Spiked eggnog is a rich, delicious, and iconic Christmas drink. We make eggnog from scratch for the purest and most authentic flavor of sweet custardy eggs, a ton of fresh nutmeg, and the extra warmth of vanilla, cinnamon and cloves.
Then we spike it with dark rum, which is buttery smooth and brings layers of sweet caramelized flavors.
Let it sit overnight for a wonderfully decadent, thick, and festive drink. I hope you whip it up today and enjoy the coziness of sweet homemade eggnog this holiday season!
why I love it:
Confession: I’ve never really liked eggnog from the stores. It’s so sweet, so thick, and so… artificial tasting? It’s tricky to even pinpoint what “real” eggnog flavor is when you taste the store bought cartons.
Homemade stuff is drastically different. It’s rich and creamy, sweet and flavorful, yet somehow it’s more restrained. It’s just sweet enough to balance the rum and eggs, but it doesn’t taste like a cup of creme anglaise (no one really wants to drink a glass of that).
As usual, the best part of making something from scratch is the freedom you have to tweak the recipe. Feel free to lighten it up with less heavy cream, or make it richer with more yolks. Keep it virgin or spike it. The recipe is super flexible.
If possible, let it chill overnight so it can really thicken up. This also gives the rum a chance to integrate into the nog for an ultra-smooth, delicious drink.
Just note: once the mixture is on the stove and gently heating up to thicken, you need to watch it closely and stir constantly. Don’t run off to change the laundry! The yolks WILL overcook and all will be lost. Also, use good rum!
spiked eggnog ingredients:
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- egg yolks
- granulated sugar
- dark rum
- vanilla extract
- whole nutmeg
- cinnamon stick
- cloves
how to make spiked eggnog:
- Whisk together eggs, sugar, and salt.
- Heat milk, cream, and spices until steaming.
- Temper egg mixture and return to stove.
- Heat gently until thickened (watch closely!)
- Strain out spices, the mix in rum, vanilla, and nutmeg.
- Chill at least 3 hours (best if overnight).
- Enjoy!
what alcohol goes in eggnog?
We love to use aged rum in our spiked eggnog. It’s smooth, rich, soft, and brings delicious flavors of roasted nuts, caramelized sugar, coffee and candied fruit. High-quality rum is the perfect accent to eggnog: it blends in seamlessly and keeps you coming back for more.
here are a few of our favorite aged rums:
- Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
- Mount Gay XO Extra Old
- El Dorado Special Reserve
- Plantation 20th Anniversary Rum
- Ron Zacapa 23 Centenario Rum
You can also experiment with other smooth barrel aged spirits, such as Cognac or Bourbon.
how long does eggnog last?
This homemade eggnog will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
how to make this recipe for two:
This spiked eggnog recipe can be easily halved or even doubled!
more holiday cocktail recipes:
poinsettia drink (cranberry champagne cocktail)
Printspiked eggnog
Spiked eggnog is a decadent, thick and festive Christmas drink. We make homemade eggnog for a sweet custardy egg flavor with plenty of fresh nutmeg and buttery smooth dark rum.
- Prep Time: 5 mintues
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6 cups
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken
- 3 whole cloves
- 8 oz (½ cup) dark rum
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Place egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until combined and pale yellow. Set aside.
- Combine milk, cream, cinnamon and cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it just starts to bubble near the edges. Reduce heat to low and whisk a splash of it into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk about 1 cup of hot milk into the egg yolk mixture. Repeat with 1 more cup of hot milk, whisking vigorously. Return everything to the saucepan and gently heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Don’t let it boil.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Stir in rum, vanilla, and nutmeg. Transfer to a large carafe, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Serve, grating fresh nutmeg over top.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 257
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 97mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 6.1g
- Cholesterol: 148mg
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