You wont believe how easy and DELICIOUS homemade Eggnog is, and this recipe really is the best! Thick and creamy with the perfect mild flavor and hint of nutmeg. You’ll never buy store-bought eggnog again!
Eggnog
I absolutely love eggnog! I have nothing against store-bought eggnog–we have it all the time in our fridge this time of year–but this homemade eggnog recipe is truly what dreams are made of! If you’ve ever thought you didn’t like it, you just have to try it made from scratch.
Several years ago I sought out to make homemade eggnog. My first attempt was not a success and left my husband cringing. Let’s just say that the completely “raw egg” method of making eggnog is just not for me.
I pressed forward, determined to succeed, and ended up loving this recipe from Cuisine at Home. I used ground nutmeg instead of fresh, because I always have ground on hand. I also ignored their ice-water bath suggestion and just refrigerated it instead.
The end result was liquid gold, and it’s become our family’s favorite eggnog recipe ever since! Seriously, this homemade recipe will “WOW” even the biggest eggnog snob!
This eggnog recipe is thick, sweet, creamy and smooth, with the perfect flavor. It doesn’t contain alcohol (if you’d like to add some, read on for my suggestions), but we are non-alcohol drinkers at my house, and I wanted an eggnog recipe my kids can enjoy too.
How to make eggnog:
Start by whisking the egg yolk and sugar together in a small bowl. Then, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream, milk, salt, and nutmeg and stir the mixture until it just reaches a simmer. Next temper the eggs by adding small spoonfuls of the hot mixture to the egg mixture.
Stir each spoonful and once most of the hot mixture has been added, add the entire mixture back to the saucepan. Continue cooking and whisking for just another minute or two until it barely thickens. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Then remove it from the heat and add the vanilla. Refrigerate the eggnog mixture until chilled.
We like to serve it with a some whipped cream and an extra little dash of cinnamon and nutmeg on top.
What type of alcohol goes in eggnog?
If you would like to add alcohol to your eggnog, choose a drink with a high alcohol concentration to help counterbalance the sweetness of the eggnog. Common choices of alcohol to add to eggnog include brandy, rum, bourbon or whisky.
Consider trying these eggnog inspired recipes:
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
The BEST Homemade Egg Nog recipe! Thick and creamy with the perfect mild flavor and hint of nutmeg. You'll never buy store-bought eggnog again!
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon , for topping
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and creamy.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, milk, nutmeg and salt. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare simmer.
Add a big spoonful of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Repeat, adding a big spoonful at a time, to temper the eggs.
Once most of the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the saucepan on the stove.
Whisk constantly for just a few minutes, until the mixture is just slightly thickened (or until it reaches about 160 degrees F on a thermometer). It will thicken more as it cools.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the eggnog into a pitcher or other container and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate until chilled. It will thicken as it cools. If you want a thinner, completely smooth consistency, you can add the entire mixture to a blender with 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk and blend until smooth.
- Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and fresh whipped cream, if desired.
Store homemade eggnog in the fridge for up to one week.
Recipe Video
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Lady of Perpetual Chaos says
We love eggnog but I’ve been hesitant to make a homemade version because of the raw egg. I’ll have to give this a try!
shanon says
I do use the raw eggs, because I go out and collect them that morning! I buy raw milk from a local dairy to go with it. Unfortunately, I have to use completely ‘dead’ overheated ultra pasteurized cream 🙁 Oh well. I just use less of it and more milk than recipes call for.
I wouldn’t use raw eggs if they came from a store though.
sonya leitner says
How could i get this a little thicker?
Lauren Allen says
Cook it longer 🙂
Melissa Rodriguez says
Leave it without stirring in the stove but low heat
Bri says
No.. never leave it without stirring! Treat it like a creme anglaise and stir continuously under low heat until it coats a wooden spoon.
D.T. Nelson says
most eggnog and boiled custard (a similar variant found in Tennessee and Kentucky) use a few tsp of cornstarch added to the egg/sugar mixture.
