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Homemade eggnog is the perfect holiday drink! This recipe comes together on your stovetop with classic eggnog spices in less than 20 minutes. With or without alcohol,
it’s a festive holiday cocktail worth sharing.
What’s Eggnog?
Rich and creamy drinks are the perfect comfort food during the cold winter season. This homemade eggnog is a traditional eggnog recipe made with egg yolks, sugar, milk, heavy cream and a few spices. Simmer the ingredients over the stove to cook, then chill and serve.
Serve this easy eggnog recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and throughout the entire holiday season. Prep it ahead and store it for up to three days in your refrigerator. It’s the perfect drink for a holiday party, dinner or other holiday gatherings.
If you’re looking for other holiday drink recipes for this time of the year, try Homemade Hot Chocolate, Cranberry Moscow Mule or Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail.
Why Homemade Eggnog is the Best
- A warm and comforting drink for the winter holidays: Eggnog is the perfect drink for the holidays because it’s warm, cozy and delicious.
- It’s easy: The entire homemade eggnog recipe comes together easy on the stove top with a few simple ingredients. Plus you can customize the sweetness, spices, and even the alcohol content.
- Better than store-bought eggnog: The rich and creamy texture tastes better than anything you can buy at the grocery store. The store-bought version of eggnog is also typically filled with preservatives and artificial flavors. Once you make this homemade recipe, you will never need to buy store-bought again.
- Serve it with or without alcohol: Enjoy this recipe as a family-friendly drink without alcohol. Or add liquor like rum or Bailey’s Irish cream for spiked eggnog.
- Make ahead: The best thing about homemade eggnog is that you can prep it up to 3 days in advance so it’s ready for serving.
Eggnog Ingredients
Delicious homemade eggnog comes together with just a few ingredients in under 30 minutes! The full measurements and recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Egg yolks: Combined with the sugar and cream, eggs serve as the eggnog base. Using only yolks creates the rich and creamy consistency and classic eggnog flavor. Reserve the leftover egg whites for something else or discard them completely.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar to sweeten the eggnog. You can reduce the amount of sugar slightly or use maple syrup instead.
- Milk and Heavy Cream: Use a combination of whole milk and heavy whipping cream to make rich and creamy eggnog. You can use half and half instead of a combination of milk and heavy cream.
- Spices: You will need freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg and whole cloves, plus salt and vanilla extract to add flavor to the eggnog.
- Rum (optional): To make spiked eggnog, you can add rum just prior to serving. You can also use bourbon, whisky, brandy or any type of alcohol of your choice. Some people even love mixing eggnog together with Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur.
Expert Tips
- Use high quality ingredients: For the best results, use high quality heavy cream, milk and fresh eggs.
- Spices: Adjust the spices to add more flavor. The amount of spices used in this recipe adds a mild spiced flavor to the eggnog, but if you want a more intense spice flavor, double the spices or adjust to achieve the right amount of spice.
- Work slowly and do not allow the mixture to boil: Slowly pour some of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. This is important as you do not want to overcook the eggs. You also do not want the mixture to boil.
- Cook until slightly thickened: Make sure to cook the fully combined mixture on the stove until the eggnog starts to thicken. It should start to coat the back of the spoon. The eggnog will thicken more as it chills.
- Discard the cloves: Don’t forget to discard the cloves before chilling. You can use a fine mesh strainer to strain the cloves from the eggnog.
- Non dairy version: While I haven’t made this recipe with nondairy milk, you can substitute the regular milk for coconut milk, almond milk or oat milk.
- Refrigerate overnight: For the best taste, chill the eggnog overnight to allow the flavors to combine and the texture to thicken slightly.
- Add garnish and toppings: If you want to elevate the presentation or flavor of the eggnog, add a sprinkle of cinnamon or ground nutmeg on top. Serve in a mug with a cinnamon stick. Or serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce for an extra special treat.
Storage and Make Ahead
You can make the eggnog up to 3 days in advance. Simply store it in a sealed bottle or pitcher in the fridge. Serve chilled.
