Guest post by Dena Norton
Eggnog seems to be a love-hate thing.
Well, starting now, it’s a love-LOVE thing.
This easy, classic eggnog recipe is thick and rich, with the perfect amount of natural sweetness and warm holiday spice — eggnog fans and skeptics alike will find it irresistible!
Real Eggnog
The raw cream and pastured egg yolks give it a beautiful color and creamy texture; the honey
and maple syrup add it a light, natural sweetness; and the nutmeg and cloves bring in just enough warm, holiday spice.
Add all those together, and this truly is the ultimate holiday beverage! (If chocolate’s more your style, check out my other favorite holiday drink!)
As a child, I looked forward to eggnog each Christmas season. The funny thing was, I never wanted more than a couple of sips of it. As an adult, I’ve realized the turnoff is because “eggnog” in the dairy case at the grocery store is overly sweet, artificially flavored, and nothing like the real thing.
In preparation for this post, I bought a carton of eggnog just to give it one more try. The color and flavor was so fake, I could hardly swallow it. And it’s no wonder – here’s what was on the ingredient list:
Milk, Cream, Skim Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Less than 2% of Natural and Artificial Flavors, Nutmeg, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Mono- and Diglycerides, Annatto and Turmeric.
In contrast, real eggnog like this one, made with the highest quality wholesome ingredients, is altogether outstanding!
Eggnog is the Perfect (Easy!) Holiday Treat!
The other thing I love about this recipe is that it’s so easy, your kids could make it (hey, there’s an idea!). Unlike some eggnog recipes, it requires no cooking – just toss everything in the blender and give it a whirl. I chill it for a few hours in the blender pitcher, then give it another quick blend just before serving.
The end product is plenty thick and creamy for my liking, but you could also whip some extra cream and fold it in just before serving if that’s your thing.
[Tweet “If you like seasonal lattes, this stuff makes an amazing eggnog latte — just heat it up, add coffee, and enjoy!”]
If my first batch of eggnog hadn’t vanished so quickly, I would have tried some out in the ice cream machine, too. I can’t imagine it being anything but fabulous.
I love this classic eggnog any time of day, but it’s really wonderful cuddled up by the fire with your husband and a few holiday cookies after the kids go to bed.
Best Classic Eggnog (easy, no-cook, refined sugar free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cream (or 1 cup milk + 1 cup heavy cream)
- 8 pastured egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp raw honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 dash ground nutmeg to taste, plus more for garnish
- 1 generous pinch ground cloves to taste
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients, first on low for about 20 seconds, then on high for another 20 seconds. Chill before serving (I chill mine in the pitcher attachment for my blender, then give it a quick whirl just before serving).
- Serve chilled in small glasses with a dash of ground nutmeg on top.
Notes
This recipe makes approximately 30 oz. It's plenty thick for my liking but, if you want to add even more thick, creamy goodness, fold in a bit of whipped cream just before serving.
Courses Beverage
For more favorite (healthy) holiday recipes, check out my new ebook!
Have you made homemade eggnog? What are your favorite ways to enjoy this classic holiday beverage?
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How would ou recommend making this dairy free? Could it be made with just almond milk instead of cream? Just wondering if it would be creamy enough. Also if I wanted to drink it warm should I make sure to heat it slowly as I not cook eggs too much?
Hi AnnMarie,
I’d recommend using full fat coconut milk since it has a much richer and creamier texture than almond milk. And, yes, you’d want to heat the mixture gently so as not to cook the eggs. Or, if you own a Vitamix like I do, you can blend on high until the mixture heats up to your liking. Enjoy!
Thank you. I made it with organic heavy cream as the store was all out of raw cream. It is delicious. I will try it with coconut cream next time for some dairy free family members.
I’m so glad to hear you liked it, AnnMarie! Thanks for reporting back and Merry Christmas to you! 🙂
I made it with canned coconut milk in place of the heavy cream. It was excellent! It really tasted just like the eggnog I used to make with cream (back when I could tolerate dairy).
That’s great, Brittany – thanks for sharing that! Happy New Year to you!
Hi – gotta say I made the eggnog recipe and you are right, it is just the best! Everyone in my family loves it, and I don’t see buying premade nog again, who needs it! Plus, the recipe is so easy to make, fabulous.
That’s wonderful, Marcia! I’m thrilled to hear your family loved it, and that the simple prep made it easy on you to prepare! Happy New Year!