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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!!
I’ve tried this twice today was my 2nd time so we shall see. Not sure on the 1st time what went wrong. Followed recipe eggnog never thickened, tastes delishish so today I let it simmer a smidge longer on the stove before removing and adding vanilla it’s in the fridge now hasn’t thickened any yet but time will tell. Any suggestions?
I’ve run into that as well. It could be how old your eggs are or your thermometer or any number of things.
Having made this a few times I’ve found the mixture is usually already 160 when I return it to the pot. Even stirring it at that temperature over low heat for a few minutes it doesn’t get very thick after chilling.
I then started cooking it until it starts to thicken slightly, usually 170 degrees. You only need 160 to make the eggs safe, but at about 170 it creates a nicely thick final nog.
I have made this egging 3 times now and every time it’s absolutely delicious. Other recipes it would get to thick and just not have the same smooth consistency and delicious taste oh and thanks for the blender tip with a little added milk although I haven’t had to use it with this recipe. Thanks for posting this…every holiday I like to have brandy and eggnog this is perfect! 😁❤️
I followed recipe cooking til 160° F strained then cooling in fridge, didn’t thicken while cooking so we shall see how it does overnight tastes delishish added alittle more vanilla and nutmeg after it cooled in fridge my son loves eggnog so he tried a sip and said “I’m gonna drink it even if it doesn’t thicken” lol how easy would it be to double recipe?
Can you use half and half instead of heavy cream?
Sure–it will just be slightly less thick.
This tastes like Egg, and Milk. It’s really gross. I followed the instructions exact. Now it’s 2:30 a.m. and still can’t sleep because of the upset stomach and heartburn. 6 eggs is WAAAAY too many. And even with the eggs it’s still too white and milky. And no, I didn’t use extra large eggs, only large.
Sorry you didn’t like it Greg. The ingredients for eggnog are the same for making a custard–milk, eggs and sugar. It’s essentially just a softer version of a custard.
I am just asking to make sure that this is made w/o cinnamon. I have a family member that has an allergy
Sure! It will still be delicious. You could opt to add cinnamon on top of individual serving for those that are not allergic to it.
-Stacy
Great recipe
Easy and delicious
Great recipe
Thank you
Ruthanne Zanti
Delicious!!
I made this recipe and it tastes good be came out to thick it could pass for pudding I don’t know what i did wrong maybe e it’s the extra egg yolk I put in just one extra or I cook it to long I will try it again and just add 6 yolks and cook less time but thank you for sharing
It sounds like the extra egg yolk or cooking it a bit too long might’ve made it thicker, but you’re on the right track! Definitely try it again with fewer yolks and a shorter cook time—I’m sure it’ll turn out just right!