Katherin Tolman. says
I don’t know. My self I think I’d like it a little bit thinner. I ‘m just trying to remember a version you Dad made when I was a was a child 💰!! 😃⛄️🎅🏻🎄👍
Sallie says
More cream less milk
margotgn says
We make homemade Irish Cream every holiday season. It actually kicks off the season for us on done random Saturday morning. I do use raw eggs in it. Maybe it’s my farm upbringing but raw eggs don’t bother me at all although I know all the warnings. I’m 55, from a large extensive daily of raw cookie dough eaters and don’t know of anyone who has ever gotten sick. It’s hard to be a believer. A rare steak makes me much more anxious!
kimberly holly says
Yum ,homemade Irish cream sounds so good. I never use raw eggs ,only because my little boy is allergic to eggs and im afraid he might happen to get into stuff. He has gotten into the fridge at night and decided to make a cake. We caught him before he ate thE “pudding” mix and eggs but still ended up in the ER just by handling raw eggs. He was one big welp . So if anyone has a child with bad allergies (our son has to get shots twice a week) be careful with raw eggs.
But man I tell you homemade Irish cream sounds delish!
Amanda says
I’ve made Irish Cream for years. I used to use raw eggs, but now I use Egg Beaters.
nicolthepickle says
I made this. So amazingly delicious. Thank you for the recipe. Off to make it for the second time.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for you comment! So happy you liked it! Homemade Eggnog is the best!
Megan S says
Is there a way you could make it just a little thicker? I mean like if your is a 3 make it a 6. Very small difference
Megan S says
I apologize for explaing it weird. I am still only a teen. And get very upset when I mess something up. Cooking is what I am going to college for. So thats why it stresses me out
Lauren Allen says
Hi Megan, thanks for commenting! That’s really awesome you are thinking of culinary school! The egg yolks are what thicken the eggnog (and the cream does a little as well.) I would add 1 additional egg yolk to make it thicker. Hope that helps!
Teyler says
I used an electric mixer to whip the egg yolk and sugar, and then again while adding the hot milk to the yolk mixture. Mine came out incredibly creamy and delicious. I ended up adding some milk later on to thin it out.
Cheryl says
This looks amazing and can’t wait to try! Can someone tell me if this recipe can be doubled? I would love to put it in a punch bowl for a party!
Lauren Allen says
Hi Cheryl, you could definitely double the recipe! Enjoy!
jasmine says
Can any kind of milk be used (whole milk, 2%, skim)?
Lauren Allen says
Yep–I used 1% –whole milk would obviously make it even creamier and yummier 🙂
Karen says
We love egg nog and the stores do not stock it after the holidays so I went online to find a recipe and came across yours and decided to dive in and go for it. We I did not have heavy cream and used half/half instead and I was not disappointed. We are happy… happy… happy… we can have eggnog anytime of year now!
Thanks. Karen
Colleen says
Thank you everyone’s comments made sense. On hand, the 2% milk and the half and half worked really great. Whipping the egg yolks ahead of time, stirring continuously, love the recipe. Added a little rum at the end. Made Philly (mushroom onion cheese pepper in Au jus sauce) steak hoagies to go with. Bake hoagies until crispy. Melt cheese on them at the end of oven toasting when very crispy. *spoon on with a lil bit of sauce. Pour remainder sauce in very small bowls. Thank you Lauren (beautiful name like Sarah, Melissa)
Suzie Adams says
I made this for our family on thanksgiving. Everyone loved it, now I’m making this for the neighbors . Can’t get enough taste so good!
Lauren Allen says
Yum!! I’m glad you liked it!! Nothing quite like homemade nog 🙂
Rebecca K says
I will be making this for my boyfriend for his birthday this week and cannot wait to try it out! Do you remember about how many ounces or cups it makes?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Rebecca, sounds like fun! It makes about 3 1/2 cups!
Jessie says
I’d like to make this for a party of about 15 people. When you say “serves 4,” how large are the servings? I’m afraid of having WAY TOO MUCH eggnog if I quadruple the recipe.
