Homemade eggnog is a delicious holiday drink without all the junk in the carton from the store. Rich, creamy, just thick enough, and sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg, it’ll be your new favorite holiday tradition!
Eggnog is one of the most divisive holiday season beverages: either you REALLY love it, or you REALLY hate it.
I’m on the love-it side of things.
Eggnog has been one of my favorite Christmas treats for as long as I can remember. My grandma used to keep a quart in her fridge just for me.
I’ve always loved its spicy, thick, custard-like goodness, and with the holidays not too far away, cravings are in full swing. There’s just one big hurdle standing in the way of enjoying a big cup of eggnog…
The list of ingredients.
NUTRITION OF STORE-BOUGHT EGGNOG
Have you read the nutrition label of store bought eggnog lately? The list of ingredients is long and includes more than one of our top ingredients to avoid:
- Grade A Milk
- Cream
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Egg Yolks
- Sugar
- Nonfat Milk
- Natural and Artificial Flavors
- Spices
- Carrageenan
- Annatto (Color)
- Turmeric (Color)
Talk about a buzz kill. And we don’t even use alcohol in our eggnog! This leaves me with a major bone to pick.
Why does one of my favorite holiday drinks contain a bunch of junk?!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST EGGNOG RECIPE
Surely, it’s possible to enjoy this delicious drink without all that fake stuff, right? I mean, what did our great-grandmothers do 50 years ago? Traditional eggnog has been a thing since the 1700s – way before high fructose corn syrup OR carrageenan ever existed. Why do we need all the icky stuff now?
In all the classic eggnog recipes I’ve seen, the ingredients are fairly the same, and I’ve come up with the perfect ratio for a delicious lightly sweetened holiday drink.
- Milk. I use whole milk for just the right thickness. You can use a dairy-free alternative like Almond Milk, but your finished egg nog will be thinner.
- Large egg yolks. I use organic eggs.
- Sweetener. Honey is my go-to for the perfect amount of sweetness. Maple syrup would work too, with a slightly different sweet flavor.
- Vanilla extract. Here’s how to make your own.
- Nutmeg and Cinnamon. Just a bit of each for that hint of spice.
All of these are simple real food ingredients. Nothing processed or artificial here!
HOW TO MAKE EGGNOG
Here’s how to make eggnog the real food way.
Step 1. First, add the yolks of the egg + the honey to a blender. Blend until the mixture is creamy and light.
Step 2. Combine the milk and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Step 3. Then, add 1 Tablespoon of hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, and stir. Continue adding the hot milk to the egg mixture a Tablespoon at a time while stirring.
Step 4. Once the majority of the hot milk has been added to the egg mixture, pour it back into the saucepan.
Step 5. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Step 6. Pour half of the mixture (¼ cup at a time) through a strainer and into a container with an airtight lid (I use my blender jar). Chill in the refrigerator.
Step 7. Finally, once it’s chilled you can serve it with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, and a swirl of Homemade Whipped Cream if you’re feeling fancy.
HOMEMADE EGG NOG RECIPE TIPS
- This eggnog recipe doesn’t use the egg whites, so add those to a batch of the Best Scrambled Eggs Recipe for breakfast!
- Homemade egg nog thickens as it cools, so don’t worry if it seems thin when it’s just finished.
- Store homemade egg nog in the fridge for up to one week.
- Scale the eggnog recipe up or down: Make a double batch for a holiday party. Or if you’re the only eggnog fan in the family, cut the recipe in half and make just one single cup (instead of letting the rest of a carton spoil in the fridge).
- Don’t drink a lot of eggnog at once? Make 2 cups of homemade eggnog. Use half in this Cranberry Orange Scone Recipe (use eggnog in place of the cream) and enjoy them fresh out of the oven with the other half!
- Eggnog is a nonalcoholic beverage, but if you want, you can add 1-2 ounces of whiskey, rum, or brandy to the chilled eggnog.
DELICIOUS TASTE OF HOMEMADE EGGNOG
What about the taste – can you tell the difference between homemade eggnog and store-bought?
I think I can, but I’m not entirely sure. I find store-bought eggnog to be extremely thick, and in some cases, too thick to drink.
- The homemade version is definitely thicker than milk, but it’s not as thick as store-bought eggnog and I liked it this way better. I’m guessing the recipes that call for additional heavy cream would be thicker, but I don’t have cream, so I wasn’t able to verify that.
- Besides thickness, the taste was really good! It tastes clean rather than full of fake stuff if that makes sense. And the fact that you can add more ground cinnamon or nutmeg or vanilla if you want? Yum!
Okay, I’m totally in love. Freshly grated nutmeg would likely put.this.over.the.top…but make do with what you have.
RECIPE – EGG NOG FAQS
Is homemade eggnog safe?
Homemade eggnog is safe to consume when you use whole pasteurized eggs or liquid eggs. I used organic eggs in my recipe.
How long does homemade eggnog last?
You can store this healthy eggnog in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How do you make eggnog to drink – hot or cold?
Eggnog is typically served cold but can be heated! Use medium-low heat if you want a warm cup of this tasty drink.
MORE HOLIDAY BEVERAGE RECIPES
- Eggnog Smoothie
- Easy Pumpkin Smoothie
- Crockpot Hot Chocolate
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Homemade Peppermint Mocha Latte
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Homemade eggnog is a delicious holiday drink without all the junk in the carton from the store. Rich, creamy, just thick enough, and sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg, it’ll be your new favorite holiday tradition!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Instructions
- First, add the yolks of the egg and the honey to a blender. Blend until the mixture is creamy and light.
