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Healthier Egg Nog Recipe

December 11, 2019   29 Comments

A healthy eggnog recipe? Can it be done?

Healthy Eggnog Recipe

I don't know if I would call this recipe "healthy"- but I would call it a massive improvement over the original recipe and anything you can buy in the store.

The problem starts when you ask me, "Snack Girl - make eggnog into a zero calorie treat!" - my reaction is BLECH.

There are recipes for eggnog that feature egg substitute, stevia, almond milk and non-fat milk - and I just can't go there. How can you get a concoction with that combo that touches the real ingredients of eggnog - milk and/or cream, sugar, eggs, and liquor (with a little nutmeg).

It is not supposed to be healthy - is is supposed to be DREAMY.

But, I do HATE the corn syrup, additive filled, containers of eggnog that grace our supermarket dairy section. They are packed with calories and they taste, well, fake.

Check out my DIY Peppermint Mocha and how to make an iced mocha at home for other drink recipes that use real ingredients.

You have to make your own eggnog to get the TRUE flavor of eggnog. After trying homemade eggnog, you will never buy a container of eggnog again.

Now, I use raw egg in my eggnog. For those of you with a deep fear of salmonella, this is not for you. I know the source of my eggs (a family farm in my region) and they have never had an outbreak of salmonella so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Below my raw version is a cooked version for the risk averse.

Where can you cut calories?

  • portion control - stick to 4-6 ounces and savor them!
  • use lowfat milk - not as DREAMY but still tastes good.
  • make it once or twice for the holiday season and share with friends.

Since I am WAY over 21, I like rum in my eggnog. Bourbon, brandy, and scotch are also good additions. I've seen eggnog served in a martini glass - which I think is a great idea to help you SIP it.

Have you made homemade eggnog?

Healthy Eggnog Recipe

4.0 from 101 reviews

6 servings

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Ingredients

3 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups lowfat milk
1/2 cup rum (optional)
nutmeg for dusting

Instructions

Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with the sugar. Stir in vanilla, milk, and rum. Beat the egg whites and fold them into the milk mixture. Pour eggnog into a SMALL glass and top with nutmeg. ENJOY!

For cooked eggnog:

Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with the sugar in a medium bowl. Reserve egg whites for another use. In a medium saucepan over high heat, mix milk, and vanilla. Bring to a just to a boil and remove from heat.

Mix the hot liquid gradually into the egg and sugar to prevent the egg from cooking. You add small amounts and mix thoroughly until all of the hot milk is mixed in. Pour everything back into the pot and heat until it reaches 160 F. Remove from heat, add rum, and put in the refrigerator to chill. When eggnog is cold, top with grated nutmeg and serve.

Nutrition Facts

For a five ounce glass without rum: 99 calories, 3.4 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 10.3 g carbohydrates, 10.6 g sugar, 6.9 g protein, 0 g fiber, 85 mg sodium, Green 4, Blue 3, Purple 3 Points

Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes

Other posts you might like:

DIY Peppermint Mocha Recipe

This DIY peppermint mocha recipe with save you money and calories! (and a trip to Starbucks).....

How to Make an Iced Mocha at Home

It is super easy to make an iced mocha at home. In fact, this iced mocha recipe couldn’t be easier.....

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29 Comments:

When I was little, I was given eggnog --for the nutritional value I guess. Anyway I love home made eggnog. No rum though:)

I love eggnog too and have discovered that joys of Silk Eggnog. It tastes pretty decent but a bit on the thin side. I add some Cool Whip free to it and give it a spin in the blender. Nutmeg on top...liquor or not and I have a passable version that gives me the taste w/o the fat/calories of the "real" thing. Just another option for those of us less than inclined to make much from scratch.LOL

I've always "cut" my egg nog... 1/2 egg nog, 1/2 milk... since I was a little girl. Another way to slice some calories.

Wow, those calorie counts arent' bad at all - so when I drink a half gallon of your recipe, it's at least a LITTLE better than when I do the same to a storebought version! :)

I take Silk eggnog, So Delicious unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (50 calories a cup but really rich since most of the calories are fat--but it's the good saturated fat, those MCTs that don't get stored, they get burned) and a 1/2 shot of liquor and shake them in a blender bottle with some ice. Then I put a little whipped cream on top. Yum.

Yes! Silk Eggnog is the best. I don't really add anything to it cause it tastes pretty good as is. Adding alcohol ups the sugar, yikes.

