What Is Eggnog and How Can I Use It?
Eggnog rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 26 recipes to cook with it.
Key Points
- Sweet holiday drink of milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and nutmeg, sold spirited or alcohol-free.
- A ready-made custard base: swap it for milk in quick breads, pound cakes, and French toast.
- It is already very sweet, so cut the recipe's sugar back when you bake with it.
- Cook custards and sauces over low heat; the egg and sugar scorch and curdle fast.
- Refrigerated cartons are seasonal and perishable; use within a week, or freeze for months.
What is eggnog?
Eggnog is a rich, sweet holiday drink built from milk, cream, sugar, and beaten eggs, scented with nutmeg and a little vanilla. Traditional versions are spiked with rum or brandy. The cartons that appear in the dairy case from late November are the alcohol-free base.
In a glass it is a December staple, but it is also a ready-made flavor base for the kitchen. Because it is essentially a sweetened custard in liquid form, you can pour it into batters and replace milk plus some of the sugar and eggs in one step.
That is the trick worth knowing. Store-bought eggnog is a shortcut to a spiced, custardy crumb without measuring out the spices yourself.
Cooking and Baking With Eggnog
Swap eggnog for the milk in any quick bread or pound cake and you get a tender, nutmeg-scented result with almost no extra work. Amazing Eggnog Quick Bread, Eggnog Pound Cake, and Holiday Eggnog Bread all lean on it exactly this way.
It soaks into bread beautifully, which makes it a natural custard base for French toast. Eggnog French Toast and Raisin-Eggnog French Toast dunk the slices straight into it, and Eggnog Waffles work the same idea into the batter.
In no-bake and chilled desserts it carries the holiday flavor without any spice prep. Pumpkin-Eggnog Cheesecake and Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake fold it into the filling, while Rum Eggnog Sauce simmers it into a pourable dessert sauce.
It works in cookies too. Eggnog Nutmeg Cookies use a few tablespoons to stand in for the milk and spice in the dough.
Keep the heat gentle. Eggnog is full of egg and sugar, so it scorches and curdles faster than plain milk; cook custards and sauces over low heat and stir constantly.
Pairing and Common Mistakes
Eggnog pairs with the warm flavors of the season: nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, rum, and bourbon, plus pumpkin and cranberry. A grating of fresh nutmeg on top is the classic finish for a reason.
The most common mistake is forgetting how sweet it already is. Commercial eggnog carries a lot of sugar, so when you bake with it, cut the recipe's sugar back or the result turns cloying.
The other slip is treating it like milk in a recipe that needs to set. Its extra fat and sugar can leave baked goods denser and browner, so watch the oven and pull things a touch early if the top is darkening fast.
Substitutes
No eggnog on hand? Whisk milk or half-and-half with an egg yolk and a little sugar, then add nutmeg and a drop of vanilla to mimic its body and flavor. For a richer match, use cream in place of some of the milk.
In a baking recipe, plain custard or melted vanilla ice cream can stand in, since both bring the sweet, eggy creaminess. Add nutmeg to whichever you choose so the holiday character carries through.
For a dairy-free version, store-bought oat or almond eggnogs work straight across in most baked goods, though they are thinner and you may want a little extra fat.
Buying and Storing Eggnog
Eggnog is seasonal. It shows up in the refrigerated dairy case roughly from November through the New Year, while shelf-stable cartons in the aisle keep much longer unopened, which is handy if you bake with it outside the holidays.
Read the label for richness. Premium eggnogs use more cream and egg and bake into a plusher crumb, while light versions are thinner and closer to flavored milk, so a careful dessert is worth the full-fat carton.
Refrigerated eggnog is perishable and spoils quickly once opened. Keep it cold and use an opened carton within about a week, going by the date on the package and tossing it if it smells sour or looks separated.
It also freezes well for cooking. Pour it into an airtight container with room to expand, and it keeps for several months.
Thaw a frozen carton in the fridge and whisk it before using, since it can separate.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (254g)Quick facts
Food group: Eggnog is a member of the Dairy and Egg Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 蛋酒
- British (UK) term
- Eggnog
- en français
- lait de poule
- en español
- ponche de huevo
How much does eggnog weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 254 grams |
| 1 fl oz | 31 grams |
| 1 quart | 1016 grams |
Related
Dairy and Egg Products
Recipes using eggnog
There are 26 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Eggnog Waffles
Eggnog waffles use leftover holiday eggnog instead of milk for warm spiced flavor and a tender, custardy interior. Optional pecans or walnuts add crunch. A festive December brunch.
