How to make the perfect eggnog: recipes, tips and variations
Eggnog is one of the most popular hot drinks enjoyed during the winter. With its creamy consistency and warming aromas, it makes you feel all cozy – whether you’re at a social gathering or relaxing at home. But what makes eggnog so special, how is it different to egg liqueur and how do you make it? This article will tell you everything you need to know about this very traditional drink: from its origin and practical tips through to imaginative variations. We’ll also tell you which spirits you can use and how you can make non-alcoholic or chilled versions.
The key points
- Eggnog: Warm, sweet, alcoholic drink based on eggs
- Make it yourself: In the traditional way from fresh eggs, sugar, milk, wine, rum and spices or quickly and easily with egg liqueur as the base
- Recipe variations: Non-alcoholic, cold, with fruit juice or imaginatively with different spices
- How (un)healthy: High in calories due to sugar and fat, health risks from the danger of salmonella and alcohol
What is eggnog?
Eggnog is a warm, sweet, alcoholic drink that is based on eggs. It’s enjoyed in the winter especially and is a popular specialty served at Christmas markets.
What’s the difference between egg liqueur and eggnog?
Egg liqueur is a type of liqueur in its own right that is always drunk cold. It is made up of egg yolk, sugar and aromatic compounds. In contrast, eggnog is a hot milky drink with a lower alcohol content and a much wider variety of ingredients. Eggnog may contain egg liqueur, but doesn’t have to.
How do you make eggnog yourself?
Eggnog is traditionally made from fresh eggs, sugar, milk, wine, rum and spices. An alternative to save time is to replace some of the ingredients with egg liqueur. Below, we’ll give you a basic recipe for both versions that you can then customize to suit your own taste.
Ingredients:
- 4 egg yolks
- 120 g sugar
- 1 Sachet vanilla sugar
- 400 ml milk
- 200 ml white wine
- 100 ml rum (to suit your taste)
- A pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg (optional)
- Whipped cream (for decoration, optional)
Recipe: Eggnog without egg liqueur (for four portions)
Preparation:
1. Beat the egg yolks together with sugar and vanilla sugar until they go fluffy and the mixture is light and creamy.
2. Heat the milk in a saucepan, but don’t bring it to the boil.
3. Slowly add white wine and rum to the milk. Don’t bring this mixture to the boil either.
4. Slowly stir the egg yolk/sugar mixture into the warm milk/wine mixture. As you do this, stir constantly with a whisk to prevent the mixture from curdling.
5. Heat the eggnog gently over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to turn thick. Do not bring it to the boil as otherwise the egg yolk will go solid. Garnish with a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg if you wish.
6. Pour the hot eggnog into mugs or heat-resistant glasses. Garnish with whipped cream, cinnamon or nutmeg if you wish.
Ingredients:
- 400 ml milk
- 200 ml cream
- 200 ml white wine
- 80 g sugar
- 1 Sachet vanilla sugar
- 150 ml egg liqueur
- A pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg (optional)
- Whipped cream (for decoration, optional)
Recipe: Eggnog with egg liqueur (for four portions)
Preparation:
1. Heat the milk in a saucepan, but don’t bring it to the boil.
2. Stir in white wine, vanilla sugar and sugar and heat gently.
3. Stir egg liqueur into the mixture. As you do this, stir constantly to produce an even result. The egg liqueur must not get too hot as otherwise its consistency will suffer.
4. Garnish with a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg if you wish.
5. Pour the hot eggnog into mugs or heat-resistant glasses. Garnish with whipped cream, cinnamon or nutmeg if you wish.
Which alcohol is suitable for eggnog?
Dry, fruity white wines are a suitable choice for the wine. Mild varieties like Riesling, Silvaner or Chardonnay are a great option. When it comes to rum, brown rum is the traditional choice. Its spicy, caramel character gives the punch a warm depth. If you’d like to keep the flavor more subtle, a light rum is the better alternative.
What tricks can you use to make eggnog extra creamy?
One classic ploy is to replace some of the milk with cream. Milk with a higher fat content will also provide a fuller-bodied taste. If you want the eggnog to be even lighter and airy, you can froth up the milk or cream before you heat it. The way the eggs are prepared also plays an important role: Beat the egg yolks thoroughly with sugar until the mixture has a light yellow color and a fluffy consistency.
FAQs – variations of eggnog
There are different options for making non-alcoholic eggnog. The way to minimize the change in taste is to use non-alcoholic versions of rum and wine. Alternatively, you can use grape juice or apple juice instead of white wine and replace the rum with rum flavoring. The quantities of liquid in the basic recipe can be adopted 1:1. To achieve a creamier, really full-bodied consistency, it’s worth making the punch with more cream and milk. Replace the 300 ml of alcohol with 200 ml of milk and 100 ml of cream.
Eggnog really hits the spot when it’s served chilled as a sweet dessert drink. However, you should be aware that cold eggnog often loses some of its creaminess.
The basic recipe remains the same, but the mixture should not be heated further once the alcohol is added. Slowly pour the lukewarm alcohol/milk mixture into the egg yolk/sugar mixture and keep stirring it constantly. The finished mixture will then cool down fully in the refrigerator. Before serving, frothing the mixture again or stirring it with a whisk will produce a creamier consistency.
Orange juice is the most popular choice here, especially in combination with an eggnog based on egg liqueur. But other juices like tangerine or apple juice also go really well with this drink. If you want to add fruit juice, reduce the amount of milk or wine accordingly to preserve the balance of flavors.
In addition to the traditional spices vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, a popular option is to use cloves, which are soaked briefly in the hot milk but then removed. Star anise is also a good choice, as is ground cardamom. If you prefer a slightly spicier taste, add a piece of fresh ginger or ground ginger. Adding gingerbread spice is also a way to give the drink a wintery, spicy touch.
Is eggnog unhealthy?
Eggnog is not one of the healthiest drinks to consume because it’s high in sugar, fat and calories. This is why you should only enjoy it in moderation. One portion made using our basic recipe without egg liqueur contains around 381 kcal, 10.4 g of fat and 37.3 g of carbohydrates.
Raw eggs may contain salmonella, which carries the risk of food poisoning. To prevent this, the punch should be heated to 70 °C (but not much above this) and consumed as soon as it’s been made. If you choose to base the drink on egg liqueur, the risk is eliminated because the eggs are pasteurized during production and so no longer contain any salmonella.
In addition, the alcohol in eggnog has other potentially harmful effects. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends that you do not consume any alcohol at all.
