Eggnog is one of those traditional holiday foods that went from seasonal treat to culinary pariah over the past century. Along with jewel speckled fruitcakes and mincemeat pie, it's become an anachronism from a bygone era when we didn't think twice about eating eggs raw, and cholesterol was nothing more than a scientific curiosity.
I don't know if health concerns had anything to do with eggnog's waning popularity, but the artificially flavored travesties sold in stores these days would turn even the most ardent 'nog-lover off of the creamy, eggy concoction. Recently I've seen aged eggnog making a comeback in the craft cocktail scene, but who has time (or the refrigerator space) to prep this holiday tipple in summer for consumption during the holidays?
That's why I came up with this quick hack that produces a delightfully full-bodied eggnog, that's satisfyingly rich without being thick or cloying. The trick is to whip some eggs in a blender and then heat all the other ingredients until piping hot, before blending it all into a soul-warming elixir with a frothy head that's sure to get you into the holiday spirit.
Consumed warm, it will take the chill of the most frigid of winter days, but this eggnog is satiny smooth and delicious chilled as well, so there's no need to feel like need to drink it all in one sitting (though it may be tempting.
I like using a 2:1 ratio of milk to cream for this to keep it from becoming overly rich, but you can certainly increase the amount of cream if you're in the mood for something even more decadent. As for the booze, I used Armagnac, a kind of brandy but I've made it before with everything from rum, to bourbon to shochu and it's all good. If you want to reduce the alcohol content, but still get the flavor of the brandy, you can boil it down for a bit before adding the milk, cream, and sugar.
I hope you enjoy this eggnog and have a wonderful holiday season!
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 2 large pasteurized eggs* (room temperature)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Add the eggs to a blender and blend until a light creamy color.
- In a small saucepan, heat the sugar, milk, cream, vanilla and brandy (optional) until it's steaming hot, but not boiling.
- With the blender running on medium speed, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture through the lid.
- Serve hot in small glasses with some nutmeg grated on top.
Marsha Whitt says
Thank you! I routinely have a homemade keto eggnog blended with ice, but I wanted a hot drink today, and found your recipe. It was perfect! I left out the brandy, though.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Marsha, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Misi says
Process and ingredients made exactly what I needed tonight!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Misi, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this!
Jennifer says
So much easier than my old method, thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear it was helpful!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Adrienne I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. It's definitely a holiday tradition in our household as well!.
Adrienne Davenport says
Thanks for the wonderful holiday recipe. I'm with the small crowd that still holds dear to this tradition. It's great- happy Thanksgiving!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kathy, it makes about 2 glasses.
Kathy Frazier says
how many does this recipe serve?
josah says
Don't ever let this page die--you've got the best warm eggnog recipe on the internet, mister. 8)
Thomas Abraham says
sry for delay ... but i didnt noticed that someone replied ^^... all i can say is that the chocolate eggnog based on this recipe was a HIT .... i made it for the whole class of my daughter and all wanted to know the recipe ^^...
Marilia says
Hello and merry x-mas from Germany .... ty very much for this wonderful recipe ... i didnt have a blender so i made it in my bain marie and i have to say its so rich and creamy that i couldnt end to go back and steal the next cup ^^... tomorrow i will try to make a chocolate eggnog for my children :))
greetings
Tina Franzen
Marc Matsumoto says
Because it contains eggs (another other perishable ingredients), I would not recommend keeping it warm as any temperature hot enough to ward off bacterial growth would set the egg proteins. This is a make and drink kind of beverage.
RaspberryFrog says
Just made hot egggnog, to cook out the eggs, for the children. Only the USA could make drinking alcoholic custard an art form.
Vince says
How long can this stay warm if I make a larger batch of this warm egg nog and do you have any suggestions for keeping it warm?
Jimi Oke says
To each his/her own, I guess. I, for one, am not a fan of recipes that are merely a list of ingredients followed by mechanical step-by-step instructions. Cooking is all about the spirit, not the letter. It's always nice to read the author's thoughts and side-stories along the way. And I think the context is inescapable. Regardless of where in the world (or the US) you are from, bringing eggs to room temperature is always part of standard recipe-speak. Eggs have been refrigerated since the 50s all over the world. Even if you buy them unwashed, it's always recommended to wash and then refrigerate. So, please, stop being nitpicky and give the author some well-deserved credit for this fantastic post.