Lauren Allen says
Hi Jessie, it makes about 3 1/2 cups of eggnog! Hope you love it!
Jeanette says
I can’t wait to make this! My boyfriend and I moved to the Czech Republic last month for his job, and there is NO EGGNOG HERE!!! I drink it every Christmas and I think i’d become a scrooge without it. Thank you for sharing your successful recipes online. It’s people like you that make it possible for me to have home anywhere. =]! Happy Holidays!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for your sweet comment! I would die without eggnog too! haha Hope you guys love it!
Katie says
So I am dying to make this recipe! I have about a cup of milk and 3 cups of heavy cream…do you think if I flipped the amount for the milk/cream it would still taste like eggnog…or a giant cup of cream?
Thanks!
Lauren Allen says
Hi Katie–I would suggest just watering down the cream a little bit–use your 1 cup of milk. Then measure out 1.5 cups of heavy cream. Add 1/2 cup of water to the cream to make 2 cups. That should work great!
Jennifer says
I’ve never had eggnog except from a carton- didn’t like it. But I’ve been wanting to try it homemade bcz it seems so festive :). This recipe is perfect. I love it! Thank you for sharing.
Tracy says
If you pour the eggnog over peppermint ice cream, it makes a nice treat that even my non eggnog children like. If you want to make it like a punch, put the ice cream in the punch bowl and pour the eggnog over it, then pour Sprite over it. Candy cane stir sticks make it a little more festive.
nicolthepickle says
This is now my go to eggnogg recipe. I love it. Sometimes I add a little rum extract to it. Thank you.
Off to make it again right now.
nicolthepickle says
Ha, so I commented here before. Well it’s still good.
Lynna says
I have been looking for a recipe because my daughter is lactose intolerant. We’ve been able to find cream, milks, cheese, yogurt, and whipping cream, but no eggnog. I made your recipe tonight, and it’s fantastic. I tried some before it was completely cool, and loved it. I have a feeling I’ll be making lots of it this year. Thank you for sharing!
Lee says
I’m about lactose intolerant as well and wonder if you use actual dairy milk or if you use a milk alternative?
Amanda West says
I made this for a Christmas party last night. It’s perfect. Even one of my guests who hates eggnog decided to try a shot glass of it since everyone else raved about it and ended up filling an entire cup up with it. She actually said it tastes really good. I added just a touch of bourbon before chilling it. Thank you for this recipe. I have a feeling I will be making this multiple times this Christmas season.
Lauren Allen says
Hi Amanda, I’m so happy everyone at your party loved it! It’s so yummy, I feel like I can’t go back to store-bought now! Thanks for coming back to comment 🙂
Joy says
Pretty good recipie. My kids loved their egg milk lol I refridgerated it overnight, it was really thick. So I thinned it out with milk and it was still great!
Brenda Bynum says
I am ready to make that eggnog for the new year
LORRAINE BOUSCAYROL says
HI to all I did your recipe and is great!!
We did one like your recipe and then we did one with a little rum on it and it was a great hit on our party!!
Thank you so much!!
Julie says
I wish the consistency wasn’t like chowder! The taste is good, but I don’t know why the texture is thick and lumpy. I must have stood over the stove whisking like crazy for a good 40 minutes. Any advice?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Julie, It shouldn’t have taken anywhere near 40 minutes to cook. After you add the tempered eggs it should thicken slightly within just a few minutes, and it thickens even more after it cools. If you want a super smooth consistency I would suggest letting it cool, then add a few tablespoons of milk and pour it all into a blender. Blend for a few seconds and it should be perfectly smooth.
Virgie says
Hi, I tried this recipe but mine didn’t thicken. It’s been in the refrigerator for about 3hrs now and still hasn’t thickened up. Will it maybe take like overnight to get it thick? Or should I just scratch it and start over?
Lauren Allen says
Next time, make sure to cook it in step 2 until you see the mixture thicken slightly.
Michele says
Hi, How long will this keep in the refrigerator?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Michele, because it is cooked, it should stay good for at least one week in the refrigerator!
