Homemade Eggnog
Homemade eggnog is a holiday favorite that’s ultra-creamy, perfectly spiced, and spiked for a good time. You’ll be surprised how easily this comes together with just a blender – no whisking involved!
With holidays revolving around nostalgic things, a classic eggnog is a must. It’s delectably creamy, has a hint of spice, is slightly boozy, and screams winter wonderland in one chilled cup.
Eggnog has a magical way of setting the tone for a cozy night in. It brings a little extra fun to our get-togethers, and helps us get through some of that holiday stress. And this recipe in particular will help alleviate holiday stress, because it’s incredibly easy to make. It takes less than 5 minutes in your blender!
What Is Eggnog?
Thanks to the colonial United States adopting “eggnog” from the British, this cozy cocktail has become a major holiday tradition. It started off as a combination of frothy eggs, milk, and ale, with the addition of spices or honey. Over the years, the boozy part has ranged from expensive bourbon to moonshine, but I personally prefer brandy and rum.
Regardless, eggnog is a symbol of celebrating prosperity and health. Making it the perfect cocktail to enjoy during the holidays. Because there’s nothing better than toasting to life with good friends and family by your side!
Eggnog Ingredients
Although this recipe uses eggs, it doesn’t taste like eggs, trust me! The eggs are essentially turned into a custard, and once it’s blended with milk, spices, and alcohol, all you’ll taste is a deliciously creamy cocktail.
- Eggs: I recommend using pasteurized eggs. See my note on tempering the eggs below.
- Maple Syrup: My favorite option for a sweetener.
- Spices: A blend of nutmeg and cinnamon is like Christmas in a cup!
- Alcohol: Bourbon, brandy, and rum are ideal choices. I use a mix of alcohols, but if you have only one, that’s fine too.
- Milk: Any type of milk works, whether it’s dairy or dairy-free, such as almond milk, oat milk, or cashew milk.
- Heavy Cream: An essential for making this extra creamy. But if you’re keeping it dairy-free, coconut cream works great.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
Drinking Raw Eggs Safely
You might be thinking “are raw eggs safe to drink?” According to the FDA, the risk of salmonella can be an issue, especially for older adults and those with weaker immune systems. And while traditional eggnog does use raw eggs, it’s best to be on the safe side and temper the eggs.
This recipe uses pasteurized eggs (which is recommended by the FDA), in addition to tempering them in the blender. Yes, you can temper the eggs in your Vitamix! All you need is four minutes plus the friction of the blades in a high-powered blender, and your your eggs will reach a safe temperature of 160°F. You can verify it yourself with an instant read thermometer – it’s awesome.
How To Make Eggnog From Scratch
Are you ready for the easiest eggnog recipe you’ll ever make? All you need is five minutes. Just blend, chill, and serve!
Blend the eggs. Add the eggs and maple syrup to a high-powered blender, like my favorite Vitamix, and blend for exactly 4 minutes. Yes, exactly 4 minutes and not a second more.
Add the remaining ingredients. In goes the milk, heavy cream, alcohol, and nutmeg. Then blend for another 10 seconds.
Let it chill then serve. Pour the eggnog into a sealed container and refrigerate it until it’s nice and chilled. This will help the flavors meld together and it will thicken up as well. Once it’s cooled, give it another stir, pour it into glasses, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and serve!
Tips For The Best Eggnog
- Don’t blend past 4 minutes. This is VERY important. When tempering your eggs, make sure not to go past 4 minutes as this will cause the egg mixture to cook and start to curdle. You want to reach 160°F, but not go over it. Additionally, if you’re not sensitive to raw eggs and you’re using pasteurized eggs, you can blend for just 2-3 minutes for a creamy consistency.
- No need to use good alcohol. Because this cocktail is mixed with sugar and cream, there’s no need to use premium alcohol.
- Use coconut cream for a non-dairy cream. To maintain a creamy texture without heavy cream and full-fat milk, blend your favorite non-dairy milk with coconut cream. Coconut cream is much thicker, richer, and will give you the right amount of creaminess.
How To Store This
If you’re not drinking the eggnog right away, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 days.
When you’re ready to enjoy it, pour it into glasses, and place the pitcher back in the fridge to keep it chilled. Or you can place it in an ice bucket if you’re serving at a party.
Tasty Eggnog Variations
While a classic eggnog is my favorite way to enjoy this recipe, there’s a few fun ways to spruce up the flavors.
- Pumpkin Spice: Blend in 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree and 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice for just the right amount of spice.
- Sea Salt & Caramel: Stir in a teaspoon of salted caramel sauce and a sprinkle of salt in each cup.
- Mexican Inspired: For tequila lovers, mix in Mezcal, crème de cacao, and top it off with cocoa powder and cinnamon.
- Non-Alcoholic: This recipe tastes just as delicious without alcohol. Simply omit it and continue the recipe as is.
Want to turn this drink into a dessert? Whip up my eggnog chia pudding! It’s delicious, especially with a dollop of whipped cream.
More Holiday Drinks
Make a batch of these drinks to rev up the holiday spirit! But don’t forget to accompany them with good food – so be sure to check out my list of the best Christmas recipes.
- Pomegranate Margarita
- White Christmas Sangria
- Chai Spiced Coconut Milk
- Hot Chocolate
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
Kick off the holiday season with glasses of creamy eggnog! A few sips of this will surely get you into the spirit if I do say so myself. If you end up making this for friends, family, or just yourself – let me know how it turned out in a comment below!
Homemade Eggnog (In 5 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups milk (dairy or dairy-free)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or coconut cream)
- ⅓ cup brandy or bourbon
- ⅓ cup rum
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
- Add the eggs and maple syrup to a high-powered blender and blend for exactly 4 minutes on high speed. Make sure to use a timer.
- Add the milk, heavy cream, brandy, rum, and nutmeg. Blend for an additional 10 seconds just to combine.
- Pour the eggnog into an airtight container and refrigerate until it's chilled.
- When ready to serve, give the eggnog a stir before pouring. Then garnish with cinnamon sticks or a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
Nutrition
Recipe originally published December 2020, but updated to include new information.
Hello,
How do I make this without using alcohol? I don’t drink and I would also like to make this for my family. Also, I have a sensitive stomach and I can never find milks and creams that won’t irritate my stomach but still taste good.
Thank you,
Joni Brammer ♡
Hi Joni – you can omit the alcohol in this recipe. :)
Do you have to use a sweetener? I really don’t like sweet things and generally just leave it out of your recipes. I don’t want to ruin the recipe for my family.
I normally would say keep the sweetener, but you could always reduce it.
How would you make this without alcohol? What would be substituted, and would it taste good?
You can just omit the alcohol :)
These recipes all look tremendous. Will certainly be giving them a try. Thank you.Marjorie
Hope you enjoy Marjorie!
Can you use regular eggs? And just temper them? Or is that unsafe?
When you follow the recipe in the blender the eggs temper.
AH-MAZING. EASY PEASY so delicious. Thanks, Lisa!
You’re more than welcome! So happy you loved it. :)
My favourite drink for Christmas. This recipe is soooo simple and tastes so good too. Thank you for the timesaver. BTW it’s Christmas Eve and I’m on our 3rd batch.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
So happy you love it Nicola! Merry Christmas to you too. :)
Where do you find pasteurized eggs??? I cannot find them anywhere! A lot of recipes that I’m looking at call for pasteurized eggs and not a single store around me has them. Still give this a five star even though I’ve never made it.