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    Home > Indian Vegan Recipes

    Vegan Thandai

    Posted: Mar 17, 2022 ยท Updated: Mar 25, 2022

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Two silver glasses with vegan thandai on silver tray with nuts scattered around.

    Invoke the best of an Indian summer by sipping on a refreshing glass of vegan Thandai!

    Drinking a Thandai is like drinking an Indian sweet right out of a glass. This milk drink, infused with cooling spices, nuts and the delicate flavors of saffron and rose water, is especially popular at Holi, the Indian festival of colors, which celebrates the arrival of summer. For my vegan Thandai I infuse the spices and nuts with creamy oat milk and a touch of vanilla. No one you serve it to will be able to tell the difference, although you just might not want to share. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Front shot of two silver glasses filled to the brim with vegan thandai with saffron and nuts garnish and nuts and cardamom pods scattered around.

    The north Indian festival of colors, Holi, is a time to let your hair down and go full-throttle, not just with the colors you'd smear unabashedly on friend and foe alike, but also with the food and drink.

    There are perhaps as many sweet and savory edibles associated with Holi as there are colors in our world, from kachori to dahi bhalla to phirni and gulab jamun and many, many more. But one of my favorite foods to make around this time of year, not just because it's so delicious and so timely but also because it's so good for you, is this Vegan Thandai.

    Table of Contents
    • What is a Thandai?
    • Why you will love this vegan Thandai
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Thandai
      • Make the Thandai Masala
    • How to make a powdered Thandai Masala for longer-term storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More vegan drinks you might like
    • Vegan Thandai

    What is a Thandai?

    A Thandai translates from Hindi into a "cooling drink" and that's exactly what this is. Traditionally, in the north of India, a thandai is sipped to celebrate the advent of summer, which can be unusually harsh in that part of the world, and to keep one healthy and fit throughout the season.

    A version of Thandai consumed for Holi incorporates "bhang," a paste made from the leaves of the cannabis plant. Although cannabis is illegal in India, the traditional popularity of bhang during Holi has led to the government licensing shops in parts of north India where anyone can buy and consume it. Talk of religious loopholes. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Why you will love this vegan Thandai

    • It's delicious. There's no bhang in my vegan Thandai but it will still hook you and reel you in. The drink is refreshingly creamy and sweet and packed with layers of flavor from nuts like almonds, cashews and pistachios and spices like fennel, poppy seeds, peppercorns and a dash of saffron.
    • It's healthy. You heard that right. A Thandai is designed with specific ingredients that, together, do all sorts of good things to your body, like cool you down, improve your digestion, and infuse you with stamina. Yes, there are a few spoonfuls of sugar in this recipe but that only makes this delicious concoction go down even more delicously. And if you are a stickler you can replace the sugar with dates or maple syrup or a sweetener like stevia or erythritol.
    • It's easy to make. Most of the work here is measuring and putting the ingredients in a blender, and warming the milk. It's incredibly easy and quite fool-proof.
    • It's everyone friendly. This vegan Thandai recipe is gluten-free and soy-free. If you are nut-free you can skip the nuts and use more pumpkin seeds (or watermelon seeds if you have them).
    Overhead shot of two silver glasses of thandai with oat milk, saffron strands, almonds and pistachios.

    Ingredients

    • ยฝ cup blanched almonds
    • ยผ cup raw cashews
    • ยผ cup raw pistachios
    • 2 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds (or watermelon seeds)
    • 2 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
    • 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds. Try and use the white poppy seeds (khus khus) that are typically used in Indian cuisine. These are available online and I will leave an affiliate link in the recipe card but you will get a better price at an Indian store.
    • ยฝ teaspoon black peppercorns
    • ยฝ teaspoon saffron strands
    • 12 green cardamom pods (peeled, use the seeds only)
    • ยผ cup rose water
    • 6 cups oat milk. Almond milk is okay but not desirable because it is very thin and doesn't have the right texture. Also you need to boil the milk and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes with the thandai masala and almond milk can split easily when boiled. Oat milk works perfectly and has the right flavor as well.
    • ยฝ cup sugar. Start by adding ยผ cup, taste, and add more if needed. You can add more than ยฝ cup if you like the thandai very sweet, but for me ยฝ cup hits the sweet spot.
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. This helps round out the flavors so be sure to use it.
    • A few more chopped nuts and saffron strands for garnish (optional). You can also scatter dried rose petals or chopped dry fruits for a truly festive touch.

    How to make Thandai

    Make the Thandai Masala

    • If you only have almonds with the skin on, blanch them by soaking the nuts in boiling water for ยฝ hour. Drain and peel--the skins should pop out quite easily.
    • Place all the nuts, pumpkin seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, peppercorns, saffron, cardamom seeds, rosewater and ยฝ cup of oat milk in a blender.
    • Blend into a coarse paste. This Thandai Masala can be made up to three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. I'll also give you instructions below on making a dry Thandai Masala that can be stored for longer.
    Ingredients for thandai masala in blender, including pistachios, cashews, fennel, saffron, almonds and more.
    Blended thandai masala in blender.
    • To make the vegan Thandai, place the remaining oat milk in a saucepan. Add the Thandai Masala and mix well. Bring the oat milk to a boil over medium-low heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the milk and nuts and spices infuse for 8 minutes. Stir frequently to ensure nothing sticks.
    Oat milk on stove with thandai masala added to it.
    Thandai cooking on stove.
    • Stir in the sugar, turn off the heat, then add the pure vanilla extract and mix.
    • Strain the Thandai using a fine mesh strainer. Chill.
    • Serve garnished, if you wish, with more nuts and strands of saffron.
    Sugar and vanilla added to thandai on stove.
    Vegan thandai served in two silver glasses on a silver tray with nuts scattered around.

