Homemade Eggnog
263 Comments
Updated Dec 14, 2023
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Homemade eggnog is a holiday favorite that’s ultra-creamy, perfectly spiced, and spiked for a good time. And this foolproof version comes together in less than 5 minutes 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 or eggnog overnight oats! 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!)
Description
Video
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
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Recipe originally published December 2020, but updated to include new information.
I have made this recipe for 3 years now and it is still one of my family and friend’s favorite. In fact, I have to make several containers to share with my friends to take home to enjoy. It is such a great recipe with simple ingredients and it definitely beats the store bought eggnog. I hope that a Vegan version of this comes out so that I can make it for my sister who is Vegan. This is a great recipe! Highly recommend every eggnog lover try it!
Happy to hear this eggnog recipe has become a holiday tradition now! Can’t beat a homemade version.
Your recipes are always easy to follow and delicious. This eggnog will be added to our Christmas traditions. Thank you for sharing!
I’m happy to hear you love them, Kim!
This is hands down the best eggnog recipe I have ever tasted in my life. I will never drink store bought again. WOW. 🤩. (I used grass fed milk and cream and omitted the alcohol to make it family friendly – going to try it dairy free for the extended family on new years). Thank you so so much!
Hi Laura – You can’t beat homemade eggnog! Glad the whole family enjoyed this.
This doesn’t need cooking to prevent salmonella?
Hi Deborah – The eggs will cook to safe temperature when blended in the Vitamix.
This recipe was easy to follow and the eggnog turned out so delicious. I used 1/2 cup of brandy and no rum 😁 Thank you Lisa!
Hi Eva – I’m happy you loved it!
So I don’t like eggnog, well not commercial ones, but this one is WOW! This is so easy to make, and so delicious. This recipe will become part of our holiday rotation. Huge hit that everyone enjoyed! Your recipes never disappoint. Thanks so much!
Yay, so happy you loved this eggnog recipe, Alison! And I agree, the homemade version tastes nothing like the store-bought version, it’s far more delicious. Enjoy!
Lisa, Wow!
Eggnog was delicious!! It doesn’t even compare to the boxed stuff.
I was very skeptical to tell you the truth.
My guests and family said the texture is so smooth, they loved it.
Unbelievable, thank you so much for the recipe
Happy Holidays to you!!
Thanks so much, Lou! I’m thrilled you and your family loved this eggnog recipe. Happy holidays to you as well!
Just made this (non alcoholic) to have ready for Christmas Eve drinks tomorrow and it turned out great! Can’t wait to taste it again once it’s chilled. Tomorrow I plan to make a second non dairy option to compare as well.
Thank you Lisa and Merry Christmas!
So happy you loved it, Hilary! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas as well!
Just made this for the first time, omg, this is delicious. I left the alcohol out, that can be added individually by whomever wants it.
We have a local dairy that makes the best commercial Eggnog, Lochmead Farms, but my local Dairy Mart is out of stock until Christmas morning. I knew Pinterest would have recipes for Eggnog, I was so happy to find this one using the Vitamix, it took 10 minutes to make including cleaning up afterwards.
Hi Susan – welcome to Downshiftology! So thrilled you found this recipe on pinterest and loved the eggnog. It really is super easy with a high-powered blender. Enjoy!
I didn’t realize making eggnog could be this easy without compromising the taste-so delicious. I’ve already been asked to make this every Christmas now!
Yes, it’s so easy! I’m glad you love it too, Jackie!
Can you recommend a sweetener other than maple syrup? I adore this recipe as-is, unfortunately my wife HATES the taste of maple, so this doesn’t work at all for her. :(
You could use honey as well. Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe! I halved it just in case it wasn’t a hit ~ but it was! So creamy and delicious. I made it alcohol free so the kiddos could enjoy and added a splash of spiced rum in my glass. Superb!
So happy to hear it was a hit, Shawna!
WOW!!! I made this at Noon today and couldn’t wait a full 3 hours for it to chill in the fridge, so tried it after 2 hours – absolutely DELICIOUS! I’m so happy to find such a fabulous recipe that is so EASY to prepare. So happy that I bought a Vitamix high speed blender 12 years ago. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe Lisa. I’m making a number of your recipes for Christmas dinner.
Haha, I love that you took an early sip just to make sure! It really is such a fabulous Christmas drink, and I hope you enjoy the rest of it. Merry Christmas, Judy!
Merry Christmas, Lisa. Thank you for this recipe, can’t wait to make it.
Question – how long will this keep in the fridge. Don’t want to make it too soon and have it go bad on me :-)
Hi Louise – it will last for about 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Hope you enjoy it and very Merry Christmas!
If there are more than 2 people in the house it will last a day or less. This is a million zillion times better than the store bought. 🤩 (I just made it and it was so yummy the kids couldn’t even wait for it to chill, I’m going to need to make a second batch for the chia eggnog pudding). 💖
I was nervous about making eggnog the non traditional way but this worked out beautifully! Highly recommended
Woot! So happy you loved it!
I just made half of your recipe – OMG – so good!!! I love my Vitamix, still going strong since 2011!
My best friend has been buying eggnog – it uses whole egg powder and milk powders! As well as food colouring to make it yellow.
This recipe is soooo much better 😋
Yay, I’m glad you loved it! And yes, it tastes so much better than anything you can buy in a store. And with a much cleaner ingredient list!
If you only use 1/4 cup of maple syrup (1/2 of what is called for) will it keep the eggs from tempering properly? Thanks! I’m excited to try this out.
Hi Linda – I don’t believe so, though I haven’t tried it so I can’t say definitively.
Is there a non alcoholic version for this?
Hi Lina – You can simply omit the alcohol!
Best eggnog I have ever made, and using the vitamix makes it so easy.
Hi Brenda – The Vitamix is key for a perfectly smooth eggnog! Happy to hear you love this recipe.
Second year making this eggnog for the holidays! Absolutely delicious! I didn’t like eggnog until I tried the homemade version.
Hi Luciana – Sometimes it just takes a good recipe to make you a convert! ;) Happy you love it!
With why don’t cook your eggs in your eggnog! It’s confusing 😕 ? Why you don’t cook them! 😕
Hi Susan – if you read the post above, you’ll see that the eggs are “cooked” in my eggnog. ;)