The BEST Eggnog Recipe: Easy Step-By-Step You Can’t Mess Up!

In this video, I'll be making my favorite eggnog recipe from scratch. This recipe has been modified over the years to my liking and is, in my humble opinion, the best eggnog recipe ever. It consists of only a few ingredients, takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make, and you can choose to add alcohol during this process, after it's done, or not at all. Let's get started. Crack six eggs into a large bowl. Wash your hands. With a medium to large whisk, mix the eggs until they look smooth and frothy. Add one cup of granulated sugar into the bowl and fully mix together with the eggs. Next, add two cups of half and half. Some recipes call for regular milk mixed with heavy cream. I like half and half because it's already blended for you. Then, add one quarter teaspoon of fine salt to the bowl and mix into the eggnog. If you are using pasteurized eggs, you can skip the next step. Pour the contents of the bowl into a medium to large cooking pot. You can also do this over the sink or on the counter if you prefer. Turn the stove on to a low to medium-low flame. You don't want to cook the mixture too fast, as it will begin to curdle and we don't want that. You will need to slowly and constantly stir the mixture for about 12 to 14 minutes, so it's a good idea to set a timer. This part is my favorite. About five minutes in, you can periodically check the temperature with either a temperature thermometer or an infrared heat gun, or both. As I mentioned, the mixture needs to get to 160 degrees and should take roughly 12 to 14 minutes at a low to low-medium heat. When the mixture reaches 160 degrees, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the burner. Add another two cups of half and half to the pot, continuing to stir. Now, because this was a full quart, we already used two cups, so we have two cups left in the container. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to the pot. Continue to stir. Add three quarters of a cup of rum to the mixture and stir it in. You can use whatever alcohol you like, but I enjoy the flavor of a good quality dark rum. You can add less or more if you like, but I found three quarters of a cup adds the flavor of the rum without overpowering the eggnog. Without the alcohol in the mixture, the eggnog can last two to four days when stored in the refrigerator, whereas with the rum, it can last two to four weeks stored properly in the fridge. I've never tested that, as this eggnog will be gone in two to four days, but if you have, let us know in the comments. Now, because we heated up the eggs to 160 degrees, I like to run the eggnog through a strainer into a large bowl before pouring it into its container. This just catches any egg curds that may have formed during the process. Then, pour it from the bowl into its container using a funnel. Add half a teaspoon of nutmeg to the eggnog in the container. If you want, you can start with a quarter of a teaspoon and see how you like it, or don't add any and let others sprinkle it in their individual cup. Shake the container well and then place it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to blend together. Take the eggnog out of the fridge. Shake it well as the nutmeg tends to settle down to the bottom. Pour it in a glass and enjoy the best eggnog ever. Thanks for watching.