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.
Don't miss my Eggnog French Toast!
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Recipe
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
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
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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!!
EGGNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG
Came out creamy beautiful and delicious. Using it to also bake my sweet potato pie
I’ve never made eggnog before so I tried this recipe and it’s very good! I also added a tiny bit of rum extract as well. It’s very creamy and delicious.
I see lots of people saying to take their time with adding the mixture to the eggs. Any more specific guidance in that area? quarter cup a minute or every 20 seconds.
Mine hasn’t thickened in my first two tries and I’m trying figure it out.
When tempering the eggs the key is slow and steady. you’re warming them up gently so they don’t scramble. Try adding the hot milk mixture 1/4 cup at a time every 15–20 seconds, whisking constantly. Once you’ve added about half the milk this way, you can slowly pour in the rest while whisking.
Also, make sure you’re cooking it long enough after everything is combined. It won’t get super thick like pudding, just slightly thickened and able to coat the back of a spoon. A thermometer helps a lot—aim for 160°F. You got this!
-stacy
It’s good, but too sweet and it’s not as good as Darigold as much as hate to say it. Something is missing.
I substituted maple syrup for the sugar and used all whole milk and no heavy cream and it was just as thick as when I made with milk and cream. This is an absolutely delicious and easy recipe!
This turned out really good…. I did use whole eggs instead of just the yolks. Also, I didn’t have any heavy cream, so I used more whole milk powder (Nestle Kilm) than was needed for required reconstituted milk. I ran the finished product through a blender and then a strainer (this was unnecessary – there were no lumps).
I made it once and it was wayyy too sweet so for the second time, I cut the sugar in half and used two less egg yolks. Delicious!
Tried your recipe and the family loved it! I’m not an eggnog person, myself, but I served the nog with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled over top, as you suggested. It was a hit! I also used my mixer to whip it up, which made the process very easy and the nog very creamy. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
It turned out really well, even with three egg yolks, but it was a bit too sweet for me. I reduced the recipe by half and realized that 4 teaspoons of sugar is the perfect amount. I’ll give that a try next time, or perhaps swap in some maple syrup for a different flavor. I also added a splash of whiskey for a little extra depth!