Homemade Eggnog Recipe

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Why buy eggnog when you can make homemade eggnog in under 5 minutes? This easy Amish recipe is versatile…sweeten and season to your liking. {And there’s a cooked eggnog option, too!}

homemade-eggnog-an-easy-amish-recipe-2

Homemade Eggnog Recipe

As I was planning my editorial calendar for the holiday season, I knew homemade eggnog had to be top on the to-make list. It’s one of Matt’s favorite holiday traditions, yet I had never made it for him because, well….it wasn’t one of my holiday traditions. He grew up enjoying glasses of eggnog alongside snickerdoodle cookies and this was a memory I wanted to bring back for him.

I flipped open my tattered, well-loved cookbook, looked up how to make eggnog and found an old traditional eggnog recipe. 7 eggnog ingredients that I already had in my refrigerator and pantry? No problem. I whipped it up in under 5 minutes, poured a glass for Matt {the official taste tester}. He thought it was amazingly delicious and fell in love with me all over again with just one taste.

End of sweet story, right?

Nope.

homemade-eggnog-an-easy-amish-recipe-1

How to Make Eggnog Safely

I was originally working on this story about 2 weeks ago and while typing, thought…maybe I should check and see how people deal with the raw eggs in eggnog? I mean, I eat raw eggs in cookie dough all.the.time {don’t send hate mail, please}. But I want to share recipes that are safe for you.

After a quick look at FoodSafety.gov, I knew I needed to rethink the completely raw eggs going in this special, creamy drink.

I’ve studied and tested recipes for the past week and have three options for you.

  1. Make the easy eggnog recipe with regular raw eggs. This is NOT recommended by FoodSafety.gov because of the risk of salmonella. That risk is relatively small, but is still there.
  2. Make the eggnog recipe with pasteurized eggs. Although this heating process kills any salmonella that might be present, the FDA and USDA still recommend cooking your eggnog. Sigh.
  3. Which brings us to the cooked eggnog recipe option. The homemade eggnog is totally safe for you to drink when it is cooked.

homemade-eggnog-an-easy-amish-recipe-4

I know that there will be some of you who say “Heck with it…I’m making it with raw eggs.”  And I know there are some of you who will shout from the rooftops that you should NOT be drinking homemade eggnog that has not been cooked.

So I’ll share with you a quick 5-minute version that you can make using raw, pasteurized eggs….and then I’ll tell you how to make cooked homemade eggnog for the ultimate in food safety. Either way, this is the best

For the Quick Easy Homemade Eggnog Recipe:

Crack the pasteurized eggs into a bowl and whip them with a hand mixer until they are frothy on top and lemon in color. Only about 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice, salt, milk and cream. Beat it again for another 1-2 minutes. And you’re done. Pour yourself a tall glass of this cold eggnog and enjoy every sip.

For a Cooked Eggnog Recipe:

This recipe takes just a little more time but has only 6 ingredients. Do not add the lemon juice to the cooked eggnog. Trust me. It will curdle. Don’t ask me how I know.

Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over  medium heat until it is about 115-120 degrees F. In another bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the eggs for 1-2 minutes or until they are lemon in color. Scoop ¾ cup of the heated milk and pour it slowly into the eggs, whisking constantly. This is called “tempering” the eggs. Now pour the egg/milk mixture slowly into the heated milk, whisking constantly. Add the sugar, nutmeg and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the temperature reaches 160 degrees F. This is a safe temperature for the eggs. The last step is chilling the eggnog. The cooked version will thicken as it cools, so I recommend drinking the eggnog sooner rather than later. If the cooked eggnog thickens too much, you can add milk (plus a bit more sugar and nutmeg) to get it to the consistency you like.

And that my friends….is all I have learned about eggnog in the past few weeks. It was more of a lesson than I thought I would learn.

But the recipe itself? Matt said it reminds him of his Grandma and that is a priceless reaction for me.

Be sure to read all of the notes to make this eggnog exactly how you like it!
If you love eggnog, try Eggnog Cream Cake!

Can you bake with eggnog?

Yes! Homemade eggnog might have a little bit of a different thickness than store bought milk or store bought eggnog, so a recipe might need a little tweaking. But in general, you can often replace milk with eggnog in baked goods. We’ve also found you can reduce the sugar slightly since eggnog is already sweetened.

What can you make with leftover eggnog?

Try making cheesecake, cinnamon rolls, bread, pancakes, muffins or even coffee cake or pumpkin pie. The possibilities are endless!

make eggnog with raw eggs
make eggnog with raw eggs

Homemade Eggnog

4.98 from 35 votes
Why buy eggnog when you can make homemade eggnog in under 5 minutes? This easy Amish recipe is versatile. Sweeten and season to your liking.
Servings 6 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Email Me This Recipe!
Enter your email and get the recipe sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week.

Ingredients
 

  • 4 large pasteurized eggs
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are thick and lemon colored.
  • Whisk in the sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice and salt.
  • Add the milk and cream.
  • Beat with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes or until the eggnog is frothy.
  • Serve with ice. Makes 6 large glasses.

