The best homemade bourbon eggnog recipe! How to make classic light and creamy spiked eggnog for the holidays.
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It's the holiday season, friends! The season for all things festive and for a classic bourbon eggnog cocktail.
If you're anything like me, nothing quite beats sipping on a festive drink while gazing at holiday lights and snow. Apple cider hot toddies, Orange whiskey chai cocktails, a cup of holiday spiced coffee, Christmas punch......
But eggnog beats them all in terms of classic holiday flavor.
If you've only had store bought eggnog, you will be blown away by how delicious homemade eggnog is. It's light, airy, creamy, and much easier to drink alongside your holiday indulgences.
Add some bourbon and oh my goodness, the best holiday cocktail around.
Have you tried this orange spice vegan coquito yet?
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Why you'll love this
The light and airy, yet creamy texture of this eggnog mixed with the flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, and bourbon make for the perfect holiday cocktail.
Freshly ground nutmeg and freshly whipped ingredients are KEY to making the best eggnog you will ever taste.
What's the difference between store bought eggnog and homemade eggnog? Homemade eggnog is light, airy, and creamy. It's made with freshly whipped ingredients and is so much lighter than store bought!
Ingredients and equipment
Here's what you need to make bourbon eggnog at home! Full ingredients and instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
Ingredients:
- Eggs. Choose freshest eggs you can find.
- Sugar.
- Heavy whipping cream.
- Whole milk.
- Bourbon. Choose quality bourbon as the flavor really comes through.
- Pure vanilla extract. I love the Nielsen-Massey brand.
- Cinnamon.
- Nutmeg. Fresh whole nutmeg. It's gotta be freshly grated!
Equipment:
- Mixing bowls. You'll need a handful of these in different sizes.
- Electric hand mixer. I have an old one that was passed down to me. But this one from Kitchenaid is great! You can use a stand mixer if that's all you have, but a hand mixer is easier for eggnog.
- Measuring cups.
- Stirring utensil. This set of spatulas is perfect.
- Measuring spoons.
- Serving bowl. This National Lampoon's moose bowl is hilarious!
- Ladle. For serving.
- Serving cups. And the moose mugs. So funny.
Recommended bourbons
The flavor of the bourbon really comes through in eggnog! Make sure that you choose a bourbon that you enjoy drinking. Go for the good quality stuff, it's the holidays after all!
Our favorite bourbons are:
- Bulleit Bourbon: This is our favorite bourbon that we always keep in our liquor cabinet.
- Dry Fly Straight Bourbon 101: An amazing bourbon made locally near us in Spokane, WA.
- Knob Creek Bourbon Whiskey: Recommended by Leah from Gastronom, the queen of cocktails! Easy to find almost anywhere.
Step by step instructions
First things first, make sure you're using high quality ingredients. Fresh eggs, whole nutmeg, good quality bourbon, and some pure vanilla extract. Full ingredients and instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
- Get your mixing bowls, beaters, and measuring ingredients ready. You'll be doing a lot of mixing!
- Separate your eggs into whites and yolks.
- Add ½ cup of sugar to your yolks and beat until thickened. (See photos below)
- Beat the egg whites with ¼ cup of sugar until peaks form. (See photos above)
- Beat the whipping cream until peaks form. (See photo below)
- Gently fold all three of these together.(See photos above)
- Gently fold in the remaining ingredients. (See photos below)
Serve with a light sprinkling
- Place the eggnog in a serving bowl or serving container (optional) and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Serve with a light sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg and a cinnamon stick in festive eggnog cups!
Serving suggestions
Whether you're making eggnog for a crowd, for yourself, or as holiday gifts, we've got you!
- A crowd pleasing big batch cocktail: We love to serve eggnog at holiday parties! You can serve the eggnog in a festive holiday bowl with eggnog mugs for self serve. (Did you see the National Lampoon's moose bowl?)
- Make it for yourself: Keep the eggnog in the refrigerator and enjoy a cup at a time at home.
- Give eggnog as a holiday gift: The bourbon keeps the eggnog from spoiling if kept refrigerated, which makes it the perfect holiday gift for a bourbon lover. I love these cute bottles with a bow wrapped around them!
