Every year I forget how easy this is until I’m standing in my kitchen doing it again. All you need are six ingredients and one saucepan and you’ll end up with the creamiest, coziest holiday eggnog. And yes, you can absolutely make this in the middle of mom life, with kids running around the island and Christmas music on in the background.
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks (separate the eggs first)
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt to taste (about ¼ tsp)
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp rum extract (optional, but this is what gives it that classic eggnog flavor)
Instructions
1. Whisk the yolks + sugar.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. This is your base.
2. Warm the dairy.
In a medium pot on the stovetop, add the milk and cream. Warm it up over medium heat until it just reaches a simmer.
3. Season it.
Once it’s gently simmering, add salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and (optionally) the rum extract.
4. Temper the eggs.
Don’t let this word scare you — it’s easy.
Turn the dairy down to low. Take one ladle of the warm milk/cream and pour it into the egg mixture while stirring. Then another. Then another. I usually do three ladles total. This warms the eggs slowly so they cook without scrambling.
5. Combine and cook.
Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly. Let it gently simmer for a few minutes to thicken slightly.
And that’s it! You now have eggnog!
You can drink it warm or chill it in the fridge and enjoy it cold. If it sits for a couple hours, the cinnamon will naturally settle to the bottom — just give it a shake before pouring.
This is one of those holiday traditions that feels special, but is actually really simple. And there’s something so sweet about making it from scratch, especially if you have little ones watching and helping.
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