Eggnog Ice Cream

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Cool, creamy eggnog ice cream is a wonderful way to enjoy the taste of the classic drink. 

When eggnog season starts, my husband is one of the first at the store to grab a carton. So when I told him I was making a batch of eggnog ice cream just for him, he was thrilled!

It’s likely that eggnog is a big part of your holidays (or Tom and Jerry cocktails, if you grew up in the Midwest like me), but I think I like using it in recipes more than drinking it!

Eggnog ice cream tastes very similar to vanilla ice cream, but with an extra richness along with the distinctive nutmeg flavor.

Just because it’s cold out it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy ice cream! 

Ingredients for eggnog ice cream

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

• Eggnog – There are many different varieties of eggnog available these days. I recommend buying a classic nog rather than one that has additional spices and flavorings. Note that “light” eggnog won’t work as well in this recipe.
• Heavy cream – Also labeled as heavy whipping cream.
• Milk – I usually use 2%, but whole will also work well.
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Nutmeg
• Dark rum or bourbon – The alcohol is optional in this recipe, but it is classic in eggnog. A small amount of alcohol also helps prevent the ice cream from freezing too hard.
• Fine sea salt

How to make this recipe

First, make sure the bowl of your ice cream maker is completely chilled! I recommend freezing it at least 24 hours in advance of when you want to churn your ice cream. If your bowl is not chilled, the ice cream will not churn properly.

In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium and whisk to dissolve the sugar and salt. Make sure the mixture doesn’t get too hot.

Once dissolved, remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl or a large (4 cup or larger) liquid measuring cup. Whisk in eggnog, vanilla, nutmeg, and rum.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

When you’re ready to churn, remove the ice cream bowl from the freezer and place it in your machine.

Remove the ice cream custard from the refrigerator and whisk a few times to re-mix in case any ingredients separated in the fridge. 

Pour in the custard and churn according to your machine’s instructions. 

Depending on your machine, churning can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour. It should look like soft serve when it is done.

You can either serve the ice cream immediately, or transfer to an ice cream container and freeze to firm up. 

How to store ice cream

Unless you plan to serve the entire batch at once, I do not recommend using metal loaf pans for storing ice cream. Because you cannot create an airtight seal, ice crystals can easily form on your ice cream.

Instead, I recommend using silicone ice cream containers or lined cardboard containers that are made for hot or cold foods. 

Silicone containers will keep your ice cream fresh for a month or more.

I like to serve up this ice cream with an extra grating of nutmeg on top. Offer it along with peppermint ice cream and cranberry ice cream for a holiday party!