Make it non-alcoholic: Simply skip the bourbon in the recipe! This eggnog is delicious without the bourbon too. You can always add a splash of bourbon to your own cup if you'd like to keep the whole batch non-alcoholic.
Recipe tips and substitutions
- Use high quality ingredients for the best flavor. Especially fresh eggs since they won't be cooked.
- Choose a bourbon that you love the taste of. The flavor of the bourbon really comes through!
- If you don't like bourbon, swap for your favorite rum or brandy.
- To make it non-alcoholic, simply leave the bourbon out of the recipe. Still delicious!
- When folding the whipped ingredients together, don't over mix them. Gently stir so that you have light and airy eggnog.
Have you tried these no-bake chocolate peppermint cups yet?
Storing
Keep the eggnog refrigerated at all times until serving. The bourbon extends the shelf life of eggnog and the flavor will actually get better with age, peak flavor being at around 6 weeks. This article from ABC explains why!
If you leave the bourbon out of the eggnog, store in the refrigerator and enjoy no later than 2 to 3 days after making.
Keep in mind that you are consuming raw eggs and should use caution if that worries you.
FAQs
We don't recommend attempting to make this eggnog vegan. Try our vegan coquito recipe!
Simply leave the bourbon out of the recipe! Be sure to use it up within 2 to 3 days.
Sure! Try your favorite rum or brandy.
We don't recommend low fat ingredients for classic eggnog. This isn't the recipe for you!
No. This eggnog won't freeze well.
Did you make this recipe? Leave us a review and star rating in the comments below! We read every single review and appreciate your feedback.
Recipe
Homemade bourbon eggnog
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs Yolks separated from the whites.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar divided
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ gallon whole milk
- 1-2 cups good quality bourbon
- 1 ½ Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ whole nutmeg grated
Instructions
- In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with ½ cup of the sugar until thickened.
- In a separate larger bowl, mix the egg whites with ¼ cup of sugar and beat on high until peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- In another separate bowl, beat the whipping cream on high until peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Gently stir the yolk mixture into the whipped cream. Then gently fold in the egg white mixture.
- Gently stir in the milk, bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon, and ⅔ of the freshly ground nutmeg.
- Pour into a serving bowl or punch bowl and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. To serve, top each glass with a small pinch of the remaining ground nutmeg.
Notes
- Use high quality ingredients for the best flavor. Especially fresh eggs since they won't be cooked.
- Choose a bourbon that you love the taste of. The flavor of the bourbon really comes through!
- If you don't like bourbon, swap for your favorite rum or brandy.
- To make it non-alcoholic, simply leave the bourbon out of the recipe. Still delicious!
- When folding the whipped ingredients together, don't over mix them. Gently stir so that you have light and airy eggnog.
Nutrition
More holiday recipes to try:
- Quick and easy cranberry orange hand pies
- Homemade gingerbread with fresh ginger
- Easy homemade sugar plums
If you make this recipe, please let me know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag me on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting Rhubarbarians and the brands I recommend. If you’re looking for a group of people cooking vegetarian recipes through the seasons, join us on Facebook in our vegetarian and vegan recipes group!
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Kris
As someone that usually can't stand eggnog, let me say this is a most amazing thing. My hubby, who adores eggnog, wanted to drink the whole thing in a single sitting and I enjoy it as well. This recipe is perfection.
Jennifer
Look no further than this eggnog recipe. It has instantly become my holiday favorite! Yum!!
karen griffin
I made this tonight and its in the frig chillin. 🙂 I changed it up a bit since Bourbon is my least favorite, I used 1/4 cup bourbon, 1/2 cup brandy and 1/2 cup spiced rum. It still has the bourbon flavor but a lot smoother. I subbed the milk for one part 1/2 & 1/2 the one part whole milk.... and I just used the heavy cream without whipping first...... I also increased the sugar just for my taste since I am a big fan of sweet custards. This recipe is a keeper and easy to make....just make sure you have a very large bowl for the final product to be mixed (larger than your kitchenaid mixer bowl). Thanks for sharing and have a Holly Jolly Christmas!!!
Baby June
Aw yiss that sounds awesome! Bourbon, sounds like a great alternative to rum for me! Or...what about both? Heh 🙂