When it comes to recipes fit for a homesteader, look no further than eggnog. Full of milk, cream, and eggs, all the things that homesteaders love best.While we generally save eggnog for a special treat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we often get requests from our kids to make eggnog all year round. Thankfully, this easy raw eggnog recipe comes together in just a few minutes. And when our chickens are laying in full force, this recipe may just make an appearance any time of year!
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If you are only used to the store bought version, adjusting to homemade eggnog may take a little getting used to. But for us, once we made that adjustment, we would choose the homemade version any day of the week for lots of reasons!
Why Homemade Eggnog?
Our family has been enjoying eggnog my whole life and I never thought much about it.
However, once we began our real food journey, I was curious to look a little deeper into what exactly was in this store bought drink. The ingredient list read: “milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, skim milk, corn syrup solids, sugared egg yolks, grade A whey powder, dextrose, corn starch, natural flavor nutmeg, annatto & turmeric extract (for color), guar gum, carrageenan, salt, locust bean gum.”
In case you missed it, I highlighted the 5 different kinds of sugar in that eggnog. Yikes! From that day forward I was dead set on finding a better eggnog option for my family.
Thankfully, with a little experimentation, this nutrient dense raw eggnog recipe has been a no brainer and welcomed alternative to the sugar overload store bought kind.
History of Eggnog
The history of eggnog dates back to Medieval England around the 13th century. It was known as a milky ale drink called “posset.” Because these ingredients were expensive, it was a more common beverage for the wealthy and reserved for toasting special occasions.
Eggnog became a holiday drink when it came to America in the 1700’s. Because farming was the way of life for most, cows and chickens abounded and eggnog became a regularly sipped beverage. In fact, you can still find George Washington’s recipe for homemade raw eggnog (heavy on the alcohol).
Where the name “eggnog” comes from is still a bit of a mystery. There are different speculations around the word “nog”. Some say it stems from the word “noggin” meaning wooden cup. Others say it’s from the word “grog” referring to a strong beer.
Where ever it comes from, eggnog has been a common American holiday beverage since the 18th century.
Is Raw Eggnog Safe?
It is important that you feel safe and comfortable to enjoy the delicious eggnog you would be making! That being said, if eating raw eggs/yolks aren’t your style there are a few alternative options instead. You could purchase pasteurized eggs or make an easy cooked eggnog version with tempered eggs (there are instructions below).
For us, because we raise chickens on our farm and feel very comfortable with how they are raised and their diet, we have no problem eating raw eggs from them. However, I would likely not feel comfortable eating raw eggs from any old store-bought eggs.
Raw Eggnog Recipe Ingredients
Eggs/Egg Yolks
We recommend sourcing high quality eggs raised in healthy conditions, ideally with access to the outdoors and a healthy, organic diet if you are drinking raw eggnog. If you do not have a good source of eggs, other options are to buy pasteurized eggs or follow the instructions for cooked eggnog below.
Milk
We use raw milk from our dairy cow in this recipe. But any milk will work great! I’d stick to 2% or whole for a creamier eggnog and if you want a super creamy eggnog, you can substitute some (or all) of the milk for more cream!
Cream
While you can make this raw eggnog recipe without cream and just use whole milk, we wouldn’t recommend it if you want a creamier end result. Store bought eggnogs often use cornstarch to thicken eggnog to give it that super creamy mouthfeel. In our opinion, the more cream the better.
Maple Syrup
Our preference is to use natural sugars that we can source locally whenever possible and have found that maple syrup compliments the cinnamon/nutmeg flavors the best. However, sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar could be substituted in a pinch. And if you don’t want it too sweet, you could definitely lessen the amount in the recipe a bit.
Spices
We love the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt in this recipe. Pumpkin pie spice would be a great substitute for the nutmeg though if you prefer.
Raw Eggnog Recipe
Ingredients:
4 Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
2 Cups Milk
1.5 Cups Cream
½ Cup Maple Syrup
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
Directions:
1. Blend eggs and yolks in a blender on low speed for 20-30 seconds.
2. Add cream and blend with egg mixture for another 30 seconds on low.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients* and blend until combined.
Enjoy!
*For spiked eggnog, feel free to add 4-8 ounces of rum, brandy, or bourbon.
How to Make Cooked Eggnog
Whisk eggs and egg yolks into a medium sized mixing bowl and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat milk, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over low heat until it begins to very gently bubble on the edges of the pan.
Slowly pour about half of the milk mixture into your eggs, while whisking continuously. The goal of this step is to slowly heat the eggs without turning them into scrambled eggs.
Once mixed, pour the milk/egg mixture back into your saucepan and stir over low heat until the mixture thickens and can be coated with the back of a spoon
Remove from heat and pour eggnog into a jar. Refrigerate for several hours before serving so that it is sufficiently chilled.
We loved to serve this on Christmas morning alongside some of our breakfast favorites like potato crusted quiche and sourdough scones.
Raw Eggnog Recipe
Yield: Approx. 4 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
While we mainly save eggnog for a special treat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we often get requests from our kids to make eggnog all year round. Thankfully, this easy raw eggnog recipe comes together in just a few minutes. And when our chickens are laying in full force, this recipe may just make an appearance any time of year!
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 2 Cups Milk
- 1.5 Cups Cream
- ½ Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Blend eggs and yolks in a blender on low speed for 20-30 seconds.
- Add cream and blend with egg mixture for another 30 seconds on low.
- Add the rest of the ingredients* and blend until combined.
Notes
*For spiked eggnog, feel free to add 4-8 ounces of rum, brandy, or bourbon.
How to Make Cooked Eggnog
Whisk eggs and egg yolks into a medium sized mixing bowl and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat milk, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over low heat until it begins to very gently bubble on the edges of the pan.
Slowly pour about half of the milk mixture into your eggs, while whisking continuously. The goal of this step is to slowly heat the eggs without turning them into scrambled eggs.
Once mixed, pour the milk/egg mixture back into your saucepan and stir over low heat until the mixture thickens and can be coated with the back of a spoon
Remove from heat and pour eggnog into a jar. Refrigerate for several hours before serving so that it is sufficiently chilled.
