This is THE easiest Cooked Eggnog recipe I've made. It's so simple you can make it in under 20 minutes. And it tastes better than ANYTHING you can buy in the store. This thick creamy cooked eggnog recipe is lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and best served ice cold. You can make it alcoholic or NON-alcoholic too!

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This is THE easiest Cooked Eggnog recipe I’ve made. It’s so simple you can make it in under 20 minutes. And it tastes better than ANYTHING you can buy in the store.

PROMISE.

This thick creamy cooked eggnog recipe is lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and best served ice cold. You can make it alcoholic or NON-alcoholic too!

Cooked Eggnog

One of the fears with making homemade eggnog is the raw eggs. And I know that gets a LOT of people. Me included and I have my own clean chickens and the freshest eggs!

The usual wisdom for people who don’t like the idea of raw eggs in their drink is that the alcohol makes the eggs safe. Apparently, alcohol kills salmonella.

You could ALSO try the pasteurized eggs if you don’t like the idea of raw eggs and alcohol in your nog.

But that’s still raw eggs, and I struggle with that. Do you?

Prefer Cooked Eggnog?

You’re not alone! There are tons of people out there that prefer just skipping the raw egg part of nog. That’s where I come in because I’m there too!

A lot of people feel like cooking the nog is too hard. Or that they’ll do it wrong. But cooked eggnog is actually easy. And I’m going to give you all the steps to make this cooked eggnog!

What do I need for a Cooked Eggnog Recipe?

Eggs
Sugar
Heavy Cream
Milk
Vanilla
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Saucepan
Whisk
Mixing Bowl
Wooden Spoon
Booze if you want it!

Can I Add Alcohol to this Cooked Eggnog Recipe?

ABSOLUTELY!

If you want to add alcohol to this cooked eggnog first cut the milk by 1/2 cup. And THEN just add 1/2 cup of your preferred alcohol AFTER you’ve taken the eggnog off the stove.

What Kind of Alcohol Goes in Eggnog?

You can use just about ANY kind of alcohol in eggnog, I don’t think there’s a wrong answer. It’s whatever tastes good to you! Some classics are:

Brandy
Rum
Spiced Rum
Scotch
Bourbon

Any of those will work!

Ingredients for fresh homemade eggnog recipe.

How to Separate Eggs

There’s a simple way to divide eggs, you don’t need any tools either. Set out two bowls, break an egg into one bowl. Then scoop it up into your hand spread your fingers out a bit, let the whites run out. Put the yolk in the other bowl. Repeat as needed.
OR you can use an egg separator. With this tool, you still need two bowls. Lay the separator across one bowl. Crack an egg in it and let the whites run out.
You can also just move it back and forth between the two halves of the eggshell. Letting the whites drain away. You still need two bowls for this method.

If you’re making ANYTHING with whipped egg whites I don’t recommend the shell to shell method. If you get ANY yolk in whites they won’t whip up to a meringue.

Other Christmas Favorites you might try!

Let’s Make Some Eggnog!!

Homemade easy eggnog in cups sprinkled with nutmeg on a marble countertop, with cinnamon sticks and festive decorations nearby.

Cooked Eggnog Recipe

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Cooling Time: 4

Total Time: 4 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Laura

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Equipment

Ingredients

6 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 cups milk
cinnamon
1-2 TBSP vanilla or to taste
1/2 nutmeg plus extra for garnishing

Instructions

Beat the egg yolks together with the sugar until pale and very runny
put the milk and cream in a saucepan
whisk in the eggs
stir with a wooden spoon over medium-low heat, about 10 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken up
be sure to scrape across the bottom of the pot while you’re stirring to keep the milk and eggs from sticking while they thicken up
after 10 minutes or so your eggnog should begin to get thick
get a fresh spoon and taste it, it should feel thickened
if it’s not thicker keep cooking
as soon as you feel it’s thick remove it from the heat
whisk in the vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and the nutmeg
pour it through a sieve into a bowl to strain out any lumps
if you’re adding booze add it now!
fill the sink with cold water and set the bowl in the water for 5-10 minutes to continue cooling
taste and add more spices as needed, remember it will be stronger in taste after cooling
pour into a quart jar, cap it and refrigerate
you can drink it as soon as it’s cold but it tastes best after a minimum of 4 hours, even better after 24 hours