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Homemade eggnog is one of my favorite treats of the holiday season. I could drink gallons of it. If you’d like to see how to make homemade eggnog either with or without alcohol, follow this step-by-step eggnog recipe.
I love eggnog, but since store-bought eggnog has a lot of sugar and calories, I try not to buy it too often.
But since I absolutely love the creamy comfort of a glass of eggnog, I like to make homemade eggnog using this eggnog recipe so I can make it a bit healthier and have it more often.
Is Homemade Eggnog Safe to Drink?
Traditional eggnog is made with raw eggs and a high percentage of alcohol which is used to preserve and sterilize the eggs and dairy.
So if you are drinking eggnog made with a high enough ratio of alcohol to eggs and dairy, then the alcohol will kill any dangerous bacteria that may be lurking in the raw eggs.
But if you are not using alcohol, or you are only adding a bit of alcohol before serving, then you are at risk of consuming salmonella from the raw eggs.
While I sometimes add a shot of spiced rum to an evening glass of eggnog, most of the homemade eggnog we drink in our home needs to be alcohol free. (My daughter loves eggnog even more than I love it!)
Since I can’t use alcohol to kill any potential salmonella in our raw eggs, I personally don’t feel comfortable using raw eggs in my eggnog recipe.
I have tried to find pasteurized whole eggs, but none of the stores in our city seem to carry them. (Pasteurized egg whites are readily available at grocery stores – it is just difficult to find pasteurized whole eggs.) I have read that you can pasteurize whole eggs, but I haven’t tried that method.
Instead, I make COOKED Homemade Eggnog — and it is INCREDIBLE!
I personally love custard in all forms and cooked homemade eggnog is basically Crème Anglaise (French for “English cream”).
My mother’s family has English roots, so I suppose that is why I grew up with custard-based desserts such as Floating Island and Lemon Snow Pudding.
On holidays my mom always made Lemon Snow Pudding, which is essentially custard (Crème Anglaise) served with a light, airy, lemon meringue pudding. It is a simply delightful dessert that is perfect after a heavy turkey dinner. (I will post a recipe for my mother’s Lemon Snow Pudding soon.)
When I was a kid, I would sneak into the fridge and pour a bit of the leftover custard into a glass and drink it straight. Little did I know that I was essentially just drinking cooked eggnog.
A Closer Look at How to Make Eggnog
When it comes to making cooked eggnog, there is a basic method and eggnog recipe that you can then alter slightly according to your tastes and preference.
Eggnog Recipe Ingredients
To make your eggnog lighter, you can use half and half instead of heavy cream or skip the cream entirely and just use whole milk, or even low-fat milk. You could also use an alternative milk, such as almond milk.
As well, you can adjust the amount of sugar in your recipe. I use 1/3 cup of sugar but you will find some other recipes call for more. Feel free to make your eggnog as sweet as you prefer.
As for flavor and spices, I like a simple traditional eggnog with just vanilla extract and nutmeg, with cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled on top. But some recipes call for cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I have tried adding cloves and cinnamon into my eggnog while cooking, and while I don’t mind it, I prefer to make my eggnog with only nutmeg and then a bit of cinnamon as garnish.
To thicken your eggnog, you can add heavy cream/whipped cream before serving or you can beat pasteurized egg whites to fold into your eggnog.
Using beaten egg whites adds a foamy quality to your homemade eggnog which you and your family might enjoy. Since you can buy pasteurized egg whites, you don’t need to worry that the egg whites do not get cooked.
Personally, I like to cook my eggnog with whole milk and then whisk in heavy cream after it cools or before serving. And if I want to have an extra treat or if I am serving to guests, I will add a dollop of whipped cream on top.
Step by Step Directions to Make Cooked Eggnog
Beat egg yolks, while slowly adding in sugar, until eggs lighten in color and sugar has completely dissolved.
Add milk, nutmeg and pinch of salt to a sauce pan and heat over medium to medium-high heat until milk just begins to boil. Stir often to avoid burning. Remove from heat.
Temper eggs by slowly whisking in 1 cup of hot milk mixture, stirring constantly to avoid accidentally cooking eggs.
After eggs are tempered, slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into the large saucepan with remaining hot milk. Again, stir continuously while combining eggs with hot milk to prevent scrambling eggs.
Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir until mixture thickens and reaches 160 degrees F. Do not boil.
Remove from heat, pour into a large glass bowl and chill for at least one hour.
Once cooled, whisk in cream (or half and half), vanilla extract, and alcohol if desired.
Refrigerate for at least two hours or until ready to serve.
Serve cold, sprinkled with ground nutmeg or cinnamon and a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
Homemade Eggnog Recipe
How to make cooked eggnog at home.
4.50 from 55 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours hours
Total Time: 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 315kcal
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar could increase to 1/2 for a sweeter taste
- 3 cups whole milk or for a thicker, richer eggnog, use 2 cups of whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch salt
- ground cinnamon optional, for topping
- spiced rum or bourbon optional
Instructions
In a medium bowl, using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or whisk, beat eggs while gradually adding sugar. Beat until eggs lighten in color and sugar has completely dissolved.
6 large egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar
Add milk, nutmeg and pinch of salt to a large sauce pan and heat over medium to medium-high heat until milk just begins to boil. Stir often to avoid burning. Remove from heat.
3 cups whole milk, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, pinch salt
Temper eggs by slowly whisking in 1 cup of hot milk mixture. Repeat with another cup, stirring constantly to avoid accidentally cooking eggs.
After eggs are tempered, slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into the large saucepan with remaining hot milk. Again, stir continuously while combining eggs with hot milk to prevent scrambling eggs.
Return saucepan to medium heat and stir until mixture thickens and reaches 160 degrees F. Do not boil.
Remove from heat, pour into a large glass or metal bowl and chill for at least one hour.
Once cooled, whisk in cream (or half and half), vanilla extract, and alcohol if desired.
1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, spiced rum or bourbon
Refrigerate for two hours or until ready to serve. Serve cold, sprinkled with ground nutmeg or cinnamon. Serving options include pouring over ice cubes or add whipped cream before sprinkling with spices.
ground cinnamon
Notes
When tempering eggs and when combining with hot milk mixture, be sure to stir continuously and don't heat it too fast or the eggs could scramble.
For a lower fat eggnog, use half and half instead of heavy cream or use whole milk, or even low-fat milk. You could also use almond milk or another milk alternative for dairy-free eggnog.
We often like to add a dollop of whipped cream on top once the eggnog is poured in a glass.
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1040IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 1mg
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Written by Janice Croze, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
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