Marc Matsumoto says
Fascinating! I just looked it up on wikipedia and while my Spanish is a little rusty, it sounds very similar. It sounds like it's a beverage only consumed in latin america, so I wonder if it developed independently or if it had its roots in Europe.
fugarte171 says
My mother-in-law (from Lima, Peru) called this Caspiroleta -- a sure cure for the flu! Your method by using a blender makes it so much easier. I can't wait to try it with the nutmeg. Thanks for a great recipe!
AndreaMichelle says
This recipe was great! Thank you! My boyfriend loved it! However, I added extra nutmeg into the egg nog mixture and sprinkled cinammon on top instead of the nutmeg.
Thank you for your recipe! 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
You can really use just about any alcohol, but traditionally it's made with Rum or Brandy. Personally I like using Scotch Whiskey or Bourbon. As for the cream, it's the pourable kind of cream (not clotted). Hope that helps!
l.holmes128 says
Thia sounds a lovley easy recipe. i am from the uk and have never tasted or made eggnogg. Is braandy the usual alchohol in eggnogg? A quicke question is cream the double pouring cream? Thank you ; xx
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm not a food safety expert so I'm not going to say what you should or shouldn't do with your eggs, but in areas where the eggs aren't washed, there's a protective membrane called a cuticle that keeps bacteria from entering the egg, so many people leave their eggs unrefrigerated. In the US all eggs sold commercially must be washed, so unless you have chickens in your back yard you probably won't find an unwashed egg.
james says
just what kind of membrane would you be refering to? are you saying that if i got un-washed eggs i wouldnt have to refrigerate them?
Marc Matsumoto says
Not sure where you're based, but in the US eggs need to
be refrigerated because they've had the protective membranes stripped off of them by pressure washers before they're sold.
Frogster says
I've been trying to find a quick, simple recipe for warm egg nog. I'm afraid yours has too much verbiage. I have no idea what you mean by "bring 2 eggs up to room temperature". I keep my eggs at room temp all the time! You do not say how many servings this recipe makes. I skipped all the bumph about Thanksgiving. I just want to know how to make a good warm egg nog! Sorry, thumbs down on this.
Frogster says
I've been trying to find a quick, simple recipe for warm egg nog. I'm afraid yours has too much verbiage. I have no idea what you mean by "bring 2 eggs up to room temperature". I keep my eggs at room temp all the time! You do not say how many servings this recipe makes. I skipped all the bumph about Thanksgiving. I just want to know how to make a good warm egg nog! Sorry, thumbs down on this.
Marc Matsumoto says
Half and half is a 50/50 mixture of milk and cream. If you live in the US,
you should be able to pick up a pint of half and half at any supermarket.
tania Chahoud says
i am reading the warm egg nog recipe, excuse my ignorance but what is half and half?
Marc Matsumoto says
2 servings
Helen says
How many servings does this make?
Marc Matsumoto says
Not sure if you get it out in the UK, but "half and half" is a mixture
of half cream and half milk that they sell here in the US to add to
coffee and tea. You can make it yourself by mixing milk and cream.
Steve says
Sorry - I think there is now something missing. 1 cup of half and half - what??
Steve says
Ah yes - Cups - of course. Thank you.
Marc Matsumoto says
No worries, C is short for cup. I'm not sure if you guys have the same
cup measurements there that we do, but what's important is the proportions,
so as long as you're using the same proportions you should be okay.
Steve says
Hi there.
I really fancy trying this but I don't know what the unit of measurement C is? Could you advise please. To mitigate against my ignorance I just wanted to let you know that I'm from the other side of the pond.
Thanks,
Steve.