    How to make a powdered Thandai Masala for longer-term storage

    • To make a powdered thandai masala, use storebought blanched almonds rather than making your own.
    • Place the almonds along with the other nuts, seeds, peppercorns and cardamom in a dry skillet over low heat.
    • Roast for 5 minutes or until the mixture is aromatic and barely changing color.
    • Remove to a plate and let the nuts and spices cool.
    • Place in a blender or spice grinder and blend to a fine powder.
    • You can store this powder in a cool, dark place for up to three months. Even better, store it in the fridge.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    I am nut-free. How can I tweak the recipe?

    If you are nut-free, replace the nuts with ยพ cup pumpkin seeds. You can also use a mix of pumpkin and watermelon seeds. Proceed.

    How far ahead can I make the thandai?

    You can make this up to three days ahead and store it in the fridge.

    Can I use a natural sweetener or an artificial sweetener?

    You can substitute the sugar with stevia or erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Or you can add 12 or more dates to the blender when you make the thandai masala. Keep in mind this will change the color of the thandai from a pale green-yellow to a darker shade.

    Can I serve this for dessert?

    Yes absolutely! You can serve the thandai chilled for dessert. Or top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for a treat your kids will love.

    More vegan drinks you might like

    • Vegan Cutting Chai
    • Turmeric Ginger Tea
    • Vegan Watermelon Smoothie
    • Vegan Mango Lassi
    • Aam ka Panna (green mango cooler)
    Closeup of a silver glass with vegan thandai garnished with saffron and nuts with another glass in background.

    Vegan Thandai

    Drinking a Thandai is like drinking an Indian sweet right out of a glass. This milk drink, infused with cooling spices and nuts and festooned with saffron, is especially popular at Holi, the Indian festival of colors, which celebrates the arrival of summer. For my vegan Thandai I infuse the spices and nuts with creamy oat milk and a touch of vanilla.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Beverage
    Cuisine: North Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Vegan Thandai
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Total Time: 15 mins
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 356kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Equipment

    • Blender
    • Saucepan

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • ยฝ cup blanched almonds (you can buy the almonds already blanched or blanch them yourself. To blanch almonds with the skin on, soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain and peel.)
    • ยผ cup raw cashews
    • ยผ cup raw pistachios
    • 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (or watermelon seeds)
    • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
    • 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds
    • ยฝ teaspoon black peppercorns
    • ยฝ teaspoon saffron
    • 12 green cardamom pods (use the seeds only)
    • ยผ cup rose water
    • 6 cups oat milk
    • ยฝ cup sugar (Start by adding ยผ cup, taste, and add more if needed. You can add more than ยฝ cup if you like the thandai very sweet, but for me ยฝ cup for 6 servings hits the sweet spot.)
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place all the nuts, pumpkin seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, peppercorns, saffron, cardamom seeds, rosewater and ยฝ cup of oat milk in a blender.
    • Blend into a coarse paste. This Thandai Masala can be made up to three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. For instructions on how to make a dry Thandai masala that can be stored for longer see notes.
    • To make the vegan Thandai, place the remaining oat milk in a saucepan. Add the Thandai Masala and mix well. Bring the oat milk to a boil over medium-low heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the milk and nuts and spices infuse for 8 minutes. Stir frequently to ensure nothing sticks.
    • Stir in the sugar, turn off the heat, then add the pure vanilla extract and mix.
    • Strain the Thandai using a fine mesh strainer. Chill.
    • Serve garnished, if you wish, with more nuts and strands of saffron.

    Recipe notes

    • Nutritional facts include nuts but keep in mind that some of these values could be lower, including the total calorie count, because a lot of the solid matter of the nuts is strained out.
    • You can make the thandal up to three days ahead and store it in the fridge.
    • To make a powdered thandai masala for longer-term storage, use storebought blanched almonds rather than making your own. Place the almonds along with the other nuts, seeds, peppercorns and cardamom in a dry skillet over low heat. Roast for 5 minutes or until the mixture is aromatic and barely changing color. Remove to a plate and let the nuts and spices cool. Place in a blender or spice grinder and blend to a fine powder.ย You can store this powder in a cool, dark place for up to three months.ย 
    • If you are nut-free, replace the nuts with ยพ cup pumpkin seeds. You can also use a mix of pumpkin and watermelon seeds. Proceed.
    • You can substitute the sugar with stevia or erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Or you can add 12 or more dates to the blender when you make the thandai masala. Keep in mind this will change the color of the thandai from a pale green-yellow to a darker shade.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 518IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 425mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    Hi! I am so happy you're here. I'm Vaishali, and I've been sharing recipes for delicious vegan food at Holy Cow Vegan since 2007. Every one of the more than 1,000 recipes on this blog has been tried and tested -- and loved -- by my family and I. I hope you will find something here to share with your loved ones. Thanks for stopping by!
    Read more about me here.

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    Comments

    1. nalini

      March 18, 2022 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      Where can one find rose water? thanks.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        March 18, 2022 at 11:14 am

        Hi Nalini, If you live in the U.S. you could find it online or at an Indian grocery store. I do have an Amazon affiliate link in the recipe card but if you have access to an Indian or Pakistani store you are far more likely to get a better price. Make sure you check the label as not all rose water is edible.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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