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!
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
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.
This post contains affiliate links.
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’m not sure what happened, but this did not turn out for me. My new son-in-law to be loves egg nog, so I thought I would surprise him and make some. I followed the recipe to the letter, but when we tasted it, we both agreed it would be more suitable as a filling for a donut than for drinking. This tasted NOTHING like egg nog. What went wrong?
This is by far the best recipe and very easy to make! My son and husband absolutely loved it and now I’m going to have to make it on demand!
will this work with plant based milk?
will this work with plant based milk?
I am allergic to milk so I used a coconut water/almond milk blend. Halfed the recipe. Threw it all in the Blendtec. Halved the sugar as well 1/8 cup. Nomnomnom. So refreshing
Excellent!! Thanks for the recipe.
Absolutely amazing! I’m hooked. Mine did turn out pretty thin… any ideas how to make it thicker?
With the egg whites make a stiff peak meringue with about 2 Tbl sugar. Whisk that into the mixture.
How many 6 oz servings does this recipe make?!
About 4 1/2.
Excellent. We tried to find some at the local grocery store but all the fake flavoring they add makes it gross. We have farm fresh eggs so it was a dark rich color. Easy to make and quick. Thanks.
This looks so good! I’m planning to make it for our Christmas Eve fondue dinner party this year. The idea of the eggs being cooked is great for me since I’m pregnant this year! I was just wondering, do you have an approximate amount of how many do ozs this makes? (Preferably before the alcohol is included as we’ll be leaving that out for people to include as they want.) I see it’s 6 servings but I’m not sure how many ozs you’re considering per serving. I have a specific pitcher in mind to use and would like to fill that up (it’s 48 ozs) as we’ll have a good sized crowd coming this year. I think I’ll start by doubling the recipe and see where that gets me.
Thanks!!
You know, I just realized that you don’t even have the alcohol included and you’ve already answered my question in a previous comment! I’m sorry, please ignore me and my pregnancy brain! Can’t wait to try this soon!
i make this with fat free half and half, skim milk, and truvia. it’s still amazing!!
So… If we add booze? what is people’s favorite and when and how much to add?
I believe that is up to personal taste.. Our family adds 1 to 1 1/2 cups of brandy or dark rum to the recipe, but I have also served the eggnog without the brandy or rum and let the company add what they want such as Bailey’s or Kahlua.
I like to add a shot of fireball cinnamon whiskey, stir and sprinkle some cinnamon and nutmeg on top for garnish. It’s off the hook!
Mine is Brandy and I Love it.