Homemade Eggnog
Homemade Eggnog

There are a lot of wonderful things about having your own chickens. The entertainment. The adorableness. The delicious scrambled eggs. But my favorite thing right now? The endless supply of homemade eggnog in my fridge.

I am one of those eggnog-obsessed folks. I know a lot of people aren’t eggnog fans (eggnog seems to be one of those things like cilantro, coconut, and olivesโ€”you either love it or hate it), but for me, eggnog is life. I only give myself permission to drink it after Thanksgiving, because if I “allowed” myself to have it around all year long, I’d drink so much of it that it would lose all its appeal. Half of what makes eggnog so special is the novelty of it all. That, and the bourbon.

Right now, I’m really digging this bourbon-tastic homemade eggnog recipe that I got from The Chewโ€”they are a great resource for all things holiday-related. And because I know not everyone is as into the holiday cheer as I am, I’ve tweaked the recipe to show you how to make both spiked and spike-free eggnog for all of your favorite revelers (adorable chickens not included).

Homemade Eggnog

Eggnog is definitely a nostalgic thing for me. I have a very clear memory from my childhood of my dad cracking eggs into an empty milk jug, filling it up with cream, and shaking the heck out of it in preparation for our family Christmas celebration.

I loved eggnog as a kid, and now that I’m adult, I’ve found a whole other level of appreciation for it now that I can spike it with booze. My drink of choice after the nugget is in bed each night? Homemade eggnog with a splash of amaretto. It’s a delicious, drinkable dessert!

Homemade Eggnog

If you’ve never made eggnog at home, it’s remarkably easy and so much tastier than the stuff in the store! I think the store-bought eggnog is overly sweetโ€”I love that by making it at home, you can control all the variables. Make it as sweet as you like. Make it thinner if you don’t like the super thick consistency. Add more nutmeg. Add more vanilla. Make it your own!

I think many folks are turned off from making eggnog at home due to the fact that most traditional recipes call for the eggs to be raw. There are variations where you gently cook the mixture to pasteurize itโ€”but if you want the most authentic flavor, you should be keeping those eggs raw. Of course, you have to decide what you are comfortable with for your family! We leave our eggs raw (I’m not sure I would feel as comfortable doing it if I didn’t know exactly where my eggs came from). Either way, I’ve included a note below for how to pasteurize your ‘nog if you’d like.

Homemade Eggnog

Iโ€™ve tested out a lot of different homemade eggnog recipes over the years, and The Chew’s version is my favorite because it is so rich, creamy, and deliciously flavorful. They know what they’re talking about! If youโ€™ve never seen The Chew (you can check it out on weekdays at 1e|12c|p on ABC), itโ€™s a very cool food-centric talk showโ€”itโ€™s basically like a big ole party in the kitchen.

They cover all kinds of food topics from a bunch of different perspectivesโ€”itโ€™s a super fun show to tune into if youโ€™re a foodie! Itโ€™s especially wonderful during the holidays. They have lots of great tips and recipes to make your holiday season eats festive and fun. If you want to check it out, you can view clips and full episodes on the ABC website.

Homemade Eggnog

The Chew is especially wonderful during the holidays! . They have lots of great tips and recipes to make your holiday season eats festive and fun. They focus mostly on food (hence the name, obviously), but they branch out and do party tips, host and hostess ideas, and even some really awesome craft tutorials.

If you happen to be eyeballing the รผber cute peppermint candy tray that my eggnog is sitting on in these pictures, that idea is courtesy of the geniuses over at The Chew! It was so easy to make, and I think it’s a pretty darn adorable way to display some yummy yummy eggnog. Here’s the video I nabbed the tutorial from:

 

Watch and learn how to make the peppermint candy serving trays that Clinton Kelly’s obsessed with! #TheChew

Posted by The Chew on Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Their eggnog version is quite spiked with over 2 1/2 cups of booze in the batch (party! party! party!). I personally like to keep my eggnog un-spiked in the fridge (that way I can easily add it to oatmeal and other goodies), and then add in liquor later.

In the recipe below, you’ll see my recommendations for spikingโ€”but you can easily leave those out for virgin eggnog. Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Homemade Eggnog (Spiked or Not)

Homemade Eggnog (Spiked or Not)

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Skip the store-bought stuff and instead made your own Homemade Eggnog! I've included instructions for spiking it and for leaving it virgin. Happy Holidays! Adapted from The Chew.

Ingredients

  • 8 eggs, separated
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup bourbon, optional
  • 1/2 cup amaretto, optional

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until smooth and light in color.
  2. Add in the whole milk, whipping cream, nutmeg, vanilla, bourbon, and amaretto (if using). Whisk until smooth.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form—about four minutes.
  4. Fold the whipped egg whites into the cream mixture until smooth.
  5. Chill until cold, then serve with more freshly grated nutmeg on top.

Notes

Raw eggs weird you out? Just make the eggnog as written (leaving out the alcohol), and then heat over very low heat until the mixture reaches 140ยฐ F (the temp eggs are pasteurized at). Cook at this temperature for three minutes. Watch it carefully! You don't want the eggs to cook. Chill immediately.

If you want to spike a single cup of eggnog, mix four ounces of eggnog with a half ounce each of bourbon and amaretto.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 137mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 6g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

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6 Comments

  1. Thanks for the recipe! I have chickens, so I think I will try giving homemade eggnog a shot. Love the amaretto at the end. Always makes this delicious!

  2. I love eggnog! Thanks for including the information on how to pasteurize it. My husband is immune compromised, and we do NOT do raw eggs even if we know where they came from. ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. I am also OBSESSED with Egg Nog, my husband and I get so excited for the stores to start stocking it in November, and then we put up the tree and watch Home Alone.
    I’ve never spiked it because I am so worried about not liking it that it could ruin Egg Nog for me (I can’t drink OJ cause of too many Screwdrivers – haha).
    I’ll try the recipe though.