Heather L says
I’ve made this twice for my hubby. It turned out so great. I didn’t have heavy cream so I made it with 3 1/2 cups of whole milk with one stick of butter. It’s just as good and cheaper. Thanks for the tips on how to temper eggs. So many possibilities have opened up now.
Sarah says
This was FANTASTIC! I double the recipe and spiked it with Southern Comfort once it had chilled down. Great recipe! Thanks for posting!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Sarah! So happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Corissa says
Very Very thick.
I would not consider the eggs raw as they go through a cooking process in the end.
Im using this as a mix with Appleton’s rum. Don’t think I’d use this recipe again because its too thick.
I made some years back that was perfect, just never kept the recipe.
It is tasty .
Lauren Allen says
Hi Corissa, the longer you cook the mixture at the end, the thicker it will get. You can just thin it out with some milk.
Karen says
Hi, Lauren!
I made this last night and it is Wonderful!! My husband is an eggnog snob, but he really liked it!! We’ve had it both ways–plain and with Amaretto. YUM! Also, we are doing Keto, so I used powdered Xylitol. It’s just fantastic. I saw this by way of FB and am going to repost with kudos!! Thanks!
Lauren Allen says
Thank you so much Karen! I’m glad to hear it got your hubby’s stamp of approval too 🙂
Brittney says
It’s good dont get me wrong but for me it’s too sweet and not thick enough.
Lauren Allen says
Cook it a little longer it you want it thicker 🙂
Mj says
My son and I made it last night. It turned out A-MAZING! We followed the directions word for word . I was super excited when the eggs did not turn into scrambled. I’ve never tempered eggs before. This morning our egg nog is wonderfully thick and super delicious. Thank you thank you! Now I can impress our friends.
Lauren Allen says
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear it, and thanks for coming back to comment XOX
Miranda says
I wanted to try this. It’s my first attempt and I was wondering if the recipe is just calling for egg yolks, or the egg whites as well. Thanks
Lauren Allen says
Just egg yolks.
Susan says
I never made homemade egg nog before. Last year I made this recipe, it was so deliscious I will never buy store bought again. There is no comparison.
Emily says
Great recipe!! We loved it. So simple and delicious!!
Stephanie says
Made this last night and it was great!! Even though it was a bit chunky initially (and smelled like scrambled eggs… we didn’t temper the eggs fully because the bowl that the eggs were in was too small, plus I didn’t realize why that step was so important…!), tossing it in the blender with a dash of milk fixed it right up and had the added benefit of making it frothy on top. So good!
Pat jackson says
Hi Lauren my name is Pat Jackson I’m trying to make homemade egg nog I want a simple recipe and also want to know the best alcohol to put in please email me
Susan says
This recipe is the closest I’ve ever found to the way my grandmother’s tasted back in the 60’s when I was young. I love that it is so eggy tasting.
Barb says
I love your recipe and have a comment about making it thicker. Whip up the egg whites and FOLD them into the cooked eggnog. YUMMY, really thick.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks so much!
Robin says
Perfection! Exactly what I was hoping for. It’s my first time cooking eggnog and I really wanted the taste/texture I grew up with.
Thank you!!!
David P Hillesheim says
Wow great recipe!!! Better than anything in the store x 3
I don’t understand why people are concerned with raw egg yolks when you’re heating to 160*F
Lauren Allen says
Thanks David! I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Mike says
Quick funny story. Made eggnog yesterday for the first time ever using this recipe. Got distracted in the store when buying nutmeg and accidentally picked up mustard seed. Didn’t notice until I was done and chilled it and took a drink! Let’s just say I don’t recommend it….at all!
Made it again with the correct ingredients. It’s delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’m sure this will become a holiday tradition for my family especially since the kids enjoyed helping with the whisking….and the tasting!
Thanks again!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for sharing! I’m so glad it turned out for you despite the mustard seed mistake :).
Mike says
I meant to reply with this sooner….