Guest says
Wow - the eggnog was delish (even better because I could make my single serving using a whisk and a microwave). Bonus: Your site is an over-the-top visual treat. Hope the opportunities in 2010 treated you to more income and pleasure than deprivation and frustration. -ck in ca
Patrick says
Looks delicious! I notice the unit is missing beside the "1/2 Cream". Could you clarify? I assume a cup, but just wanted to be sure. 🙂
Luana says
Wow just tried your recipe,so easy and amazing taste..Didn't have bourbon so i replaced some of the cream with a tablespoon of brandy cream..
Patrick says
Looks delicious! I notice the unit is missing beside the "1/2 Cream". Could you clarify? I assume a cup, but just wanted to be sure. 🙂
Luana says
Wow just tried your recipe,so easy and amazing taste..Didn't have bourbon so i replaced some of the cream with a tablespoon of brandy cream..
Livia says
Just tried your recipe for its simplicity. It does exactly what you promised, and I think it ended up a little too light for what I was craving. But it was pleasingly simple, extravagantly foamy, and had just the right flavor.
Thank you for sharing.
Livia says
Just tried your recipe for its simplicity. It does exactly what you promised, and I think it ended up a little too light for what I was craving. But it was pleasingly simple, extravagantly foamy, and had just the right flavor.
Thank you for sharing.
We Are Never Full says
here's to employment in 2010. for you, marc and for everyone (despite a 10% unemployment rate). i still live in fear of losing my job all the time - it's a crappy position for all of us to feel so vulnerable. i've also been a bad friend blogger re: blog for hunger so i'm heading over to actually donate right now.
as for the egg nog - i grew up w/ the non-alcoholic version from our local store - wawa (in the philly area). i used to LOVE when the first batches of egg nog came to the stores. it was soooo thick we used to dilute it with skim milk. my mom would add some alcohol but mine was virgin. i always wanted seconds and would soon get a bad stomach ache. but it was worth it.
We Are Never Full says
here's to employment in 2010. for you, marc and for everyone (despite a 10% unemployment rate). i still live in fear of losing my job all the time - it's a crappy position for all of us to feel so vulnerable. i've also been a bad friend blogger re: blog for hunger so i'm heading over to actually donate right now.
as for the egg nog - i grew up w/ the non-alcoholic version from our local store - wawa (in the philly area). i used to LOVE when the first batches of egg nog came to the stores. it was soooo thick we used to dilute it with skim milk. my mom would add some alcohol but mine was virgin. i always wanted seconds and would soon get a bad stomach ache. but it was worth it.
Amber says
I'm a sucker for all those mistreated holiday goodies- mincemeat pie, fruitcake, and definitely eggnog! I just wanted to let you know that I'm interested in learning more about Blog Away Hunger for my blog, and that I love your site!
Also, I tried out your crustless pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year, turned out fantastic! Rather than the cardamom (mom's spice rack was lacking) I used cinnamon, orange zest, nutmeg, maple sugar, and cloves. I served it with a warm maple-rum sauce. Delish!
Amber says
I'm a sucker for all those mistreated holiday goodies- mincemeat pie, fruitcake, and definitely eggnog! I just wanted to let you know that I'm interested in learning more about Blog Away Hunger for my blog, and that I love your site!
Also, I tried out your crustless pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year, turned out fantastic! Rather than the cardamom (mom's spice rack was lacking) I used cinnamon, orange zest, nutmeg, maple sugar, and cloves. I served it with a warm maple-rum sauce. Delish!
Jenni Field says
Marc--I love this warm version. How fantastic. Next time, add some salt--I think it will put it right over the top, like boozy, warm vanilla pudding. And how could that be a bad thing?
I've missed coming over here--craziness with my site reworking. Alas. Sounds like you had a lovely, low-key Thanksgiving:)
Jenni Field says
Marc--I love this warm version. How fantastic. Next time, add some salt--I think it will put it right over the top, like boozy, warm vanilla pudding. And how could that be a bad thing?
I've missed coming over here--craziness with my site reworking. Alas. Sounds like you had a lovely, low-key Thanksgiving:)
joni says
I've never tried eggnog. Sounds nasty. And warm? I wonder how the egg doesn't get cooked...
joni says
I've never tried eggnog. Sounds nasty. And warm? I wonder how the egg doesn't get cooked...
