Homemade (Eggless!) Egg Nog
on Dec 07, 2020, Updated Sep 24, 2024
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This is the classic holiday drink, with all of the creaminess and flavor but skipping the raw eggs traditionally used in eggnog.
This is that rich, sweet, and creamy homemade egg nog recipe that captures the holiday flavor of this classic drink while skipping the raw eggs. It will give you peace of mind when serving this classic holiday beverage to your guests, and it will reassure anyone who is not open to the concept of drinking raw eggs. Even if you’re not worried about raw eggs yourself, for safety and simplicity, this eggless eggnog recipe is a good way to go.
This cocktail is the perfect way to kick off any festive gathering and a must-have for many at Christmas and New Year’s. Try serving egg-free eggnog as a prelude to a holiday meal featuring Easy Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey, Classic Baked Ham, or Pernil.
Eggless eggnog would also be wonderful post-dinner with a plate of Chewy Molasses Cookies or Nut-Free Snowball Cookies. Or serve it up at your next Cookie Swap! Also, try Coquito, another creamy, boozy, holiday-friendly drink (also without any eggs!).
Table of Contents
Eggless Egg Nog recipe: The classic holiday drink, with all of the creaminess and flavor, but skipping the raw eggs.
Egg-Free Egg Nog
Flipping through Alex Guarnascelli’s amazing cookbook The Home Cook, I found the inspiration for the homemade no-egg egg nog I was looking for: creamy, rich, and fragrant. Chef Guarnascelli’s recipes are beautiful — comfort food notched up slightly, with a little twist, an extra bump of flavor, satisfying, and somewhat sophisticated without being all too fancy. My favorite kind of recipe!
Eggnog is a favorite holiday cocktail for a whole lot of folks. This is the kind of drink (like many sweet cocktails made with hard liquor) that can sneak up on you. It goes down mighty easily, and suddenly, you might find yourself in need of a little nap if you’re not careful.
Um….do I need to mention this is not for the lactose intolerant amongst us? However, check out the vegan variation below for a dairy-free blend.
Eggless Egg Nog Ingredients
You can blend up these ingredients in a blender or whisk them together, your choice.
- Sugar – For sweetness.
- Dark rum, bourbon, or brandy – Any of these liquors work; check out the note below for more thoughts on the best liquor to use in eggnog.
- Whole milk – For its signature milky flavor and creaminess.
- Heavy cream – For thickness and richness.
- Pure vanilla extract – For flavor.
- Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg – These spices add a toasty holiday flare.
- Grated orange zest – For a pop of zesty brightness.
Variations
- Vegan Eggnog: For a vegan alternative, replace the whole milk with your choice of dairy-free milk such as almond milk, cashew milk, or another nut milk. You could also use oat milk or soy milk. In place of the heavy cream, use a non-dairy heavy cream. You could also use coconut cream, though this will give the nog a coconuty flavor.
- Nonalcoholic Eggnog: For a non-alcoholic version, skip the liquor and enjoy. If you’re missing the traditional boozy notes, use any non-alcoholic whisky or rum.
How to Make Eggless Egg Nog
- Make the drink: Whisk together the sugar and rum (or bourbon or brandy). Add the milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest (if using) and whisk until well combined.
- Serve: Let the mixture chill for at least 2 hours. Stir well and serve cold. Garnish with an additional sprinkle of freshly grated or ground nutmeg or ground cinnamon if desired.
Kitchen Smarts
You can blend the orange zest and cinnamon right in (also the nutmeg, which I skipped because I am allergic), or blend some in and give each glass a little sprinkle, which looks downright gorgeous. But if you are serving this egg nog at a party, then it’s unlikely with all you have to do that, you’ll find yourself able to garnish individual drinks, so blend it all in.
What Kind of Liquor to Use in Eggnog
Brandy, rum and bourbon are the most traditional types of booze used in eggnog. You can also try using a rye whisky or a flavored blended whisky such as Fireball, which adds a great cinnamon punch. All of these liquors work beautifully in this eggless egg nog, so it really comes down to preference and what you have on hand.
Think about serving eggnog old-school-style in a punch bowl with a ladle (this might be a reason to actually purchase that punch bowl.) I thought the drink looked perfect and festive served up in brandy glasses.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can make this eggless egg nog in advance (it will even continue to become more flavorful and thick in the fridge). Eggnog will keep well in the fridge for several days, especially once you’ve added the liquor which acts as a preservative. Stir it well before serving. You may want to add some water to dilute it slightly if it seems too thic k and too rich, especially after sitting in the fridge.
Use leftovers in Leftover Egg Nog Milkshakes!
What to Serve with Eggless Egg Nog
More Holiday Drink Recipes
- Hot Toddy
- The Felix Hot Ginger Apple Toddy
- Pitcher Red Cocktail
- Cranberry Orange Shrub
- Sparkling Mint Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail
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Homemade (Eggless!) Egg Nog
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups dark rum or bourbon
- 2 cups whole milk (chilled)
- 2 cups heavy cream (chilled)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (plus more for sprinkling; optional)
For Sprinkling (Optional)
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Finely grated orange zest
Instructions
- In a large bowl or large pitcher, whisk together the sugar and rum (or bourbon) until smooth. Add the milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest (if using) and whisk until well combined.
- Chill, covered, for at least 2 hours. Stir and serve cold.
Notes
- For a vegan alternative, replace the whole milk with your choice of dairy-free milk, such as almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or soy milk. For the heavy cream, use coconut milk or a non-dairy heavy cream.
- For a non-alcoholic version, skip the liquor and enjoy, and if you’re missing the traditional boozy notes, use any non-alcoholic whisky or rum.
- You can blend the orange zest and cinnamon right in (also the nutmeg, which I skipped because I am allergic), or blend some in and give each glass a little sprinkle, which looks downright gorgeous. But if you are serving this egg nog at a party, then it’s unlikely, with all you have to do, you’ll find yourself able to garnish individual drinks. I guess that’s one tick in the pro column for smaller gatherings.
LOVE IT. and easy and above all my little grandson 21 month old grandson can enjoy the “nong-ing”.
How long will it keep, please?
you can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days – give it a very good stir before pouring!
That’s A LOT OF SUGAR per serving. I wonder if substituting with DATE STEP is an option?
I use powdered egg yolks in my eggnog (keto) and it works GREAT!
How long do you cook it using the powdered egg York?
I’m sorry I don’t know – I’ve never made this with powdered egg!