Our homemade eggnog will make your holiday season even more merry and bright. Easy to make and loaded with classic flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and rum, it’s an instant favorite!
When we think of holiday drinks, we always think of eggnog. Its warming, spiced flavor and rich, thick texture are part and parcel of the holiday season.
Our traditional holiday nog is the perfect addition to your holiday spread, served alongside sweet treats like cranberry pecan snowball cookies or savory items like crockpot meatballs and little smokies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Limited Ingredients: It only takes a handful of simple ingredients to make this classic.
- Easy to Make: It only takes about 10 minutes of prep and cooking to make. After that, you just have to let it chill!
- A Holiday Favorite: This is a classic holiday drink perfect for sipping by the fire or with family and friends.
- A Drink for Everyone: Leave it as-is or add alcohol for an adult version.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Milk and Heavy Cream: Milk and heavy cream create the rich, creamy base for the eggnog.
- Egg Yolks: Egg yolks give the eggnog its silky, custard-like feel.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add classic, warm holiday flavor.
- Rum Extract: Rum extract adds the spiced flavor of classic eggnog without the alcohol.
Variations
- Alcoholic: Add spiced rum to your eggnog to make a traditional alcoholic version.
- Mocha Eggnog: Mix coldbrew coffee and eggnog in a glass for a delicious coffee variation.
- Chocolate Eggnog: Add cocoa powder for chocolate eggnog.
- Caramel Eggnog: A little caramel swirled into your eggnog is absolutely delicious.
How to Make Homemade Eggnog
- Bring the milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a slow boil over low heat.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. Then, whisk the milk slowly into the egg mixture a little at a time until incorporated.
- Add the mixture back to the pan and cook over medium heat until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and cool. Then, add the heavy cream and extracts and chill for at least 4 hours.
Expert Tips
- Whisk constantly while bringing your milk to a low boil, and keep the boil gentle to avoid curdling.
- Add very small amounts of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture to prevent curdling.
- Whisk the eggnog constantly while cooking it to thicken to ensure nothing curdles.
- Four hours is the minimum chilling time for your eggnog, but overnight is even better!
Homemade Eggnog FAQs
Rum, brandy, or bourbon are the traditional spirits for old-fashioned homemade eggnog. Whiskey and scotch may also be used.
Non-alcoholic eggnog will last for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Eggnog with alcohol can last for up to a week in the refrigerator.
If you add the hot milk to your egg mixture too quickly, it will scramble the eggs. In addition, if you allow the eggnog to come to a hard boil, it can curdle.
Delicious Holiday Recipes to Enjoy with Your Eggnog
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Homemade Eggnog
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, over low heat, add milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg together, stir to combine and bring to a slow boil.
- Whisk egg yolks and sugar together, in a medium bowl until combined, approximately 2 minutes.
- Pour a small amount at a time of heated milk mixture into the eggs whisking constantly until the milk is incorporated.
- Add mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 4-5 minutes making sure the mixture does not boil.
- Remove from heat and let cool for an hour.
- Pour heavy cream, vanilla extract, and rum extract into the mixture, stir to combine, and chill for 4+ hours or overnight.
Notes
- Whisk constantly while bringing your milk to a low boil, and keep the boil gentle to avoid curdling.
- Add very small amounts of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture to prevent curdling.
- Whisk the eggnog constantly while cooking it to thicken to ensure nothing curdles.
- Four hours is the minimum chilling time for your eggnog, but overnight is even better!
I love how rich this eggnog is. I’m a fan of using extract in place of rum to make it family-friendly.
I’m so glad I found this! I love eggnog, but I usually go with boiled custard to be family-friendly. I love that this uses extract!
This is so good. Made a test run last night, and I’ll be serving it for Christmas!
I made this for the first time and it was so creamy and smooth. Way better than store-bought!
Nothing beats the taste of rich, creamy homemade eggnog! The freshness and flavor are just miles ahead of store-bought. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Such a great in-depth guide! Homemade eggnog is delicious…thank you so much! Will be making all season long~
The most amazing eggnog ever! Delicious sand easy to make. Thansk!