My homemade eggnog is thick and creamy and completely alcohol free for those of us who are teetotal this festive period!
I completely adore Eggnog. It’s great to bake with and tastes amazing too. However, in the UK it is incredibly difficult to come by and it’s also hard to find an alcohol free one.
So, I made my own. Sometimes there are positives to being a recipe developer!
I used a mixture of whole milk and double (heavy) cream for this recipe, so it’s not a light recipe by any stretch of the imagination.
It is Christmas though, so I feel like it’s more than OK to indulge a little.
There’s a whole tablespoon of vanilla extract in this eggnog to really make sure you get that vanilla flavour singing through.
I also used egg yolks only as I wanted their richness to add to this beautifully festive beverage.
Of course you can add alcohol to this base recipe if you want, but I would not be able to tell you how much as I am not allowed even a drop due to medication and my fiancé is allergic, so we have a completely alcohol free house!
You know, a few years ago, before I’d ever tried eggnog I was worried I wouldn’t like it as some people said it was awfully rich and some said it just tastes like sickly sweet milk. Now, I’ve been making my own for a couple of years, I’m completely obsessed!
This does not just taste like sickly sweet milk, it’s properly flavourful; you get plenty of vanilla and richness from the yolks. Then you get that creamy, silky smooth texture and just a hint of nutmeg.
Served chilled with freshly grated nutmeg on the top is my favourite way to enjoy this delicious eggnog. It just makes me think of Christmas with every single sip and I hope you’ll enjoy it too!
Homemade Eggnog {Non Alcoholic}
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup (100g) caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 3 cups (720ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (240ml) double/heavy cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Grated fresh nutmeg, to serve
Instructions
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Place egg yolks, sugar and salt into a large non-stick pan and whisk until well combined and smooth.
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Place milk and double cream into a large jug and briefly whisk together.
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Place pan with egg yolks and sugar over a low-medium heat and attach a candy thermometer. Add a splash of the milk/cream mixture and whisk until combined.
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Continue very gradually adding milk and whisking between each addition to ensure there are no lumps. Switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon once all the milk is added.
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Keep stirring and cooking gently until the candy thermometer reaches 160F/70C – this is the temperature at which the eggs are safe to consume.
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At this stage the mixture will begin to thicken; keep cooking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. My mixture got to 180F/82C and was then thick enough to coat my spoon. It won’t be super thick, but you will feel slight “resistance” when stirring.
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Make sure you don’t boil the mixture or put it on too high a heat or you will end up with scrambled eggs!
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Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract, stirring to combine.
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Leave to cool for 15 minutes before placing a layer of cling film over the top of the eggnog; touching the top of the eggnog so that no skin develops as the eggnog cools.
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Once completely cool, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Since this is alcohol free eggnog, it won’t last as long as the alcoholic version; so should be consumed within 3 days.
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Annie is a self-taught baker, recipe developer and food photographer. When not in the kitchen, she can be found with her head in a book or jotting down recipe ideas! 
