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Creamy, lightened up homemade eggnog is a holiday tradition worth savoring! This easy recipe comes together quickly and it’s so much tastier than store-bought.
Eggnog evokes fond childhood Christmas memories for me. I love it with or without the alcohol, hot or cold. This lightened up eggnog recipe is still rich and creamy. It’s easy to make and so much better than store bought eggnog—if you’ve never made eggnog before, give it a try! You can make it a few days ahead for all your holiday celebrations.
Why It’s Worth Making Homemade Eggnog
- Customizable to your tastes. When you make it yourself, you can make it with or without spiking it, add extra nutmeg, toss in a cinnamon stick, and make it your way.
- Leftovers are great for repurposing. Use your leftovers for Eggnog French Toast or Eggnog Lattes. Yum!
- Lighter than store-bought. My homemade eggnog recipe tastes indulgent and rich, but it’s a lightened up version so you’ll still have plenty of room for Peppermint Meringues and all your favorite Christmas cookies.
Featured Comment
Wow. You have saved my healthy holiday season! I made this tonight, and even my kids loved it. I used regular vanilla extract because vanilla bean is not something I usually have in my kitchen, and I had to make this NOW :). I added pumpkin pie spice at the end for a little zing. Thanks for this recipe!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- 1% milk – Or another milk you like or keep in the fridge.
- Vanilla bean – Using vanilla beans is really worth the added expense, so don’t skimp here.
- Eggs – It wouldn’t be eggnog without them! It makes the eggnog rich and creamy.
- Sugar – You can adjust the amount to your tastes.
- Cornstarch – This helps thicken the eggnog.
- Nutmeg – Freshly grated tastes the best, but ground nutmeg is fine too.
- Spiced rum or bourbon – Optional, to make your homemade eggnog extra festive.
How to Make Homemade Eggnog
See the recipe card below for printable instructions.
- Warm the milk. Heat the milk in a saucepan and add the vanilla bean seeds and pod. Simmer over medium heat.
- Mix the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk them until the color turns pale yellow.
- Temper the eggs. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture a cup at a time, whisking constantly. Once incorporated, pour the mixture back into the pan.
- Thicken. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggnog thickens.
- Chill. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining milk. Discard the vanilla bean pod. Let the eggnog cool, then pour it into a pitcher and refrigerate.
- Serve. Spike with liquor if desired and garnish with nutmeg to serve.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t let the milk come to a boil. Boiling milk changes its flavor and it will also develop a skin on the top.
- Add cinnamon. Place a cinnamon stick in the milk as it simmers to infuse it with cozy flavor.
- Pour the milk into the egg mixture slowly. And while pouring it in slowly, whisk constantly. If you simply dump all the milk into the egg, you’ll end up cooking the eggs.
Proper Storage
If you spike your eggnog, it will last in the refrigerator for 3 days. If you don’t add alcohol, it will last for 2 days. (All the more reason to add some rum to your eggnog!) Store it in a glass bottle or pitcher with a lid or another airtight container.
More Holiday Favorites
Homemade Eggnog
This easy lightened up homemade eggnog recipe comes together quickly and it’s so much tastier than store-bought. Creamy and delicious!
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 /2 cup
Ingredients
- 3 cups 1% milk
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
- spiced rum or bourbon, optional, extra points
Instructions
- Heat 2-1/2 cups milk in a medium saucepan.
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; add the seeds and pod to the saucepan and simmer over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and cornstarch until it turns light yellow.
- Temper the eggs by gradually pouring the hot milk mixture, about 1 cup at a time, into the egg mixture, whisking constantly (this is important, otherwise you’ll make scrambled eggs).
- Pour the mixture back into the pan.
- Place over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the eggnog begins to thicken, about 6-7 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the remaining 1/2 cup milk to stop the cooking.
- Remove the vanilla pod, let it cool and transfer to a pitcher, chill until ready to serve.
- Spike the eggnog with liquor, if desired (extra points), and garnish with nutmeg.
Last Step:
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Recipe adapted from the Food Network
Nutrition
Serving: 1 /2 cup, Calories: 106.7 kcal, Carbohydrates: 15.3 g, Protein: 5.3 g, Fat: 2.5 g
