Decadent, thick Old Fashioned Homemade Eggnog is quite easy to make. Whisk up a batch of this favorite Christmas drink in no time. Way better than store bought!
Homemade eggnog is one of our favorite Holiday treats. It is thick and sweet, and almost reminiscent of melted ice cream. It tastes like Christmas in a glass. This homemade version is fully cooked for food safety and non alcoholic, making it the perfect family friendly recipe so everyone gets a taste.
This is so much better than what you can find at the grocery store, and the best part is you get to control the flavor. You can kick the cinnamon up a notch if you are a cinnamon lover, or tone it down. Adjusting the spices to your personal taste is the best. Making your own eggnog is totally easy. This right here is holiday decadence at its finest.
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Do I have to cook eggnog?
Eggnog is traditionally made uncooked, with raw eggs. Store bought eggnog is pasteurized for food safety reasons. To keep this drink safe for everyone, we’ve written this recipe as a cooked version. For an uncooked version, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cloves, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Replace the cinnamon sticks with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and whisk in with the egg yolks. Slowly pour in milk, cream, and vanilla extract, whisk until thoroughly combined.
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How long does homemade eggnog last?
It depends on the expiration dates on the milk and cream that you use to make the recipe. For best results, do not use milk or cream that is near its expiration date, as your eggnog will also expire soon. The best rule of thumb is to use the expiration dates on your milk and cream and go by whichever is soonest.
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Can I add alcohol to this eggnog?
Yes, you can add alcohol to this eggnog for a spiked adult beverage. What type and how much alochol to add is a matter of personal preference. Dark rum, cognac, and bourbon are all traditional options. For a fun twist try Fireball whiskey.
If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in these other delicious Holiday recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Old Fashioned Homemade Eggnog
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 4 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream or half and half for a light version
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Put the milk, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and 1/2 tsp vanilla into a large saucepan. Put it over the lowest heat setting on your stove for 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar for 1 minute.
- Turn the heat under the milk up to medium-high heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks.
- Slowly whisk in about 1/4 of the hot milk into the egg/sugar mixture. Then pour all of the egg/sugar mixture back into the saucepan and whisk it all together. Put it over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. It will thicken a bit.
- Pour the hot eggnog into a large bowl or beverage container and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Add cinnamon sticks back in (optional).
- After 1 hour, stir in the heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and nutmeg. Store in the fridge and allow to cool for at least 4 hours before serving.
- For an uncooked version, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cloves, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Replace the cinnamon sticks with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and whisk in with the egg yolks. Slowly pour in milk, cream, and vanilla extract, whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Alcohol can be added before serving, to taste. Dark rum, cognac, and bourbon are all traditional options.
Merry Christmas from Canada!!! I just LOVE your recipes and techniques. I watch your videos all the time and I try to make your recipes and my family loves it. So once again Merry Christmas to you and to your family and all the best in 2020
I was wondering if you could use the powered cinnamon instead? Everything else in the Eggnog looks awesome. Can’t wait to try it.
Yes, you can use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in place of the cinnamon sticks.
Great recipe! One suggestion, leave it in your refrigerator for two days to let the flavors blend. Then serve and enjoy!
So delicious! We all loved it. Used blend cream and it was very creamy. I love the fact that it was cooked, too.
I made the eggnog for Christmas. It had a great flavor, but it didn’t really get as thick as eggnog. Do you know what I could have done wrong?
When you add the egg yolks in and cook on the stove it will increase in thickness. The kind of cream you use also matters and a higher fat content heavy cream will also produce a thicker result.
The balance of flavor in the Eggnog is spot on! To try to match that old fashion texture that incorporated whipped egg whites, I held back one cup of the cream before cooling, then whipped this into stiff peaks and gently folded it into the cooled custards. Gave it an elegant texture,
After we add the heavy cream mixture to everything else in the pot we slowly whisk it for quite a while until it gets nice and thick. You will have a very rich and delicious eggnog if you do this. This is the southern way of making eggnog.
Hi rachel,
I have tried many eggnog recipes and so far your one is the the best and only difference i did for the receipe i added lite milk instead fullcream everyone loved it ..
Simply tge best of the best it was soo smoitg and just hit the spot.. yummy..
Thanks a lot .. xoxo
Easy recipe to follow – made for my sister who loves eggnog and she said it was way better than store bought and may never get store bought again!
Best eggnog ever! Hubbie thought it was a bit too sweet but the rest of the household LOVED it – Christmas in a Cup 🎄🥛 Thank you for sharing 👌❤️
This was amazing. My kids are hard to please and they all agreed this was superior to store bought. Happy holidays!
This was my first attempt ever at making eggnog and it turned out delicious! Very easy to make. Thank you for recipe and video! Happy holidays!
I made this once and i fall in love with this recipe, even my 6 yo son keep asking me to make more! I’m going to make it for Xmas, is it okay to double the recipe?
I just made this and it is absolutely delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
This is the best I’ve had. Better than store bought.
re: homemade eggnog
Is there anyway to thicken up the homemade eggnog if it doesn’t get thick?
This was an incredible recipe. I did whip the heavy cream and then fold it into the remaining ingredients. Definitely a keeper!