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Quick & Easy Homemade Bourbon Eggnog with Fresh Nutmeg

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This quick homemade bourbon eggnog with fresh nutmeg is the closest I’ve ever come to recreating a cherished childhood memory. It takes about ten minutes of actual work and tastes like the part of December I’m still trying to hold onto.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1 whole nutmeg, for grating
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • A tiny pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Separate the eggs: Crack your eggs carefully, dropping the yolks into a small bowl and the whites into a medium mixing bowl. Make sure no yolk gets into the whites, or they won’t whip up properly.
  2. Whip the egg whites: Add the 1 tablespoon of sugar to the egg whites and beat them with a clean whisk or your stand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Blend the base: In your blender, combine the egg yolks, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, whole milk, heavy cream, bourbon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Grate about half of the fresh nutmeg directly into the blender—roughly 1/2 teaspoon. Blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds until everything is smooth and slightly frothy.
  4. Taste and adjust: Give the base a quick taste. Add more bourbon, a touch more sugar, or another grate of nutmeg if desired. Remember, the egg whites will dilute the flavor slightly, so make the base a touch stronger than you think it should be.
  5. Fold in the egg whites: Pour the blended base into a large pitcher or serving container. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites using a rubber spatula or whisk. Fold just until you don’t see streaks of white anymore.
  6. Chill: Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight. This resting time lets the flavors meld and the texture smooth out.
  7. Serve: Give the eggnog a gentle stir before pouring. Ladle into cups and grate a generous amount of fresh nutmeg over the top of each serving.

Notes

For the best flavor, grate your nutmeg right before serving. The volatile oils that give nutmeg its aroma start to fade within minutes of grating. If you’re making this for a party, you can prep the base (steps 1-3) up to 24 hours in advance, but wait to fold in the egg whites until just before serving. The whites will deflate over time. Do not freeze this eggnog; the dairy will separate and the texture will become grainy. The flavors continue to develop over the first 24 hours, so it actually tastes better on day two.

Nutrition

Keywords: eggnog, bourbon eggnog, homemade eggnog, holiday drink, Christmas drink, fresh nutmeg, quick eggnog

Find it online: https://goldensimmer.com/quick-and-easy-homemade-bourbon-eggnog-with-fresh-nutmeg/