Classic Eggnog Recipe (2024)

Reminds me of our generations-old family recipe: 1 quart whole milk, 1 quart heavy cream, 1 quart half and half, 1 quart good bourbon combined with a dozen egg yolks and a dozen whipped egg whites. Chill overnight, stir, and serve Christmas morning. 1 cup yields feeling of warmth; 2 cups puts you in a festive state of mind; 3 cups and you'll like even the most bizarre gift; 4 cups and you're ready for a mid-day nap. Merry Christmas to all!

I cook the milk/half and half/yolks/sugar/vanilla mixture in a double boiler until it just begins to bubble (stirring constantly) and coats a spoon. Let cool to room temp, then add the whipped egg whites. Chill overnight. A bit laborious, but yields the smoothest, silky texture.

Don't forget the sugar! Alton Brown's recipe is very similar, but he uses a mix of bourbon, cognac and rum. (and no egg whites) It's our go-to, and our most-often given (and appreciated) gift. We've aged it a year, with nothing but good effects. :) Ideal age is about 2 months. I have a reminder on my phone to make it in September.

Using raw eggs is okay because the alcohol will kill any harmful bacteria (e.g. salmonella) in the raw eggs.I read a report of an experiment where a large quantity of salmonella bacteria was deliberately added to a batch of eggnog made with raw eggs and alcohol. The alcohol in the eggnog killed the salmonella. So go ahead and make and enjoy!!

What about the safety of using raw eggs? Is that OK?

Eggnog was the daily, after-school, go to snack for me. (This was 6th-12th grades, in the 1950's.) In college and later, tastes changed and eggnog was overlooked. Now at 79+, I'm back to my favorite picker-upper beverage. And since, I'm well over 21, I enjoy trying various "potions" as added flavoring. Excellent vanilla extract is just fine for a teenager, but your selections are wonderful for the adult in me!

This egg nog recipe seems to be similar to one from an old New York Times Cookbook circa (gulp) 1958 that my parents made, and I continue to make every year. The recipe is on a picture taken of a dog-eared index card that is in my evernote drink file.

When you chill this overnight, the egg whites deflate and it gets a little thin. But if you drink it right away, the flavor's not as good. Next time I will follow Simonson's half now, half later advice.

Nice recipe, but needed to add vanilla and more sugar to make it taste like the eggnog I’m used to (store bought, don’t hate!). It’s not as thick as store bought either, and I wonder if it would be thicker if the milk were heated. These are minor critiques though, the recipe was very good overall and very easy to make. Also, 12 hours later the egg white foam is still there!

It could be a little sweeter, but that’s easy to fix. I don’t care for the liquor combo though - somehow so many different liquors leaves this nog without a clear enough flavor profile, not enough of the spice I associate with eggnog. I love bourbon, and yet going back to the tried and true rum/cognac combo I usually use. I do love the story behind this recipe though

Getting the whipped egg whites back into the mixture was a bit of a bear, but the outcome was worth it. Served at a white elephant party, and it ended up being the headline feature. Totally different from store bought. I’ll make this every year now.

This made a gallon of nog, so be ready with fridge space and vessels for storing. Delicious. Skipped the brandy and had about 8 0z total of rum and bourbon - enough for a light buzz that satisfied. I washed the eggs and scalded the milk and tempered in the yolks and sugar for a super safe version for an immune compromised family member. Looking forward to this holiday tradition in years to come.

Good base for Egg Nog, just add more milk/cream or half&half to the creme anglias! As I am lactose intolerant, I used a combo of lactose-free cows milk: FairLife triple filtered milk and Chobani lactose-free half&half.

Has anyone ever tried this with maple syrup instead of sugar? Thoughts?

Very similar to our family recipe except we cook the egg yolk milk mixture the night before serving. To avoid the deflation of the egg whites we keep those unwhipped in frig and whip those up just before serving and whip cream - gently folding all that fluffy goodness in right before serving.

This is a lot like Seattle's Sun Liquor Distillery recipe but they age it for at least a month in an air-tight glass jar and it's only available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. After a few weeks in the fridge it's silky smooth and more mildly boozy - absolutely wonderful.

mixing in egg nog ice cream adds a perfect depth.

When you chill this overnight, the egg whites deflate and it gets a little thin. But if you drink it right away, the flavor's not as good. Next time I will follow Simonson's half now, half later advice.

Delicious! Recommend making in advance and place in the freezer. I wait to add the milk until serving.

How about a good non-alcohol recipe?

Using fresh farm eggs (lots of frothy whites), 1 recipe yielded just over 11c eggnog.

I made half to store and needed a 6 cup bottle. Of course I a 4 cup and a 2 cup. I guess I'll need another of each size bottle. Glad I planned ahead!

Eggnog was the daily, after-school, go to snack for me. (This was 6th-12th grades, in the 1950's.) In college and later, tastes changed and eggnog was overlooked. Now at 79+, I'm back to my favorite picker-upper beverage. And since, I'm well over 21, I enjoy trying various "potions" as added flavoring. Excellent vanilla extract is just fine for a teenager, but your selections are wonderful for the adult in me!