gooey and cheese-like, and if you’re making a burger, smother some BBQ Sauce with Sumac over it. SO good!
🏴 Vegan Whisky Sauce recipe
Happy Burn’s night! You can take the lassie out of Scotland, but you really can’t take Scotland out of me.
We’re celebrating Burn’s Night in lockdown this year, like hopefully every other Scot in the world, and luckily Newcastle is close enough to the border to have a great supply of my favorites like Irn Bru (okay, not really a favorite), and our local butcher even makes their very own haggis at New Year and for Burns night. It’s not Scotland, but Newcastle isn’t so bad!
This easy vegan whisky sauce recipe for haggis is perfect for dairy-free or paleo dieters who don’t mind adding alcohol while they’re cooking. It does have coconut cream in it (experimental much?) but it is surprisingly, taste-bud-explosions delicious. I’ll probably add it to other foods, it’s just so scrumptious. This whisky sauce without cream takes about 15 minutes to make. Perfect for whipping up right after the haggis is finished cooking!
And, of course, this whisky cream sauce is also low-carb! The whisky itself is zero carbs, along with coconut cream, stock, dijon mustard, and butter is naturally low carb, bringing this keto-friendly whisky sauce recipe to 2.2g net carbs per serving.
🗝️ Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Whisky: Just a wee dram of whisky will do for this vegan whisky sauce! Feel free to add more, of course.
Coconut Cream: There is no double cream in this recipe! I scraped the thick cream off of a can of coconut milk. It’s a perfect consistency and the flavor is surprisingly incredible! Oatly’s Creamy Oat Milk Cream is a decent substitute if you’re just looking for a vegan version of this recipe.
Mustard: A hint of mustard is all you need here for a slight kick of heat.
Stock: You can stir in either veggie stock to keep it vegan, or chicken stock would be great as well. Homemade of either is best but store-bought will work. Make sure it’s gluten-free if you’re gluten intolerant.
Black pepper: Crushed black peppercorns give this recipe for whisky sauce without cream the perfect peppery balance. It’s just right!
Butter: Plant-based or normal butter, it really adds amazing flavor to this whisky sauce!
🥣 How to make Vegan Whisky Sauce
1. Add the coconut cream, stock, and dijon. Firstly, add the coconut cream to a saucepan or pot over medium heat, followed by the vegetable or chicken stock, and then the dijon mustard. A large frying pan could also work for this dish.
2. Pepper and butter. Secondly, as the first ingredients start to melt and come together, add the butter and then the black pepper. Stir well.
3. Simmer. Next, allow the ingredients to come to a light simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
4. Thicken (optional): If you want this recipe to really thicken up like mine, add xanthan gum or corn starch here. Make a slurry by mixing some of the sauce with cornstarch or xanthan gum and then add it back into the pot, stirring well.
4. Cut the heat and add whisky. Finally, turn the heat off completely and add the whiskey to taste. Stir well. Adjust the salt and pepper seasoning to taste and serve!
🫙 Storage Instructions
Store any leftover whisky sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat it in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.
🍽️ What does this creamy Whisky Sauce go with?
Whisky Sauce is a savory traditional Scottish sauce that pairs with a variety of traditional and non-traditional dishes. Here are a few to give a go:
Serve haggis, neeps, and tatties with this delicious whisky sauce. Haggis is traditionally served on Burns Night, New Year’s Eve, and St. Andrews Day in Scotland.
Garlic steak bites or just a regular steak is so delicious with whiskey peppercorn sauce without cream!
Mashed or roasted potatoes for Sunday lunch, along with a budget-friendly roast beef or vegan roast.
Fish Pie. Need I say more? Creamy smoky fish topped with mashed potatoes and cheese. This dish definitely lends itself to some whiskey gravy.
Bangers & Mash, a classic combo. Serve it with this sauce to take it up a notch.
Start your day right by serving this whisky cream sauce with some crumbly sausage or sausage patties.
🥃 Does Whisky Cream Sauce have alcohol in it?
It’s not just a name, yes, whisky sauce does indeed have alcohol in it. If you’d like to retain the flavor but cook the alcohol out of the sauce, add the whisky earlier and allow the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes. It will still taste great!
🌱 Is there vegan haggis I can serve this with?
Yes! This is the perfect whisky sauce for haggis. You can try this recipe from The Pesky Vegan, however, if you’d rather have it store-bought, Simon Howie’s Vegetarian Haggis is vegan-approved!
😋 More vegan sauces you will love:
- Easy Homemade Guacamole
- Loaded Vegan Queso Dip
- The Best BBQ Sauce with Sumac
- Stout BBQ Sauce + 5 Ways To Use It
- Vegan Cranberry Sauce
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📖 Recipe
Whisky Sauce (without cream) Recipe
Ingredients
- 207 g 1 cup coconut cream from a can of coconut milk, (see note 1)
- 50 ml stock vegetable or chicken stock, just over 1/4 cup
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter regular, plant-based, or ghee
- 1-2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- Generous amount of pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or corn starch to thicken optional
- 2-3 tablespoons whisky see note 2
Instructions
- Combine the coconut cream, stock and dijon mustard into a pot, saucepan, or large frying pan over medium heat, and allow them to melt together.
- Add in the butter and then the pepper. Stir well.
- Allow the ingredients to come to a light simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Optional: remove a little of the sauce into a small bowl along with xanthan gum or cornstarch. Stir together into a paste, and then mix in a little more sauce before pouring it back into the pot and stirring well until thick.
- Turn the heat off completely and add the whiskey to taste. Stir well. Add a little more dijon, pepper, and some salt if needed. Enjoy!
Notes
- Coconut cream: I added all of the top hard cream from one can of chilled coconut milk. It came to 207g. A little more or less won't hurt, just avoid adding the clear liquid. Oatly's Creamy Oat Cream is a good substitute if needed or preferred.
- Whisky: I added 2.5 tbsp of whisky. I've seen people add as much as 4 tbsp – start with less and add more if you want more flavor.