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You’ll never want the store stuff after making this creamy delicious eggnog at home, it is so easy to make, rich, and delicious. It can be made exactly as you like it for the perfect holiday drink. I like mine bursting with fresh nutmeg flavor!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!
Table of contents
The Best Homemade Eggnog
This eggnog is so easy to whip up, it takes less time to make then it takes to go to the store and buy eggnog! Plus we’re using eggs, sugar, cream, milk, and real spices – simple ingredients you probably have on hand already.
How To Make Eggnog
- Egg Yolks – for rich, delicious flavor, we need egg yolks that we will add to sugar, temper, then heat to 160 degrees for a perfect velvety texture!
- Sugar – granulated sugar gives a perfect sweet kick to eggnog.
- Milk – we use whole, but you can use whichever milk you drink.
- Cream – whipping cream helps eggnog thicken and get a perfect smooth texture!
- Nutmeg – fresh grated nutmeg is essential in eggnog – the fresher, the better!
- Cinnamon – a dash of cinnamon brings a comforting holiday cheer to this recipe.
- Vanilla – vanilla ups the comfort factor in our eggnog, making it rich, delicious, and addictive!
- Rum or whiskey – optional, can be mixed in after making.
Making eggnog is super simple, as long as you follow our steps below.
- Measure out all ingredients to help the process go more smoothly.
- In a bowl or medium sized pot, add egg yolks and beat with whisk or hand mixer.
- Stir in sugar, mix well to combine.
- In another pan, add milk.
- Then add cream.
- Stir in spices and vanilla.
- Heat cream and milk, while whisking vigorously, over medium high heat to hot – but NOT boiling. Be sure to take your time when tempering the eggs, as rushing them will result in scrambled eggs – instead of a smooth, velvety drink.
- Slowly temper eggs by pouring milk and cream mixture into eggs while whisking vigorously. Pour only a little bit of the cream and milk at a time, so you do not cook the eggs and make scrambled eggs!
- Whisk well when fully mixed.
- Return pot to stove and cook on medium heat, whisking vigorously, until eggnog thickens (about 4-5 minutes) – and reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit using a candy thermometer.
- Remove from heat and strain.
- Let cool in refrigerator.
Tips to The Best Homemade Eggnog & FAQs
You can find our web story for this post here.
Eggnog is simple to make, but there are a couple steps you need to take to ensure perfect eggnog, every time.
Taking time to measure out ingredients. I recommend setting everything out so you can dump them in when it is time for each step, so you can focus on whisking and tempering, heating to the right temperature quickly for the perfect smooth, silky texture.
Use fresh nutmeg. I know it might seem like using pre-grated nutmeg is a huge timesaver, but grating your own nutmeg over your eggnog adds SO much flavor – you will be blown away by the difference.
Try spiced rum. For even more flavor, try adding spiced rum to your eggnog if you’re adding alcohol.
Try it with cognac. Add a bit of sophistication to eggnog with a shot of cognac.
Use whole milk. We like the richness and flavor whole milk brings, we find skim too thin.
Add whipped cream. If you want to top your nog with tons of whipped cream, go for it!
Add star anise. We love a bit of anise flavor at Christmas, and a bit of grated star of anise brings a delicious spicy twist!
FAQs
Since eggnog contains egg yolks, it requires constant refrigeration.
If it is in temperatures above 40 degrees for more than two hours, it needs to be tossed. If it is in temperatures over 90 degrees for over an hour, it needs to be discarded.
Eggnog is made of dairy products that go bad – and when it goes off will likely be determined by the items you use. When eggnog goes off, it will smell sour and may look lumpy. However, if eggnog has been pasteurized, contains alcohol, and is refrigerated in an airtight container, it can last weeks. (There are some eggnog recipes that are aged for months even!)
We prefer using up eggnog within 2-3 days, but honestly, we’ve never made a batch of this eggnog and had leftovers to keep!
If you heat your eggnog over 160 degrees, you have pasteurized the eggs, eliminating the risk of salmonella, regardless of any alcohol additions you may have mixed in to your eggnog.
What to Serve With Eggnog
Eggnog is perfect at Christmas with holiday classics like The Best Ribeye Roast, Ham and Cheese Sliders, Easy Prime Rib, Roasted Cornish Game Hens, and Slow Cooker Orange Cranberry Ginger Glazed Ham.
We really, really, really love serving eggnog with Christmas sweets and treats though – favorites like The Best Easy Candied Almonds Recipe, Peppermint Buttercreams Candy, The Best Easy Chewy Sugar Cookies Ever Recipe, and some of our recent favorites:
For more cookies, visit our Christmas Cookies page!
The Best Easy Homemade Eggnog Recipe
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The Best Easy Eggnog Recipe
Equipment
- Soeos Organic Whole Star Anise 4 oz (114g), Whole Anise, Whole Chinese Star Anise Pods, Anise Seed Whole, Organic Star Anise Whole, Organic Star Anise Seeds, Star Anise Spice, Anis Star, Anis Seed, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Verified, Dried Star Anise Spice – Great for Beverages, Cooking, Baking
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a bowl or medium sized pot, add egg yolks and beat with whisk or hand mixer.
- Stir in sugar, mix well to combine.
- In another pan, add milk.
- Then add cream.
- Stir in spices and vanilla.
- Heat cream and milk, while whisking vigorously, over medium high heat to hot – but NOT boiling.
- Slowly temper eggs by pouring milk and cream mixture into eggs while whisking vigorously. Pour only a little bit of the cream and milk at a time, so you do not cook the eggs and make scrambled eggs!
- Whisk well when fully mixed.
- Return pot to stove and cook on medium heat, whisking vigorously, until eggnog thickens (about 4-5 minutes) – and reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit using a candy thermometer.
- Remove from heat and strain.
- Let cool in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Serve with a cinnamon stick and a bit of fresh nutmeg grated on top.
- Stir in a shot of rum or whiskey as desired.
- Can also be heated up to serve hot, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