- Combine the milk and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Then, add a tablespoon of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, and stir. Continue adding the hot milk to the egg mixture a Tablespoon at a time while stirring.
- Once a majority of the hot milk has been added to the egg mixture, pour it back into the saucepan.
- Whisk vigorously until the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour half of the mixture (¼ cup at a time) through a strainer and into a container with an airtight lid. (I use my blender jar). Chill in the refrigerator.
- Finally, once it’s chilled you can serve it with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, and a swirl of Homemade Whipped Cream if you’re feeling fancy.
Notes
- This eggnog recipe doesn’t use the egg whites, so add those to a batch of the Best Scrambled Eggs Recipe for breakfast!
- Homemade egg nog thickens as it cools, so don’t worry if it seems thin when it’s just finished.
- Store homemade egg nog in the fridge for up to one week.
- Scale the eggnog recipe up or down: Make a double batch for a holiday party. Or if you’re the only eggnog fan in the family, cut the recipe in half and make just one single cup (instead of letting the rest of a carton spoil in the fridge).
- Don’t drink a lot of eggnog at once? Make 2 cups of homemade eggnog. Use half in this Cranberry Orange Scone Recipe (use eggnog in place of the cream) and enjoy them fresh out of the oven with the other half!
- Eggnog is a nonalcoholic beverage, but if you want, you can add 1-2 ounces of whiskey, rum, or brandy to the chilled eggnog.
Nutrition
- Calories: 335
I couldn’t find the recipe either.
2 cups of whole organic milk
4 egg yolks from organic eggs
2 Tbsp honey
sprinkles of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla
Something must be wrong with me, but I don’t see your recipe showing up. I see the list of the others you link to, but I don’t see yours. What am I missing?
Thanks for your help!
I clicked on your link for Cranberry Eggnog scones and it comes up Cranberry Orange scone recipe, No mention of eggnog. I am bummed. I was searching for how you make your eggnog too, but just get the list of ingredients. Totally bummed.
Hi Judy! Here’s my recipe for eggnog: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/food-wars-eggnog/, and for scones, simply use eggnog in lieu of the cream. 🙂
I just mad the egg nog. My kids had never tried egg nog before. Let you know how they like it.
Thank You
Maria
Yeah for providing homemade egg nog recipes. I fell in love with Organic Valley’s eggnog, but their brief season is over. Excited to possibly extend my egg nog season a little longer by trying to make some of these recipes!
Enjoy Gwen! It’s so good!
Did you try making eggnog with non-dairy milk? What would you recommend?
Thanks for sharing a link to my eggnog recipes, Tiffany.
A note on the honey. I’m a part of a local group that gets together to organize bulk buys from local producers on things like honey and maple syrup. Together we get better prices and get the real thing from producers we trust, and they have a guaranteed market for their products.
I can’t stand store eggnog – way too thick and sweet! I grew up on a dairy farm and my mom always made the fresh stuff with our own milk and eggs.
You’re welcome!
Looking into local sources for honey and other items is on the list for 2014, but I do think it’s tougher in my area. Just not sure why!
re: alotta honey is better than a little HFCS
unless ur getting raw honey from a local farmer ur honey is prob from “farmed-bees” which are fed HFCS. they set a tray of HFCS beneath the hive and bees go no where else as their food source is right there. so no pollen from flowers in the honey either.
so in effect most honey is straight HFCS!
which makes me kinda glad i buy the cheapest honey i can find, unless i could afford the health-food kind, local and truly raw.
but it makes me mad as i thot at least it’s not corn syrup or even traditional white or brown sugar. 🙁
but now…
i was upset to comprehend this when i learned it, but it is true, research it.
I just tried my hand at homemade eggnog for the first time, and it’s delicious! I’m going to try it in your scone recipe too!
Just a note – I think your math is off 😉
LOL – thanks for catching my error Heather! I think I should keep quiet about that math degree. 😉 Glad you liked the eggnog, and it’s SO good in the scones. Gives it a dark, richer, fuller flavor. So Christmas-y! 🙂
I LOVE the taste of homemade eggnog, I can tell for sure. Though, my recipe is much creamier than store-bought. Thanks for linking to it 🙂 Merry Christmas! 🙂
You’re welcome Trisha! Merry Christmas to you! 🙂
My entire family loves egg nog, as in my husband and I can drink a quart in one sitting! However, there is only one brand that we really, really love (I even drove 30 miles and paid >2x more for organic and we still liked the bad stuff better) and I am afraid homemade just won’t cut it. We only get 1 gallon of raw milk each week and I don’t want to waste it. However our farmer gifted us with an extra gallon this week so maybe it’s time to give it a go! Will try it and let you know what we think! I can already tell yours is going to be way less sweet – which is unfortunately why I think we love it?
I don’t blame you for not wanting to waste the raw milk! And you’re right, my version is way less sweet. I thought my recipe was wrong, but it took me a few sips to realize that it was because of the sweetener! You can always add more honey if you’d like. 1/2 cup of honey is still better than even just a tiny bit of HFCS. 😉
Just made homemade eggnog this weekend for the first time. I’m not a huge nog fan but my husband is and we thought it would be a fun tradition. Our recipe was different because I’m nursing and wanted to cook the eggs. It came out great and I would totally make it again, in fact we probably will! I agree, tastes much cleaner than store bought, worth the extra effort!
I’ve seen some recipes where you temper the eggs too Joyanna, which is a great alternative for pregnancy or conventional eggs. And I wholeheartedly agree that it’s worth the effort, although with a blender, the effort isn’t much. 😉