Easy Homemade Eggnog Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in eggnog? ›

A traditional holiday drink dating back hundreds of years, eggnog is made with eggs (hence the name), milk, cream, spices like nutmeg and vanilla, and fortified with rum, whisky, and/or brandy.

“While there are different eggnog recipes, most eggnog will typically contain high amounts of fat from cream and milk, and added sugar for sweetness,” said Cohn. The American Heart Association recommends that people consume no more than 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat every day to support heart health.

Eggnog is typically made with rum, brandy or bourbon, and Brown likes to start with a combination of dark rum and cognac. But there's no need to go premium; he recommends using an affordable, high-proof VS cognac. The higher alcohol level will cut through the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients.

Eggs must be cooked to 160 degrees F to kill bacteria such as Salmonella that may be present. If your eggnog recipe calls for raw eggs, it may not be safe. Adding alcohol inhibits bacterial growth, but it cannot be relied upon to kill bacteria.

Cover and refrigerate.

The more liquor you add, the longer it will keep — non-alcoholic eggnog should be consumed within 1 day; eggnog with 1/2 to 1 cup of liquor will keep for several days; and eggnog with 1 1/2 cups of liquor will keep for several weeks and continue aging and thickening quite nicely.

There's holiday nog made with milk and eggs but can't be called eggnog because of added booze, for example. Same goes for nog made of dairy alternatives, like almond or soy milk. But straight up milk and cream with no eggs—well, that's considered to be poor cousin of the real deal.

Thickeners may cause digestive upset in some people. Several of the dairy products contain high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. The majority of the eggnogs we looked at had more than one of these ingredients.

“Eggnog is high in calories and saturated fat because of the whole milk and heavy cream. It's also loaded with sugar,” says Christy Brissette, R.D., president of 80 Twenty Nutrition. Of course, toss in a shot of rum, and you're adding another 64 calories for a total of about 176 calories per serving.

Eggnog can be considered a higher potassium and phosphorus food. Due to these nutrients, this drink food may be limited for those with kidney disease who are on a low potassium, low phosphorus diet.

"Tom and Jerry is a form of hot eggnog [co*cktail] that was once popular." The Tom and Jerry was invented by British journalist Pierce Egan in the 1820s, using brandy and rum added to eggnog and served hot, usually in a mug or a bowl. It is a traditional Christmastime co*cktail in the United States.

What drink is similar to eggnog? ›

Typically made around Christmastime, the Tom and Jerry is a classic co*cktail that looks and tastes a lot like eggnog. Its exact origins are unclear, but there's evidence to suggest that the Cognac and rum-spiked drink's roots date back to England in the 19th century.

While brandy is the most traditional alcohol to pair with eggnog, according to traditional recipes, you can also use a mixture of dark rum and Cognac. If you like your eggnog with more of a kick you can also add bourbon, but we recommend sticking to rum and Cognac to preserve the 'nog's flavors.

What Is Eggnog Made Of? Today, eggnog is usually made of some combination of eggs (either just the yolks or the yolks and the whipped egg whites), sugar, milk, cream, nutmeg, and sometimes booze. We're all familiar with the cartons of store-bought eggnog that grace supermarkets every December.

Ingredients: milk, sugar, cream, skim milk, whey, egg yolks, guar gum, natural and artificial flavor, carrageenan, spices, salt, gelatin, annatto-turmeric color.

Eggnog is made with a combination of eggs, milk or cream, and sugar. Generally, it's served cold, and it has a custard-like color and texture. Sometimes, bourbon or whiskey or rum is added, which might be one reason it gets broken out around the holidays.

Some recipes call for whipped egg whites, which help make the light, frothy texture many enjoy in their eggnog. The yolks also help bind the liquids and fats together in the beverage to avoid separation and give the eggnog a rich, creamy taste.