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This homemade eggnog is a delicious holiday treat that can be made in 10 minutes! Thick, creamy, and perfectly spiced this is the best eggnog you will ever taste.
Our family has a fun tradition of enjoying eggnog every year as we decorate the tree and the rest of the house for Christmas!
And while we enjoy a warm mug of Mexican Hot Chocolate (especially when topped with some peppermint whipped cream!) eggnog is always top of our list when it comes to Christmastime.
This homemade version is so simple to make, with easy ingredients, and it tastes better than the store-bought version. Tempering the eggs gives a thick and creamy texture while the ground nutmeg, vanilla and rum extracts give the classic taste you know and love!
Eggnog Ingredients & Substitutions
- Whole Milk/Heavy Cream: Use your preferred choice of milk either dairy or non-dairy. You can also change the amounts of milk/cream used. If you swap some of the cream out for milk or use a lower fat milk, the less thick and creamy your drink will be.
- Eggs: The egg yolks help to thicken this recipe, I don’t recommend substituting the eggs in this recipe.
- Ground Nutmeg: Can be substituted with freshly ground nutmeg. You can also add a pinch of ground cinnamon for more spiced flavorings.
- Rum Extract: This rum extract adds the classic flavoring that most store-bought eggnogs have. You can omit this and only add the vanilla if desired.
How to make Homemade Eggnog
To begin, pour the milk and cream into a medium size saucepan and heat over medium heat until it just begins to warm. Add in the ground nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine. Continue to heat until the mixture just begins to bubble around the edges of the saucepan.
Meanwhile, add the egg yolks to a medium sized bowl. Mix together with a hand mixer or whisk. Mix in the sugar and continue to beat on for 2-3 minutes until egg mixture is thick and you can see ribbons as it mixes.
Once milk mixture is simmering, temper the eggs by ladling 2-3 spoonfuls of hot milk into the eggs while mixing continuously. Continue until egg mixture is pourable.
Pour the egg mix into the saucepan with the rest of the milk while whisking. Continue whisking until the eggnog reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F. Check the temperature, as this can happen immediately.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and rum extracts. Pour eggnog through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours before serving.
After chilling, whisk together again before serving. If it is too thick, you can add milk to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Serve
Serve the eggnog cold with a dollop of whipped cream. My kids also love when we add some colorful sprinkles on top. These dye-free Christmas sprinkles are a favorite!
Store
Store homemade eggnog in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy as is, or you can always use the leftovers in our Eggnog Latte, or in these Eggnog Waffles.
Freeze
Due to possible separating and changes to the texture it is not recommended to freeze this recipe.
Eggnog FAQs
The types of alcohol typically used in eggnog are brandy, rum, or bourbon. Add your alcohol after removing the eggnog from the heat along with the vanilla extract.
Some recipes do involve raw egg that is blended with the other ingredients. This recipe uses a method of tempering the eggs before cooking, which makes this safe for drinking.
As long as you are adding up to a 20% amount of alcohol, you can age it up to 1 year before enjoying according to a Serious Eats article about aged eggnog.
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Homemade Eggnog
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pour the milk and cream into a medium size saucepan and heat over medium heat.
- Add in the ground nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine. Bring this mixture to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, add the egg yolks to a medium sized bowl. Mix together with a hand mixer or whisk.
- Mix in the sugar and continue to beat on for 2-3 minutes until egg mixture is thick and you can see ribbons as it mixes.
- Once milk mixture is simmering, temper the eggs by ladling 2-3 spoonfuls of hot milk into the eggs while mixing continuously. Continue until egg mixture is pourable.
- Pour the egg mix into the saucepan with the rest of the milk while whisking.
- Continue whisking until the eggnog reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F. Check the temperature, as this can happen immediately.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and rum extracts.
- Pour eggnog through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours before serving.
- After chilling, whisk together the eggnog before serving.
- If eggnog is too thick, you can add milk to thin it out to desired consistency.
- Top with whipped cream when serving if desired.
Notes
- Whole Milk/Heavy Cream: Use your preferred choice of milk either dairy or non-dairy. You can also change the amounts of milk/cream used. If you swap some of the cream out for milk or use a lower fat milk, the less thick and creamy your drink will be.
- Eggs: The egg yolks help to thicken this recipe, I don’t recommend substituting the eggs in this recipe.
- Ground Nutmeg: Can be substituted with freshly ground nutmeg. You can also add a pinch of ground cinnamon for more spiced flavorings.
- Rum Extract: This rum extract adds the classic flavoring that most store-bought eggnogs have. You can omit this and only add the vanilla if desired.
- Store: Store homemade eggnog in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: We don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