I still swear by Hungry Girl's No-Nonsense Nog made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. One whole cup for 2 Freestyle points! Make sure you use a blender and put in fridge a couple hours (to thicken slightly). I make up a large batch and bring it in to my Weight Watchers group around this time every year. It is always a big hit!

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I will try Silk Eggnog and Hungry Girl's recipe as well as cutting mine with milk.

The recipe says you cook the yolk, but not the egg whites, you add the egg whites raw?? How is it safe to use raw egg whites but not raw yolks? Confused..

@Karen - good point. You don't need the egg whites so I will change the recipe. Sorry about that!

How long will this keep in the refrigerator? I’d like to make it a few days ahead if possible. Thanks.

@Katina - It depends on your milk. If your milk has plenty of time before it goes bad - it should stay good until that date. Great question!!

Is rum really optional? lol

Use UHT milk and it will stay good for much longer. I have used it for many things including making yogurt. It is shelf safe before you open it and then refrigerate it after. You can add guar gum if you want it thicker. Also, you can cook your egg mixture until it becomes thick, just until it becomes pudding, then thin it if needs be with more milk and blend. My favorite, buy the vanilla pudding, the kind than needs cooking, in the package from the store, cook it and drink it hot. Better than eggnog. You can use nonfat milk or Silk to cook it with too.

Re: raw eggs for the nog - I spoke with someone at Egg Beaters to ask if I could use their pasteurized product uncooked in my homemade Caesar Salad and was assured I could, so for those who wish to stay away from raw store bought eggs, this would work.

For Marlene: Believe it or not, not all eggs have salmonella. If you are concerned, however, eggs can be coddled and if you are using only yolks (which I recommend) they can be cooked as in making pudding which is basically what the eggnog is. BTW, egg whites are severely lacking in vitamins and minerals. Whites have zero vitamins but do have 1/2 the protein of a whole egg. I eat 2 or 3 whole eggs everyday and never have a problem. My labs are perfect. Cholesterol is primarily an inherited problem and not specifically due to diet. Google Harvard studies on this.

To what point are the egg whites to be beaten?

For cooked eggnog method sugar is mentioned twice but only 1 amount in recipe. Can you please confirm that only 2 tablespoons of sugar is needed and when to add it. Thanks.

Question For cooked eggnog, directions say ‘Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with the sugar in a medium bowl.’ Then is says ‘In a medium saucepan over high heat, mix milk, sugar, and vanilla.’ The recipe only states ONLY 2 tablespoons of sugar so once you mix it with the egg yokes then where is the extra sugar (and how much) do you heat with the milk and vanilla in the sauce pan???

@Jen - that was a mistake. You only need to mix the two tablespoons sugar with the egg yolks. I have changed the recipe above to reflect that change. Thank you for our comment!

I've been adding nutmeg to a cup of plain unsweetened silk soy milk and I find it very eggnog-y since resetting my taste buds. However I do use dates in some crust recipes and cocoa recipes which might also be useful for those who like more sweetness. Here is a recent eggless recipe I'll be trying this week that health-promoting and looks very traditional. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ5sOuhriG0 . The power of plants! :)

There is a local dairy who sells eggnog this time of year (in glass bottles) and it is a nothing like the stuff in cartons. You can only get it in December until it sells out and it is expensive so I only can drink a limited amount but it is worth it. I'm sure your homemade with real eggs and milk is comparable. I too have a local farm I get my eggs from so perhaps I'll try it.

I like to use raw egg in my Caesar salad recipe, so I phoned "Egg Beaters" company years ago, and was told the egg product was pasteurized so I could use it raw in the dressing. I would venture you could also us it raw in eggnog.

Fat slows down sugar absorption! Seriously it's not calories we should be worrying about. Use whole milk, it tastes better and there's not so much of a sugar spike :)

Can you use fat free half and half instead of milk?

Sounds like a really good recipe. I’m going to try the cooked version. The eggnogs you buy in the store are not very good mostly because they don’t use real spices but extracts and artificial flavorings. My sister had a wonderful recipe that called for heavy cream and vanilla ice cream...enough said.😂

Thank you, Lisa! I love eggnog and try all sorts of ways to reduce the damage, tiny portions, cut with milk....but I can’t really digest the gums in the store-bought ones, so I appreciate this recipe for it’s lightness AND lack of gums. Yum yum. May have to try the other recipes, too!!! Jennie

Can I use splenda instead of sugar?

Question: for raw eggnog, how long the whites should be beaten? Thanks

★★★★

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