Indulgent Eggnog (with or without Dairy)

‘Tis the season for eggnog.

I grew up not particularly liking eggnog—the kind you buy in the grocery store, anyway. My relative, Faye, would make a fantastic version for her annual Christmas party that was unlike anything I’d ever experienced anywhere else. I could have had that for a meal.

Fast forward to married life. My husband happens to like the eggnog from the store, but I couldn’t stomach the stuff, so I began searching for a recipe we could both be happy with.

After much experimenting, in 2009, I found a recipe on the Interwebs for “Indulgent Eggnog” that I tweaked a little and finally got the Husband Stamp of Approval. (Unfortunately, that web page is no longer available. I’m sorry, I don’t know who to give credit to for the original recipe.)

Since then, I have shared this recipe with many people, and the most common comment I get is “I don’t usually like eggnog, but this is amazing.”

One confirmed hater said it tasted like liquid ice cream. Yum!

Now that I’ve gone dairy-free, I’ve made a dairy-free version of the recipe.

And yes, we will often pair this with homemade popcorn with real butter for a very rich, snacky winter supper.

This version is actually slightly less rich than the original. To make an even more decadent version, reverse the quantities of the milk and cream.

Indulgent Eggnog, with or without dairy

Indulgent Eggnog

Makes 6 cups

6 eggs
2 cups heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk that has been blended well)
3 cups whole milk (or unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 cup maple syrup (may want to use slightly less for the dairy-free version to balance out coconut milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground or grated

Begin with pre-chilled ingredients for the best results.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs together with an electric mixer (or very enthusiastically with a whisk!) until they are very frothy.

Pour a thin stream of cream into the bowl while continuing to mix. Do the same for the milk.

Add the remaining ingredients. (FYI, the original recipe called for 1/2 cup each of dark rum and brandy, which you would add at this point if you are into that sort of thing. Will increase final quantity by a cup.)

Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl. Immediately before serving, whisk until frothy again. Serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Serve immediately, or chill for 1-2 hours. Best used within a day.

Bottoms up!