Nothing quite gets me into Christmas holiday mood than the taste of Homemade Eggnog. Honestly, once you sip on a glass of freshly made eggnog, you’ll wonder why you ever settled before for those preservative-packed, artificial-tasting cartons!
This Homemade Eggnog recipe of mine offers a delicious boozy option along with the classic eggnog recipe by mixing in some bourbon, making it the perfect boozy treat to enjoy before calling it a night.
Table of contents
The combination of alcohol mixed into the eggnog and heating the eggnog base on the stovetop ensures that you can rest easy when using fresh raw eggs for this Homemade Eggnog!
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Ingredients for Eggnog
- 6 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½-1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½- 1 ½ cups of bourbon (optional)
How to Make Homemade Eggnog:
- Separate egg whites from yolks. Place egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl and set the egg whites aside.
- Add sugar to the egg yolks and whisk vigorously until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk, whipping cream, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg over medium heat until just before it boils. (Bubbles will form around the top edge of the milk mixture and it will begin to steam.
- Remove from heat.
- To temper the eggs, spoon one ladle full of the hot milk mixture and whisk it into the egg mixture. Continue adding ladles of the hot milk to the egg mixture until most has been added.
- Slowly drizzle the egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking as you do so.
- Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. DO NOT BOIL. The mixture should not be heated above 160°°F.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and bourbon.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour.
- Serve with freshly grated nutmeg or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
How Should I Store Homemade Eggnog?
You can store leftover homemade eggnog in your refrigerator or make it ahead of time to store. The length of time you can store your homemade eggnog in the refrigerator really depends on how much alcohol has been added.
Eggnog with a good dose of alcohol can last as long as several weeks when stored in an airtight glass container while more modest eggnog with no alcohol at all or slight amounts should only be stored for a few days.
Is It Safe To Drink The Raw Eggs In This Homemade Eggnog?
Yes, it is, and here’s why: Any bacteria present in the raw eggs is killed off by the alcohol added. In fact, the traditional way of making eggnog included the mixing of raw eggs and alcohol over several weeks!
While this recipe doesn’t require you to make your homemade eggnog several weeks before serving it, the addition of the alcohol and allowing the mixture to sit for at least an hour helps to sterilize the eggs and performs a preservative function too.
If you’re worried about getting Salmonella from this Homemade Eggnog, don’t be! There’s also nothing wrong with adding a little extra alcohol just to be sure! With jokes aside, there are ways that you can definitely reduce the chances of bacteria being present in the eggs you use for your homemade eggnog:
- Make sure to use fresh, organic eggs from a trusted local source;
- You could make use of pasteurized yolks and whites; and
- Cook the base of your eggnog mixture on the stovetop as I’ve done in this recipe – the heat also acts as a natural sterilizer for any bacteria that may be present in the yolks and whites.
How Should I Serve Homemade Eggnog?
Classic homemade eggnog is served chilled as an after dinner treat typically around the holiday season. You can serve it plain or add in some alcohol like I’ve done for a boozy eggnog that will keep you warm and offer a more decadent adult treat.
Serve your eggnog with some freshly baked sweet pastries or sugar cookies for a winning combination!
Tips For Making Homemade Eggnog
- ½ cup bourbon is considered a light addition of alcohol to this homemade eggnog and will offer a mild taste too. If you’d like a stronger taste of bourbon then feel free to increase the quantity up to 1 ½ cups.
- If bourbon isn’t your preferred choice of liquor, consider using other brown liquors such as cognac, brandy, rum, or even a combination!
- It’s really important that you don’t overheat the milk mixture or get it to the point of boiling as this will make your eggs scramble and you’ll need to start the recipe again from scratch.
- If you want extra foam and froth in your eggnog then you can whip egg whites into stiff peaks and gently fold them into the eggnog.
- For a stronger nutmeg flavor, I suggest that you use a zester or spice grinder to grind fresh nutmeg instead of using store-bought ground nutmeg.
Homemade Eggnog
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs separated into yolks and whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½-1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½- 1 ½ cups of bourbon optional
Instructions
- Separate egg whites from yolks. Place egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl and set the egg whites aside.
- Add sugar to the egg yolks and whisk vigorously until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk, whipping cream, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg over medium heat until just before it boils. (Bubbles will form around the top edge of the milk mixture and it will begin to steam.
- Remove from heat.
- To temper the eggs, spoon one ladle full of the hot milk mixture and whisk it into the egg mixture. Continue adding ladles of the hot milk to the egg mixture until most has been added.
- Slowly drizzle the egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking as you do so.
- Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. DO NOT BOIL. The mixture should not be heated above 160°°F.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and bourbon.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour.
- Serve with freshly grated nutmeg.
- Storage:
- Eggnog with alcohol will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator and will become more rich and flavorful over time. Eggnog with no alcohol or even light amounts of alcohol will keep and develop more flavor over a few days in the fridge.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Liz says
This was my first time making eggnog and I’m never buying it again! Your recipe is a winner!!