Video

Notes

  • Adjust the sugar to your liking. Add more or less.
  • You can also add a bit more nutmeg or even cinnamon if you'd like.
  • Want your eggnog creamier? Use more cream and less milk. 
  • For a cooked eggnog, follow these instructions {the only ingredient you will not use is the lemon juice}: Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over  medium heat until it is about 115-120 degrees F. In another bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the eggs for 1-2 minutes or until they are lemon in color. Scoop ¾ cup of the heated milk and pour it slowly into the eggs, whisking constantly. This is called "tempering" the eggs. Now pour the egg/milk mixture slowly into the heated milk, whisking constantly. Add the sugar, nutmeg and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the temperature reaches 160 degrees F. This is a safe temperature for the eggs. The last step is chilling the eggnog. The cooked version will thicken as it cools, so I recommend drinking the eggnog sooner rather than later. If the cooked eggnog thickens too much, you can add milk (plus a bit more sugar and nutmeg) to get it to the consistency you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 291mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 4.2mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Course Drink
Cuisine American
Calories 240
Keyword christmas morning, cooked eggnog, easy eggnog recipe, how to make eggnog

Why buy eggnog when you can make homemade eggnog in under 5 minutes? This easy Amish recipe is versatile...sweeten and season to your liking. {And there's a cooked eggnog option, too!}

About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

Get 5 Classic Recipes with a Deliciously Secret Twist

You might also like

Join the Discussion

Subscribe
Notify of

53 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Carol
7 years ago

5 stars
Thanks for the eggnog recipe. I made it without cooking. If you normally add alcohol to you egg nog add it before drinking and it will be safe. I laugh to myself when people say they eat raw cookie dough, yet won’t drink egg nog if it’s not cooked. If that scares you, don’t eat raw cookie dough!! This uncooked egg nog is wonderful!!

Wendy
5 years ago

You know I’m not sure when all this salmonella started but back in the 50’s and 60s when I was a kid my Dad made homemade Egg Nog with Nutmeg and vanilla no cream just eggs and milk and no alcohol for the batch he let us kids drink. The batch he’d make for the holiday house parties our family attended always had a nice amount of whiskey added and all of us kids would get what wqould amount to a teaspoonful of it in a shot glass no less…lol…as a toast with the adults at the party just before… Read more »

Jenn
6 years ago

This was a nice eggnog, but we didn’t particularly enjoy the lemon flavour past the first couple of sips. I would leave it out next time I make it.

Patricia Williams
6 years ago

I haven’t tried your eggnog recipe yet, but I will. I love eggnog, but I have always bought it at the grocery store. I have never made it homemade before! I am looking forward to trying you’re recipe. Thank You for posting your eggnog recipe.

Seth B
7 years ago

YUP! I’ve needed this for a long time! I make a wicked Egg Nog cocktail, and it’ll be even better to be able to say that I made the egg nog from scratch.

Thanks for posting Julie! Cheers!

Mali Mama
2 years ago

The cooked version works well with whole milk and no cream, and I reduced the eggs to three – saves a little money and still tastes rich and creamy.

Jes
4 years ago

5 stars
I made the cooked version. Very good. I used whole milk and half/ half (because that’s what I had) Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Doofy
5 years ago

5 stars
It was amazing

‘without the ice’

Mike
5 years ago

Great recipe. I been wanting to make eggnog for years now. Turned out great. Fast and easy. I used fresh eggs from a local ranch and added twice the cream and doubled the nut meg. Looking forward in making this again.

Valerie
7 years ago

Love eggnog and have used this same recipe for years. Never had a problem with the eggs, as I have always used farm fresh eggs.

Terri
3 years ago

5 stars
Ive made my egg nog for years without cooking it! If you add acid to the egg yolks — either in the form of lemon juice or vinegar. Adding acid raises the temperature at which egg yolks cook, which heats them to 140°F, killing the bacteria, but without cooking the egg. Amazing recipe, so easy and 100% better than store bought:)

Chris Van Der Stoep
3 years ago

5 stars
I just made this for the first time. (I made the cooked version because it’s for a party.) It was SO easy! And it is smooth and tastes great! Thanks for sharing!!!

Andy
3 years ago

I’m sorry, but this needs some flavor. It’s really just sweet milk with the ratio of 1 egg per cup of milk. Some spice would be good too, maybe vanilla, cinnamon, even some more sugar. I made the tempered version btw.

Mello
3 years ago

This recipe is almost like the one I used to make myself in the 70’s. It was not fancy crazy in those days. Egg, milk, sugar and I am still wondering if I added vanilla…no cooking just stir and drink!

Jim
4 years ago

Making this now with non-factory uncooked and unpasteurized eggs. ( real free range eggs from friend ). Expect it will be great ! Will not be using 10.25 kg of milk as per the metric list of ingredients though. At 8.6 lbs. per US gallon that would be about 2 1/2 Gallons.