Creamy Homemade Eggnog
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Creamy Homemade Eggnog is the best holiday drink. Made with a combo of milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, nutmeg, and some sweetener – this becomes thicker as it sits. Feel free to add some rum for a delicious cocktail, and top with some extra cream and cinnamon!
For another creamy holiday drink, try my White Russian Cocktail Recipe!
Best Homemade Eggnog
Don’t you just love the holiday season? The food, the drinks, the FUN, the fellowship? I do. I also love the memories it all brings.
My parents loved their egg nog. My mom would buy store-bought eggnog and even us kids would partake. I felt so grown up sipping from fancy glasses, and adding a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top. Mom and Dad would occasionally add a shot of rum or brandy to theirs, but it’s so good as is. A great family special-occasion drink that we can all enjoy together!
This Homemade Eggnog Recipe:
- Simple Ingredients – This easy recipe uses simple ingredients.
- Delicious – Creamy and lightly sweetened – and a truly delicious drink.
- Perfect recipe for Christmas holidays – This easy eggnog recipe is great for this special time of year. You can even make it into eggnog lattes!
What You’ll Need:
- Egg Yolks – Separate the egg yolks from the whites and use the yolks only. (Save the whites for an egg white omelet.) If you can get your hands on fresh eggs, even better!
- Sweetener – I used a combo of white sugar and pure maple syrup. This makes the eggnog mildly sweet, but still delicious.
- Vanilla Extract – A couple teaspoons of vanilla for extra taste.
- Dairy – Use a combo of heavy whipping cream and 2% milk. If you want a thicker eggnog, use a greater percentage of heavy whipping cream.
- Nutmeg – Just a pinch.
- To serve – Some extra heavy cream (I used a hand mixer to bring it to soft peaks), a sprinkle of cinnamon, and some cinnamon sticks for fun.
- To make into a cocktail – Use some rum (my preference), bourbon, or brandy.
How to make Creamy Homemade Eggnog:
Step 1
Prep eggs. Carefully separate the egg yolks from the whites. Store the whites in the refrigerator. Combine the sugar with the yolks in a large bowl and whisk.
Step 2
Make the hot cream mixture. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and nutmeg. Whisk well, and heat over medium heat until the mixture is at about 165 degrees. Do NOT boil.
Step 3
Temper eggs. When cream mixture is hot, use a measuring cup to scoop out and pour into the yolk mixture, whisking the entire time. Continue pouring the hot liquid into the eggs until about half of it has been added. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and continue heating until it’s at 165 degrees.
Step 4
Cool. Remove the warm eggnog from the stove, and pour into a glass pitcher. Let cool slightly, and then refrigerate for several hours. The eggnog should thicken as it sits.
Step 5
Serve. Stir the eggnog well, and then pour into glasses. Top with some extra cream (I use my hand mixer to bring heavy whipping cream to soft peaks.), a sprinkle of cinnamon, and cinnamon sticks for fun!
Step 6
Make eggnog into a cocktail. To make a boozy eggnog, add some rum (my preference), brandy, or bourbon. Likewise, enjoying the non-alcoholic version is great too!
What are tempered eggs?
Tempering Eggs is the process of incorporating raw eggs into a warm liquid in order to avoid curdling or cooking. If you don’t temper them, you’ll end up with little bits of solid eggs in the creamy substance.
I also recommend tempering eggs for this recipe (as well as for ice cream) if you aren’t using pasteurized eggs. Some people with underlying conditions could have a bad reaction to raw eggs, which is why tempering eggs is important.
How do you temper eggs?
To temper eggs, you simply drizzle some of the hot liquid into a bowl of eggs, whisking vigorously as you pour. Then you add the egg mixture back into the hot liquid to continue warming. An instant-read thermometer should read approximately 160-165 degrees.
Other delicious Holiday Cocktails:
Use this eggnog in my delicious Homemade Eggnog Lattes. One of my favorite Christmas drinks!
Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)
xoxo ~Sue
Creamy Homemade Eggnog
Ingredients
- 8 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups 2% milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- brandy or rum – to serve
- cinnamon, heavy whipping cream – to serve
Instructions
- Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar together.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy whipping cream, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and ground nutmeg over medium heat. Heat mixture to about 165 degrees, whisking often. Don't boil.
- Temper the eggs. Use a measuring cup to dip into the saucepan, and drizzle heated mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Continue adding the hot liquid until about half of it has been added to the eggs. Then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and continue heating until the liquid is at 165 degrees. Remove from heat.
- Pour the eggnog into a glass pitcher and cover. Refrigerate until nice and chilled. The eggnog will thicken slightly as it sits.
- Serve eggnog with some rum or other alcohol of your choice, if desired. Add a swirl of cream to the top of the glass, with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick.
This eggnog is so creamy and amazing!
I love it too.