Homemade Eggnog Recipe (2024)

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Why buy eggnog when you can make homemade eggnog in under 5 minutes? This easy Amish recipeis versatile…sweeten and season to your liking. {And there’s a cooked eggnog option, too!}

Homemade Eggnog Recipe (1)

Homemade Eggnog Recipe

As I was planning my editorial calendar for the holiday season, I knew homemade eggnog had to be top on the to-make list. It’s one of Matt’s favorite holiday traditions, yet I had never made it for him because, well….it wasn’t one of my holiday traditions. He grew up enjoying glasses of eggnog alongside snickerdoodle cookies and this was a memory I wanted to bring back for him.

I flipped open my tattered, well-loved cookbook, looked up how to make eggnog and found an old traditional eggnog recipe. 7 eggnog ingredients that I already had in my refrigerator and pantry? No problem. I whipped it up in under 5 minutes, poured a glass for Matt {the official taste tester}. He thought it was amazingly delicious and fell in love with me all over again with just one taste.

End of sweet story, right?

Nope.

Homemade Eggnog Recipe (2)

How to Make Eggnog Safely

I was originally working on this story about 2 weeks ago and while typing, thought…maybe I should check and see how people deal with the raw eggs in eggnog? I mean, I eat raw eggs in cookie dough all.the.time {don’t send hate mail, please}. But I want to share recipes that are safe for you.

After a quick look at FoodSafety.gov, I knew I needed to rethink the completely raw eggs going in this special, creamy drink.

I’ve studied and tested recipes for the past week and have three options for you.

  1. Make the easy eggnog recipe with regular raw eggs. This is NOT recommended by FoodSafety.gov because of the risk of salmonella. That risk is relatively small, but is still there.
  2. Make the eggnog recipe with pasteurized eggs. Although this heating process kills any salmonella that might be present, the FDA and USDA still recommend cooking your eggnog. Sigh.
  3. Which brings us to the cooked eggnog recipe option. The homemade eggnog is totally safe for you to drink when it is cooked.

Homemade Eggnog Recipe (3)

I know that there will be some of you who say “Heck with it…I’m making it with raw eggs.” And I know there are some of you who will shout from the rooftops that you should NOT be drinking homemade eggnog that has not been cooked.

So I’ll share with you a quick 5-minute version that you can make using raw, pasteurized eggs….and then I’ll tell you how to make cooked homemade eggnog for the ultimate in food safety. Either way, this is the best

For the Quick Easy Homemade Eggnog Recipe:

Crack the pasteurized eggs into a bowl and whip them with a hand mixer until they are frothy on top and lemon in color. Only about 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice, salt, milk and cream. Beat it again for another 1-2 minutes. And you’re done. Pour yourself a tall glass of this cold eggnog and enjoy every sip.

For a Cooked Eggnog Recipe:

This recipe takes just a little more time but has only 6 ingredients. Do not add the lemon juice to the cooked eggnog. Trust me. It will curdle. Don’t ask me how I know.

Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it is about 115-120 degrees F. In another bowl, use a hand mixer to beattogether the eggs for 1-2 minutes or until they are lemon in color. Scoop ¾ cup of the heated milk and pour it slowly into the eggs, whisking constantly. This is called “tempering” the eggs. Now pour the egg/milk mixture slowly into the heated milk, whisking constantly. Add the sugar, nutmeg and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the temperature reaches 160 degrees F. This is a safe temperature for the eggs. The last step is chilling the eggnog. The cooked version will thicken as it cools, so I recommend drinking the eggnog sooner rather than later. If the cooked eggnog thickens too much, you can add milk (plus a bit more sugar and nutmeg) to get it to the consistency you like.

And that my friends….is all I have learned about eggnog in the past few weeks. It was more of a lesson than I thought I would learn.

But the recipe itself? Matt said it reminds him of his Grandma and that is a priceless reaction for me.

Be sure to read all of the notes to make this eggnog exactly how you like it!
If you love eggnog, try Eggnog Cream Cake!

Can you bake with eggnog?

Yes! Homemade eggnog might have a little bit of a different thickness than store bought milk or store bought eggnog, so a recipe might need a little tweaking. But in general, you can often replace milk with eggnog in baked goods. We’ve also found you can reduce the sugar slightly since eggnog is already sweetened.

What can you make with leftover eggnog?

Try making cheesecake, cinnamon rolls, bread, pancakes, muffins or even coffee cake or pumpkin pie. The possibilities are endless!

Homemade Eggnog

4.98 from 35 votes

Why buy eggnog when you can make homemade eggnog in under 5 minutes? This easy Amish recipe is versatile. Sweeten and season to your liking.

Servings 6 servings

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Print RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

  • 4 large pasteurized eggs
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are thick and lemon colored.

  • Whisk in the sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice and salt.

  • Add the milk and cream.

  • Beat with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes or until the eggnog is frothy.

  • Serve with ice. Makes 6 large glasses.

Video

Notes

  • Adjust the sugar to your liking. Add more or less.
  • You can also add a bit more nutmeg or even cinnamon if you'd like.
  • Want your eggnog creamier? Use more cream and less milk.
  • For a cooked eggnog, follow these instructions {the only ingredient you will not use is the lemon juice}:Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it is about 115-120 degrees F. In another bowl, use a hand mixer to beattogether the eggs for 1-2 minutes or until they are lemon in color. Scoop ¾ cup of the heated milk and pour it slowly into the eggs, whisking constantly. This is called "tempering" the eggs. Now pour the egg/milk mixture slowly into the heated milk, whisking constantly. Add the sugar, nutmeg and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the temperature reaches 160 degrees F. This is a safe temperature for the eggs. The last step is chilling the eggnog. The cooked version will thicken as it cools, so I recommend drinking the eggnog sooner rather than later. If the cooked eggnog thickens too much, you can add milk (plus a bit more sugar and nutmeg) to get it to the consistency you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 291mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 4.2mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Drink

Cuisine American

Calories 240

Keyword christmas morning, cooked eggnog, easy eggnog recipe, how to make eggnog

Have you tried this recipe?