If you’re looking for a way to use up leftover eggnog, try an eggnog latte by replacing the milk in the latte with eggnog. Or use homemade eggnog instead of milk in pancakes or experiment with your own eggnog cocktails.
Variations on the Traditional Recipe
Baileys and Eggnog: Take a classic Christmas cocktail up a notch by adding Baileys Irish Cream. A lot of people love adding Baileys to homemade eggnog. Baileys Irish Cream is made of cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey. Because it has a creamy texture with chocolate and vanilla flavor, it pairs well with eggnog.
More Spiked Eggnog: For a traditional spiked eggnog, add bourbon, rum, or brandy to taste. Want something more festive? Combine a bit of amaretto for a nutty twist or peppermint schnapps for a fresh holiday vibe.
Non-Alcoholic Eggnog: Skip the alcohol completely for a family-friendly version that’s just as indulgent. Replace the alcohol with a splash of almond or orange extract to add a unique flavor twist.
Creative Ways to Use Leftovers: If you’re looking for a way to use up leftover eggnog, try an eggnog latte by replacing the milk in the latte with eggnog. Or use homemade eggnog instead of milk in pancakes or experiment with your own eggnog cocktails.
FAQs
The eggs are tempered before they are combined and with the other ingredients and cooked on the stove. You can cook the mixture to 160°F without boiling to ensure that they are cooked completely.
Dark alcohol like rum, brandy or bourbon tastes the best in eggnog. It also tastes good with a combination of dark rum and cognac. Or mix in Baileys Irish Cream for extra creamy goodness. Use whatever liquor you like best in eggnog or serve it without alcohol.
Eggnog lasts 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Did you try this homemade eggnog recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Homemade Eggnog Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 whole cloves
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup rum , (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the milk, cream, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare simmer.
- Whisk ½ cup of the hot milk mixture slowly into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Continue slowly adding the milk until incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and return to the stove.
- Increase temperature to medium heat, whisking constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is just slightly thickened. Do not allow it to boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and rum. Remove and discard the cloves, and allow the eggnog to cool for 1 hour before transferring it to a pitcher.
- Refrigerate overnight in airtight container before serving for best taste. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Nutritional information does not include the optional rum.
- Spices: You can add more or less spices, as desired to achieve the perfect eggnog flavor. Add ground cinnamon too, if desired.
- Sugar: You can reduce the amount of sugar slightly or use maple syrup instead.
- You can use half and half instead of the whipping cream and milk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe originally published in December 2018. It was updated with new process photos and tips in December 2020.
I’ve shared and made this several times it’s so good. I’ve made it keto by using Fairlife milk which is the lowest regular milk in carbs you can buy and regular heavy cream. I use bocha sweet for the sugar substitute. I gotta say 3/4 cup sugar substitute is too sweet for me anymore. I reduced to 1/2 cup and that was perfect for me. I also leave out the cloves cause I’m not a fan of that particular spice. Thank you for this awesome recipe and the easy instructions. I’d have never made it had you not shared it.
Eggnog is our yearly family tradition but I’ve never tried the cooked version. I needed it for Xmas Day for 7 people so used 9 eggs, 3 cups milk, 3 cups cream, 1/2 cup rum and 1/2 cup bourbon. I think I forgot the vanilla but it wasn’t missed. I probably added a little more booze after tasting it and lastly, I whipped the egg whites into a meringue and folded them under about 2 hours before serving. It makes for a very creamy, thick eggnog. People loved it and every drop was gone within the hour. I can’t imagine the amounts as written would be enough for 8 people. They’d get a very small amount indeed.
This is the best eggnog recipe! I make it every year for my daddy’s birthday!
Can you replace the whole cloves with ground?
Yes, you can use 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves instead of the whole cloves. Enjoy!
My kids are always asking for me to make eggnog but I’m always a little hesitant! This was perfect and tasty! Loved it!
Everyone looks forward to eggnog at Christmas! Thanks for this new recipe for me to try. So much better than store-bought!
I was generally satisfied with this recipe. This was extremely smooth and tasty. I’m planning to this one out as Xmas gift to neighbours. Thank you so much for sharing!