When I was a child, eggnog didn’t stay in the house long. As soon as my mother brought a cardboard home, my brother and I got into it, drinking giant glasses of the thick, sweet treat while watching TV after school. Ahh, the good old days! Finally, in our seasonal addiction, Mom started buying the marginally thinner and processed “Christmas nog,” not as attractive, but better than no nog at all.
As an adult, I accept eggnog as an ingredient, rather than a drink. It is a shortcut to rich and delicious desserts: cookies, custard, icing … Whatever. There are only so many days of noggy goodness every year. Here are a plethora of recipes to make the most of our precious eggnog season. I would say use the leftover eggnog, but if your family is like mine, there is no such thing. So roll up your sleeves, pour your own tall glass of eggnog and examine these dazzling recipes featuring eggnog as an ingredient.
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eggnog
Read these eggnog basics to make sure your eggnog is optimal for your recipe.
How to buy eggnog
Not all nogs are created equal. Some are plant-based, some are low in fat, and some are full of artificial flavors. Look at the label to be sure of what you’re getting and stick with a brand you trust.
How long does eggnog last?
Store-bought eggnog is pasteurized and should be fine about a week after opening. Consume homemade eggnog within 2-3 days.
Can you freeze eggnog?
You can, with caveats. After thawing, the eggnog will be lumpy and not good to drink. However, it will be fine for baking.
Eggnog cakes
, cupcakes and quick breads Christmas
pastries are more cheerful with eggnog! Eggnog cake recipes are rich and tender.
Eggnog
cake
This stunning cake is a winter wonderland! Add a cup full of eggnog and some extra ground nutmeg to the dough to really nail that holiday flavor. Frost with swirls of eggnog buttercream.
Eggnog Pound Cake
For the smoothest dough and texture in your pound cake, make sure the eggs and butter are at room temperature. Baking like a bundt cake makes it prettier. Drizzle with an eggnog icing for the final touch.
Gingerbread Eggnog Cupcakes
So maybe the pandemic crushed your holiday party plans. Celebrate in snackable style: cupcakes to the rescue! Use eggnog and powdered sugar in a buttercream to top the tender gingerbread.
Eggnog
bread To
call this glorious bread mere “bread” is to sell it short. Packed with classic eggnog flavor, it’s enriched with bourbon in the dough and rum in the glaze. Are you planning ahead? Dense, crusty breads like this freeze well. For the best presentation, frosting after thawing.
Eggnog desserts and custard
Eggnog
makes custard and fillings tastier and silkier for spectacular dessert recipes
.
Eggnog cheesecake
A graham cookie and ginger crust offers a crunchy contrast to the soft, heavenly filling. Garnish with an egg punch whipped cream mixer. This recipe comes with a steaming option in the Instant Pot, which allows you to skip that heavy water bath step!
Don’t
tell anyone how easy this light eggnog cake is. Beat the eggnog into an instant vanilla pudding mix, then fold some fresh whip. Stack it on a prepared crust, cool, sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg and cava!
Holiday Trifle
Want recipes using eggnog leftovers? Try this quick but charming central dessert. Make an eggnog cream by whipping the heavy cream with some eggnog. Place a layer with cubes of store-bought pound cake, raspberries and sliced almonds.
Think of
this as a golden version of the classic chocolate pudding layered dessert that people praise. This one requires white chocolate pudding and swaps the golden Oreos for the classics. Eggnog influences the layers of cream cheese and pudding. Divine!
Eggnog Crème Brûlée
Make a base using egg yolks and all kinds of dairy goodnesses, from milk to cream to eggnog. For the best caramelized topping, cool the baked custard overnight.
Eggnog recipes for breakfast
and brunch Start
your day the noggy way by making favorite breakfast recipes
with eggnog as an ingredient!
Cinnamon rolls with eggnog
Imagine welcoming Christmas morning with one (or two or three) of these beauties! To avoid a sunrise awakening, let the rolls go up overnight in the fridge so all you need to do is preheat the oven. The frosting is to die for, with cream cheese, brown butter and vanilla extract. As for the dough itself, swap the milk for eggnog to add a Christmas touch.
French eggnog
toast
It can’t be much simpler than dipping bread in beaten eggnog and eggs. The recipe calls for brioche, but any soft white bread should do. Pour the maple syrup and it’s dreamy!
Eggnog pancakes Pancakes
are a relaxed weekend staple in cozy pajamas. Here’s a winning formula to keep the Christmas feeling strong after the big day: leftover eggnog + all-purpose flour + baking powder, plus some dibs and dabs, including rum extract, though you could skip it and still have fainting-worthy pancakes.
Eggnog
cake doughnuts
Break your tray of breakfast doughnuts that put any coffee cake to shame. A powdered sugar powder is reminiscent of snowfall, but adventurous bakers could make a frosting out of bourbon and powdered sugar.
Eggnog
bread pudding
Call it a French toast casserole or bread pudding. We’ll call it delicious! This dessert/breakfast casserole is a great way to use stale bread in the name of all things sweet.
Eggnog
Cookies and Treats
Eggnog lovers and cookie fans are in search of maximum Christmas flavor
. Eggnog cookies
Soft, spiced sugar crackers with cream cheese and eggnog icing are guaranteed to keep the mood cheerful in the new year.
Holiday Eggnog Biscotti
Do this for gifts (it keeps well), or in the afternoon pick-me-ups with your eggnog lattes. Biscotti are for dipping, so take it to the max and dip them in… More eggnog!
Creamy eggnog
cookie bars Combine the butter cookies with the cheesecake
and you have these cute, with all the appeal of cheesecake but much less labor. If you’ve filled up, freeze more for later. They should last up to a few months.
Snickerdoodles often have nutmeg, so they are a natural canvas for incorporating eggnog flavors. Don’t forget to leave some for Santa on Christmas Eve!
Eggnog cake
balls
These cheerful cake bites use shortcut ingredients (cake mix, prepared icing and, natch, eggnog!) and get a pinch of sea salt on top to cut out the sweetness. If that’s not your bag, cover with nutmeg instead.
Eggnog Fudge
White chocolate chips and marshmallow cream are secret weapons to make foolproof fudge. Use nuts or nuts and add dried cranberries to enhance the color of a jewelry!
Eggnog
and
frozen eggnog drink recipes
Whether icy or steaming, these eggnog specialties immerse you in the holiday spirit.
Eggnog Latte
Who wants to spend half an hour idling on Starbucks drive-thru when they could be relaxing at home in yoga pants? This has two ingredients (eggnog and coffee or espresso); Nutmeg is useful, but it is not mandatory. Let the crouching begin!
Eggnog Cold Brew Coffee Cocktail
Here’s an iced cocktail with a hint of bourbon for those who prefer alcohol-infused eggnog recipes. Make a batch of cold beer with spices, then mix the drinks as needed.
Egg Punch Shake
A no-brainer, true, but we wanted to remind you of this simple and brilliantly obvious use for eggnog. Blitz with vanilla ice cream, add some spices and you’ll be happily on your way.
The Easiest Eggnog
Ice Cream The
coolest of all eggnog recipes! It’s literally a liter of eggnog and a little sugar. That’s all. It makes perfect sense, because the ingredients in eggnog are identical to those in custard-based ice cream. Let eggnog makers do the hard work so you can get to what matters: eating ice cream!
More inspiration for Christmas pastries
Do you want to further animate your Christmas pastry repertoire? Check out these collections of fun and creative recipes that include everything from classic traditions (Bûche de Noël) to ingenious updates (Biscoff Explosion Cookies).
