Primal Eggnog
If ever there was a seasonal drink, eggnog is it. Imagine drinking eggnog on spring break or poolside during the summer… it just doesn’t work, does it? We’re getting towards the end of prime eggnog drinking season and if you don’t make a batch soon you’re going to have to wait until next December rolls around to have some. Now is the time to whip up a batch, and it’s easier than you might think. The little effort it does require is worth it; homemade eggnog has a pure, custard-like flavor and is less sugary and less full of questionable ingredients than most of the eggnog sold in stores. We’d actually forgotten how good homemade eggnog could be until one of our readers, Anna Salveson, reminded us. This recipe is inspired by the eggnog recipe she sent in and hers is included below, too. According to Anna she’s been continually making batches of eggnog all month to keep her family satisfied, which we think qualifies her as an eggnog expert.
Ingredients:
- 4 beaten egg yolks
- 3 cups coconut milk, almond milk, or whole cream
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ground nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
Directions:
Mix egg yolks, 2 cups of coconut/almond milk or cream, and sugar. Stir gently but constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to cling to and coat the back of a spoon, about five to ten minutes. Be patient with this process – if you turn the heat up too high or don’t stir, the egg yolks might turn into scramble eggs.
Remove from heat and set the pot in a larger bowl filled with ice water (careful, so no water overflows into the eggnog!) and stir for 2-3 minutes then add the last cup of milk/cream and the vanilla.
If you want to add any additional holiday spirit (a few tablespoons of rum, bourbon or whiskey) to the eggnog, now is your chance. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature then chill for a while longer in the fridge. The longer you let the eggnog chill, the thicker and more custard-like it will become. Before serving, generously dust with cinnamon and nutmeg. If you can, buy whole nutmeg and grate it yourself (a microplane zester works great for this).
Makes 4-6 servings.
For a quick eggnog fix, you can try Anna’s recipe for one serving: In a blender, mix 1-2 raw egg yolks, 6 ounces coconut milk (or almond milk), 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Blend for 30 seconds and serve dusted with nutmeg.
Happy holidays, everyone. Cheers!
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Posted By: Worker Bee
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I really love how all the recipes on MDA now come with some great quality photos. This really adds a lot to the posts.
Nice recipe too btw.
I have been craving Egg Nog like you wouldn’t believe, but I stuck to my plans and stayed away so far. Now that this recipe is posted, I already have it chilling in my fridge as we speak. Easy to make and I can’t wait to try it!!!
Jeff
Oops.
I misread “a few table spoons” of rum.
But for the better!
Great recipe. The inlaws will love it tonight.
I presume the “quick fix” requires brief microwaving.
Damn salmonella!
The risk of salmonella infection from eggs farmed in the U.S. (not to mention organically raised) is close to infinitesimal. And many, if not most cases, of contraction go unreported because they’re too mild to detect. I only cook eggs if I specifically desire the taste of cooked white, and I never cook the yolks.
Same here. I get many of my eggs from a farm though (the one I get my raw milk from). Are these safe? I’ve been eating them raw mixed in raw milk smoothies for a coupple of years without incident…
With a few more egg yolks and slightly less whole cream, this is Peter’s (Hyperlipid) recipe for ice cream. Just freeze and enjoy. Eggnog ice cream I suppose – very good!
OOOhhhhh I’m totally going to make this!! My mom LOVES egg nog, and has kind of gotten me to like it, so this would be a great treat to make her!
Oh! This is awesome! I’m going to try it with stevia and raw whole milk. Raw cream is so expensive.
if you blend in some stiffly- beaten egg whites after the custard has chilled (the same number of yolks you used) then it has a really nice fluffy consistency. you might have to re-mix after it separates, but its worth it!
Also, if you want to add some insurance so the eggs don’t get scrambled, beat the yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy (can be done by hand for a work out or in a blender for the lazy). Then add about half the hot milk to the eggs slowly while stirring then add the egg/milk mixture back over the heat and continue beating. This step tempers the eggs and the added air you beat into the yolks will prevent them from scrambling, you still have to stir however. I like eggnog warm better.
This is the one time of year when stores stock heavy cream (not pastured or raw tho…) in abundance. My mum and I laughed when we went holiday food shopping and saw that, for once, we were not the only people in the store buying heavy cream. I was even lectured once that did I know that cream was high in fat; I responded yes, and I made sure to get the 40% butterfat baker’s cream instead of mere 36% butterfat heavy cream. I also sighed (on the inside, of course) when I once saw someone buying fat free milk and a bottle of CLA supplement.
Anyways, thanks for the recipe, Mark and Anna! I will be sure to try it, as I love the nog but had to stay away from it this season because of high sugar content. Not anymore, though…
I got called a hypocrite because I told someone that I drank cream (0 carbs you know). When I asked why, she referenced a short editorial comment that was in the newspaper where I railed against the sugar in the school provided breakfasts. Apparently, she saw fat and sugar as one in the same. And she’s a fellow nurse, but I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on her, as many nurses still hold fast to Conventional Wisdom.
What about the egg whites? With most traditional eggnog recipes you beat the whites until stiff and then fold them into the eggnog before serving and dusting with nutmeg. Has anyone tried this? It seems ashamed not to include the whites as well.
I don’t include the egg whites because of the warnings about difficult to digest proteins and anti-nutrients in raw whites. Raw yolks, however, and quite easy to digest so I’m happy to include plenty of those!
Dang! Already used the 80% rule for Eggnog at Christmas. No excuses now though
We had great success with eggnog ice cream, too. We embrace all things nog in our home.
Made this last night, oh my god what a treat. Needs no sweetener in my opinion! Goes well with my fat fast!
I made this for my 17-year-old son — he loved it and said the recipe “took eggnog to whole new level!”