Eggnog Mold
Eggnog gelatin mold sets chilled eggnog with ground almonds, then unmolds onto a platter with mandarin oranges and whipped topping. A nostalgic holiday dessert.
Eggnog French Toast
Eggnog French toast made by dipping thick stale bread in eggnog and frying in butter until golden. A three-ingredient holiday breakfast with built-in custard flavor.
Raisin-Eggnog French Toast
Eggnog French toast made with raisin bread strips dipped in creamy eggnog and pan-fried in butter. A festive holiday breakfast dusted with powdered sugar.
Infectous Fluid Frappe
Infectious fluid frappe is a creepy Halloween drink made from eggnog blended with lime Jello for a sickly green color, topped with cherry "blood clots" and nutmeg "plasma." Kids love it.
Rum Eggnog Sauce
Rum eggnog sauce made with store-bought eggnog, whipped cream, and rum or brandy. A creamy, boozy holiday dessert sauce thickened in the microwave.
Holiday Eggnog Pie
Holiday eggnog pie with a creamy vanilla-eggnog-rum filling set in a baked pie shell, topped with whipped cream and nutmeg. A no-fuss Christmas dessert using pudding mix as a shortcut.
Eggnog Truffles
Eggnog truffles piped into homemade semi-sweet chocolate cups. Milk chocolate and eggnog ganache in a crisp dark shell, perfect for holiday candy boxes and gifts.
Eggnog Nutmeg Cookies
Eggnog cookies with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a splash of holiday eggnog. Soft, cake-like Christmas cookies with the spiced flavor of your favorite seasonal drink.
Eggnog Cheese Cake
No-bake eggnog cheesecake with a chocolate pirouette cookie and graham cracker crust. Cream cheese, French vanilla pudding, rum, and nutmeg set into a chilled holiday showstopper.
Eggnog-Poppy Seed Bread
Eggnog poppy seed bread: a quick holiday loaf with eggnog, fresh orange zest, nutmeg, and toasty poppy seeds. One bowl, no mixer, ready in just over an hour.
Holiday Eggnog Cheesecake
No-bake eggnog cheesecake with a nutmeg graham cracker crust, cream cheese filling, and whipped cream. A chilled holiday dessert that needs no oven.
Dak's Eggnog Oat Bran Bread
Bread machine eggnog oat bran bread with whole wheat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, and vital wheat gluten. A hearty holiday loaf with seasonal eggnog flavor.
Eggnog Cheesecake
No-bake eggnog cheesecake built on a crumb crust, with sieved cottage cheese, gelatin, and whipped cream folded into a spiced eggnog custard. Light, airy, and finished with a dusting of nutmeg.
Easy Eggnog Cookies
Easy eggnog cookies: classic Christmas roll-out cookies made with real eggnog and freshly grated nutmeg. Crisp edges, soft centers, perfect for decorating with kids.
Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake
No-bake cranberry eggnog cheesecake with a coconut cookie crust, swirled cranberry sauce layers, and a fluffy gelatin-set cream cheese filling. A showstopping Christmas dessert.
Eggnog Bread - ABM
Eggnog bread machine recipe yeasts a holiday loaf with creamy eggnog and a touch of nutmeg. Hands-off ABM yeast bread with festive flavor for Christmas mornings.
Pumpkin-Eggnog Cheesecake
Festive holiday cheesecake with spiced pumpkin filling on a gingersnap crust, topped with creamy eggnog glaze. A showstopping Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert.
Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Cake
Chocolate eggnog bundt cake made with pudding mix for extra moisture, warm nutmeg, and a creamy eggnog buttercream frosting. A holiday dessert that puts leftover eggnog to good use.
Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Cake
Chocolate eggnog bundt cake made with pudding mix for extra moisture, warm nutmeg, and a creamy eggnog buttercream frosting. A holiday dessert that puts leftover eggnog to good use.
Eggnog Layer Cake
Eggnog layer cake is a tender, nutmeg-scented two-layer cake made with dairy eggnog and topped with cooked-custard eggnog buttercream spiked with rum. A Christmas showpiece cake.
Amazing Eggnog Quick Bread
This delicious treat made with a bit of rum extract is perfect for the holiday season!
Eggnog Pound Cake
Eggnog pound cake infused with holiday eggnog, flaked coconut, and lemon-vanilla extracts, baked in a tube pan until dense, buttery and fragrant. A festive dessert that keeps for days.
