Who else has rushed to the neighborhood grocery store to grab the freshly stocked seasonal eggnog, only to find out that your mom’s homemade eggnog tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff? Same! We have tried dozens of different brands of eggnogs and they are usually too sweet, too eggy, too creamy, and too overpowering. We love perfectly balanced eggnog that is spiced just enough and has just the right amount of cream and eggs. Thus, we decided to make our own two recipes, one is a traditional eggnog recipe and another is a delcious cooked eggnog recipe, either one is a perfect addition to your holiday drink list and pair well with alcohol if you fancy that. ☺️
This post is all about the perfect homemade eggnog recipes and how you can make them for your next holiday party or for enjoying at home ☺️.

Commonly Asked Questions For Making Homemade Eggnog
How do I make eggnog?
Eggnog is a very loved holiday drink that can be served hot or iced. The drink is made using eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract. The spices and vanilla give it that tasty vanilla spice flavor while the milk and heavy cream give it that thick creamy consistency that we all know and love.
What is the best alcohol to make eggnog with?
You can really use any type of alcohol to spike your eggnog. But some of the most commonly used alcohols are..
- brandy
- Bourbon
- rum
- whiskey
- baileys
- Kahlua
- vodka
- amaretto
How long does homemade eggnog last?
Homemade eggnog due to being made from fresh ingredients does not last very long. At max, you’ll get 2-3 days out of your homemade eggnog since the dairy and eggs will spoil rather quickly. If you are adding alcohol to your homemade eggnog you can typically get about a week or more out of your eggnog depending on the alcohol percentage and the amount of alcohol you are adding.
Do you drink eggnog cold or hot?
This drink is a holiday favorite that is most often enjoyed during the colder months of the year. Since this is the case the drink is usually enjoyed hot to warm us up on those cold winter mornings. With that said this drink can be enjoyed iced and can be enjoyed at any time of the year, though most stores won’t carry eggnog year round so that’s why we are providing you with the perfect homemade eggnog recipe for you to enjoy year-round!
What can you serve eggnog with?
Eggnog can be paired with coffee or milk and if you’re over the age of 21 can even be enjoyed spiked with any alcohol of your choice. The drink pairs well with tasty sweet baked treats like muffins and cookies. The drink also pairs well with savory treats.
Try our Delicious Eggnog Latte Recipe if you're a fan of coffee ☺️
What is eggnog made of?
Eggnog is made using eggs, milk, heavy cream, and any sweetener such as sugar or honey. Extra things you can add to your eggnog to change the flavor or add to the flavor are vanilla extract, peppermint, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
Homemade eggnog ingredients and equipment
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- Milk
- Any kind of milk will work but 2% or whole is best as it adds to the thicker fattier consistency of the drink.
- Eggs
- Egg yolks and egg whites will be used separately for this recipe.
- Brown sugar
- any other sweeteners will work such as sugar, honey, agave, etc. We use brown sugar because it adds a toffee-like flavor to the eggnog.
- Heavy cream
- This adds to the thick creamy consistency of the drink.
- Spices
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves give the perfect spicy flavor to the eggnog.
- Vanilla extract
- The vanilla extract gives the perfect vanilla flavor to the eggnog.
Why you’ll love it
- We all know how much it sucks when seasonal flavors come and go. Eggnog being one of those festive seasonal flavors makes it hard since it isn’t readily available at any time of the year.
- Whether you want to enjoy a nice cup of eggnog on a Christmas morning or on a warm summer day these recipes provide you with a way to make it yourself at home!
- The best part about this recipe is that you can tweak it in any way you want and add in any flavorings you like!
Try adding Eggnog to our Homemade Vanilla Latte Recipe and you'll be in for a treat!
Homemade eggnog recipe (cooked)
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 large eggs
- Separated, eggs yolks only
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Separated into two 1/4 cup portions
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
How to make cooked homemade eggnog
*be very careful with high temperatures”
Love Pumpkin Spice? Try Adding Eggnog to your next Pumpkin Spice Latte & Pumpkin Coffee!
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add egg yolks and beat until the yolks turn a light yellow color and thicken up.
- Add 1/4 cup sugar to egg yolks and continue to beat until fully dissolved.
- In a saucepan over high heat add milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Stir until fully combined and bring mixture to just under a boil. Make sure to continue stirring so it doesn’t stick or burn.
- Slowly add the heavy cream/milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture by adding spoonfuls at a time while continuously stirring.
- Return this mixture to your saucepan and cook until the mixture reaches 165 degrees F. This will ensure that the mixture is cooked and any bacteria is killed.
- Remove from heat after reaching 165 degrees F and let chill.
- In a second large bowl add 1 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup sugar and beat until thick. Fold this mixture into your cold eggnog for a much thicker consistency.
- Store in an airtight sealed container in the fridge and don’t forget to stir before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- This recipe is a fully cooked recipe so as to eliminate any food-borne illnesses. An uncooked version is listed below but please remember that consumption of any undercooked or raw eggs can increase the risk of foodborne illness.
- Store in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for roughly 2-3 days.
- If adding alcohol keep in mind that alcohol will increase the shelf life of your homemade eggnog slightly making it last longer.
- Signs of spoiling are changes in color, smell, and consistency.
Traditional eggnog recipe (uncooked)
*careful with the high temps*
Disclaimer: Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs may increase the risk of foodborne illness. Consume at your own risk.
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 large eggs
- Separated, yolks and egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Separated into two 1/4 cup portions
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
How to make uncooked homemade eggnog
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add egg yolks and beat until the yolks change in color and consistency. They will turn to a lighter paler yellow color and will thicken in consistency.
- Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar to egg yolks and continue to beat until dissolved.
- In a pan over high heat add milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Stir until fully combined and bring mixture to a slight boil.
- After reaching a slight boil remove from heat.
- Slowly add the heavy cream/milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture by adding spoonfuls at a time while continuously stirring. This must be done to temper the eggs and not cook the eggs too quickly or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.
- Return this mixture to your saucepan and cook until the mixture reaches 165 degrees F. This will ensure that the mixture is cooked and any bacteria is killed.
- Remove from heat after reaching 165 degrees F and let chill.
- In a second mixing bowl add 1 cup of heavy cream and beat until thick. Once thick fold the mixture into your cold eggnog for a much thicker consistency.
- In a third mixing bowl add egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar.
- Beat this mixture until soft peaks form.
- Once peaks have formed you can add this mixture to your chilled eggnog.
- Store in a sealed airtight container and don’t forget to stir before serving.
Recipe notes:
- This is an uncooked version of eggnog where portions of the eggs are not fully cooked which may increase the risk of food borne illness. Consuming undercooked food and drinks can make you ill, so consume at your own risk. For this reason, we have listened to an alternative fully cooked recipe up above.
- Eggnog will last in the fridge for roughly 2-3 days.
- If adding alcohol keep in mind that the shelf life will slightly increase due to alcohol serving as a sort of preservative.
- Signs of spoiling are changes in color, smell, and consistency.
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