Cheffresco says
Mmm eggnog is soo tasty. Nice recipe & pics!
Cheffresco says
Mmm eggnog is soo tasty. Nice recipe & pics!
radish says
LOVE warm eggnog 🙂 but in my house, bourbon isn't optional for it. I can't wait to make it this season. Love your Bodum glasses for it too!
RecipeGirl says
My nephew is a chef, and he was just telling me this weekend that I need to get an eggnog recipe on my site. This looks fabulous. I remember drinking eggnog as a teenager at a friend's house for Thanksgiving. The excessive amount of eggs always freak me out a little bit too.
radish says
LOVE warm eggnog 🙂 but in my house, bourbon isn't optional for it. I can't wait to make it this season. Love your Bodum glasses for it too!
RecipeGirl says
My nephew is a chef, and he was just telling me this weekend that I need to get an eggnog recipe on my site. This looks fabulous. I remember drinking eggnog as a teenager at a friend's house for Thanksgiving. The excessive amount of eggs always freak me out a little bit too.
hanna says
I love homemade eggnog, hot or cold. And it'll be the perfect thing to sip on and reminisce.
This year has been a difficult one. I hope things look up in the coming year!
Amanda says
Mmm, now this sounds like it will warm you up on a cold winter night. I've never tried egg nog warm. I'm gonna give this recipe a whirl.
hanna says
I love homemade eggnog, hot or cold. And it'll be the perfect thing to sip on and reminisce.
This year has been a difficult one. I hope things look up in the coming year!
Marie says
I, for one, adore eggnog, but I have to admit I've only had the store-bought kind. I am too afraid to make it at home, which is silly, I know. Another dragon to slay in my kitchen, I suppose! Thanks for the holiday cheer post... I'm slowly getting into the swing of things, despite the CA weather!
Amanda says
Mmm, now this sounds like it will warm you up on a cold winter night. I've never tried egg nog warm. I'm gonna give this recipe a whirl.
Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says
I've actually never tried eggnog, and while it has always seemed a little creepy, I guess it's no worse than semifreddo or uncooked cake batter, both of which I eat with gusto. Your recipe looks seriously inviting. Hope 2010 has more ups than downs for ya 🙂
Marie says
I, for one, adore eggnog, but I have to admit I've only had the store-bought kind. I am too afraid to make it at home, which is silly, I know. Another dragon to slay in my kitchen, I suppose! Thanks for the holiday cheer post... I'm slowly getting into the swing of things, despite the CA weather!
Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says
I've actually never tried eggnog, and while it has always seemed a little creepy, I guess it's no worse than semifreddo or uncooked cake batter, both of which I eat with gusto. Your recipe looks seriously inviting. Hope 2010 has more ups than downs for ya 🙂
manggy says
Marc, I'm thankful that things in your life appear to have stabilized 🙂 I must admit I haven't had one since I was a kid-- it always seemed like a questionable luxury to us, as we did not have nutmeg on the shelves back then. Maybe it's time I give it another shot 🙂
manggy says
Marc, I'm thankful that things in your life appear to have stabilized 🙂 I must admit I haven't had one since I was a kid-- it always seemed like a questionable luxury to us, as we did not have nutmeg on the shelves back then. Maybe it's time I give it another shot 🙂
Marysol says
Marc, unlike the dried fruit brick, eggnog has always been embraced by my troops.
And I know I would enjoy yours, except, I'd prefer a bigger glass.
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Marysol says
Marc, unlike the dried fruit brick, eggnog has always been embraced by my troops.
And I know I would enjoy yours, except, I'd prefer a bigger glass.
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
melonoat says
i LOVE eggnog too! im looking forward to testing this out!
melonoat says
i LOVE eggnog too! im looking forward to testing this out!
Amy says
I love eggnog. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. Thanks for the recipe!
chef E says
My sister and I were just talking about how we did not grow up with this, but we find in our own guilty pleasure after discovering it! I look forward to duplicating this Marc...
Amy says
I love eggnog. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. Thanks for the recipe!
chef E says
My sister and I were just talking about how we did not grow up with this, but we find in our own guilty pleasure after discovering it! I look forward to duplicating this Marc...