A tradition we have during the holidays is making eggnog biscuits. This recipe made the best eggnog biscuits I’ve ever made/had.
Thanks again for the recipe!
William E. Spencer says
Can I use Splenda in place of sugar?
Lauren Allen says
I haven’t tried it but I think it should work fine. 🙂 enjoy!
Jo says
I have a similar recipe that my Grandma made. It includes a box of vanilla pudding and uses raw egg whites. It is called float pudding.
Beth says
This was great and I made it low fat and sugar free by doing it with truvia, fat free half and half and fat free milk. It was an experiment because I am on Weight Watchers. It came out fantastic!!! Couldn’t believe it. Thick and creamy.
Vera says
Would honey work in place of the sugar? Has anyone tried this?
Vera says
Back to report honey definitely works. And oh MY, this eggnog is delicious.
I used a little over 1/3 cup raw honey and added 1/2 tsp more nutmeg, as well as 1/4 tsp cinnamon before cooling the eggnog.
After cooling it overnight, I found the eggnog to have almost the consistency of ice cream (not a bad thing), which was perfect for my coffee. I blended the mixture with whole milk (50:50) and it was the perfect consistency for drinking–still a bit thick, and slightly frothy from blending.
THANK YOU. I’m actually in my kitchen making this again as I type this.
Stacy Dawn says
I waited until the last minute to buy my childhood favorite Christmas drink..eggnog. Store shelves were empty! So I pulled up recipes while in the store and this was the first one that popped up. I bought the cream and headed home. I will never buy store bought again! This recipe makes the most delicious nog I have had yet. Such simple ingredients and so quick and easy to make. It thickened in the fridge but, as the recipe stated it was easy to thin down with a little milk. Beautiful beautiful recipe! Will pass down to my kids.
Jeannene says
We were in the store, went to grab eggnog for my 83 year old Dad, and they were sold out, as he said they have been all season. Sooooooo… I pulled out my phone, found this recipe, grabbed the ingredients (enough to double) and made it last night.
WHOA! We are NEVER BUYING EGGNOG AGAIN! 😍 Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipe!
Tiffany says
This is the first time I’ve ever had and made eggnog, and I am so happy I used this recipe. I followed it exactly, and my whole family LOVED it. I did add a splash of vanilla whiskey in for those that wanted it. It was so creamy yet not too sweet. It was the perfect addition to our Christmas meal. Thanks For sharing Lauren!
Sarah says
I want to try this recipe, as Costco was out of eggnog when I was there today. But I am scared. Rawish eggs? No no no, not at all. It’s a great fear of loving it too much and having it available year round… And I’m already heavier than I’ve ever been.
AHHHH I don’t know what to do!!!
Lauren Allen says
In step 5 the eggs are cooked to a safe temperature for eating.
MamaOf4 says
I don’t know what I did wrong, but it turned out to have the texture of pureed baby food. It wasn’t like egg nog at all 😭
Did I over beat the eggs? Maybe overheated it?? Help!
Lauren Allen says
My best guess is that your eggs were not tempered properly (step 3). You want to add the simmering milk just a little at a time to the egg yolks so that they don’t “cook” but slowly get warmed up by the milk, before being added to the pot. They may have also been overcooked in step 5.
You could try blending the batter in a blender with a little milk or cream.
MamaOf4 says
I only added 1/3 cup at a time to the eggs. Should the eggs have been room temperature? Would that help?
I may have overcooked it at the end because I am overly paranoid about raw eggs and I was making sure it reaches 160 degrees.
Jenny says
This is absolutely wonderful! I noticed a few comments mentioning the chilled eggnog was chunky – ours also was a little chunky once chilled. As suggested, we added a few tablespoons of whole milk and mixed it with a hand held immersion blender. Absolute perfection!
One note – if you have a candy thermometer, clip it to the side of your pan in the last step (careful not to let it touch the bottom) to cook to exactly 160°F.
Looking forward to trying this with some lower fat and calorie options as well. Thanks so much for the recipe and very thorough instructions!