Share a review below or share on Instagram with the tag #tastesoflizzyt.

Homemade Eggnog Recipe (6)

Homemade Eggnog Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in eggnog? ›

A traditional holiday drink dating back hundreds of years, eggnog is made with eggs (hence the name), milk, cream, spices like nutmeg and vanilla, and fortified with rum, whisky, and/or brandy.

What's the best alcohol for eggnog? ›

Rum is the classic alcohol to splash in a glass of eggnog. This pairing is so iconic that rum is often listed in many traditional eggnog recipes. If you'd like to add rum to your mugful, opt for a golden or dark rum. These kinds of rum have more depth of flavor than white rum.

What makes eggnog unhealthy? ›

“While there are different eggnog recipes, most eggnog will typically contain high amounts of fat from cream and milk, and added sugar for sweetness,” said Cohn. The American Heart Association recommends that people consume no more than 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat every day to support heart health.

How long does homemade eggnog last? ›

Cover and refrigerate.

The more liquor you add, the longer it will keep — non-alcoholic eggnog should be consumed within 1 day; eggnog with 1/2 to 1 cup of liquor will keep for several days; and eggnog with 1 1/2 cups of liquor will keep for several weeks and continue aging and thickening quite nicely.

What is the difference between nog and eggnog? ›

There's holiday nog made with milk and eggs but can't be called eggnog because of added booze, for example. Same goes for nog made of dairy alternatives, like almond or soy milk. But straight up milk and cream with no eggs—well, that's considered to be poor cousin of the real deal.

What's the difference between eggnog and rompope? ›

Even though the kingship between rompope and eggnog is indisputable, there is a slight difference between these two hearty drinks: The traditional eggnog recipe called for whole eggs, whereas rompope just called for egg yolks—hence the very distinctive hues of each drink.

Does alcohol make eggnog safe? ›

Eggs must be cooked to 160 degrees F to kill bacteria such as Salmonella that may be present. If your eggnog recipe calls for raw eggs, it may not be safe. Adding alcohol inhibits bacterial growth, but it cannot be relied upon to kill bacteria.

What do you call eggnog with alcohol? ›

"Tom and Jerry is a form of hot eggnog [co*cktail] that was once popular." The Tom and Jerry was invented by British journalist Pierce Egan in the 1820s, using brandy and rum added to eggnog and served hot, usually in a mug or a bowl. It is a traditional Christmastime co*cktail in the United States.

Do you put ice in eggnog? ›

After giving it a good shake, you can strain and serve right away, or shake it again with ice if you prefer your eggnog extra chilled.

Why do I feel sick after drinking eggnog? ›

Thickeners may cause digestive upset in some people. Several of the dairy products contain high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. The majority of the eggnogs we looked at had more than one of these ingredients.

Is eggnog bad for your kidneys? ›

Eggnog can be considered a higher potassium and phosphorus food. Due to these nutrients, this drink food may be limited for those with kidney disease who are on a low potassium, low phosphorus diet.

What happens if you drink too much egg nog? ›

“That's because all of these can compound into a difficult-to-digest situation, requiring digestive enzymes like lactase, sucrase and alcohol dehydrogenase to kick into high gear all at the same time. This could lead to gas, diarrhea, cramping or abdominal pain within 30 minutes to a few hours after drinking.”

What makes eggnog taste better? ›

Add a splash of vanilla or almond extract, or turn your eggnog into an iced eggnog latte by pouring a shot of espresso into the shaker. Either way, you'll feel the spirit of the holidays!

Does eggnog get better with age? ›

Aging for a year makes a huge difference in flavor, and no tasters were confused by that.

How to tell if eggnog is spoiled? ›

The Food and Drug Administration suggests consuming commercial eggnog within three to five days of opening a carton, and you should drink homemade eggnog within two to four days of making. If you're unsure whether eggnog has gone off, give it a whiff, and check for these signs: lumpy texture. spoiled milk smell.

What is store bought egg nog made of? ›

What Is Eggnog Made Of? Today, eggnog is usually made of some combination of eggs (either just the yolks or the yolks and the whipped egg whites), sugar, milk, cream, nutmeg, and sometimes booze. We're all familiar with the cartons of store-bought eggnog that grace supermarkets every December.

What are the ingredients in favorite day eggnog? ›

Ingredients: milk, sugar, cream, skim milk, whey, egg yolks, guar gum, natural and artificial flavor, carrageenan, spices, salt, gelatin, annatto-turmeric color.

Why does eggnog taste alcoholic? ›

Eggnog is made with a combination of eggs, milk or cream, and sugar. Generally, it's served cold, and it has a custard-like color and texture. Sometimes, bourbon or whiskey or rum is added, which might be one reason it gets broken out around the holidays.

Why is eggnog made with eggs? ›

Some recipes call for whipped egg whites, which help make the light, frothy texture many enjoy in their eggnog. The yolks also help bind the liquids and fats together in the beverage to avoid separation and give the eggnog a rich, creamy taste.

References

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