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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! For a fun flavor twist, try my Pumpkin Spice Eggnog recipe!
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.
Don't miss my Eggnog French Toast!
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Homemade Eggnog
Ingredients
- 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
- alcohol, optional, see note
Instructions
- 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 a minute or so, 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, and alcohol*, if using.
- Pour the eggnog through a fine mesh strainer 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 or nutmeg, and fresh whipped cream, if desired.
- Store homemade eggnog in the fridge for up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
This is my second time making this and it is so good! I made homemade whip cream with it and it literally tastes like ice cream!!
Can I ask how you made whipped cream from
This? Wouldn’t the added milk and ingredients to the cream make the eggnog not able to whip up into a fluffy whip cream? Ty! 🙂 I’d love to learn
She made whipped cream to accompany the drink.
You add the whipped cream to top it off at the end when your put it in your glass.
If you’d like eggnog flavored whipped cream you can add eggnog syrup or extract instead of vanilla to your whipping cream
Ummm, it’s exactly the same recipe for an ice cream base that NYT Cooking uses. Unfrozen nutmeg ice cream.
That’s because the custard for homemade ice cream is the same as the custard for egg nog, pudding, custard pie.
I made this eggnog for Christmas Eve. It is out of this world delicious!
Oh. My. Word. So delicious and so easy! As others have said…I’ll never buy eggnog again! Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh wow!!!! This is awesome!!!! My husband loved it!!
Hi, How long will this keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Michele, because it is cooked, it should stay good for at least one week in the refrigerator!
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?
Next time, make sure to cook it in step 2 until you see the mixture thicken slightly.
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?
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.
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!!
I am ready to make that eggnog for the new year
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!
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.
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 🙂
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!
I’m about lactose intolerant as well and wonder if you use actual dairy milk or if you use a milk alternative?
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.
Ha, so I commented here before. Well it’s still good.
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.
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.