Eggnog Ice Cream Recipe

Name: Eggnog Ice Cream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 9 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300 ml double cream; 300 ml whole milk; 2 tsp vanilla bean paste; 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; ¼ tsp ground cinnamon; 6 egg yolks; 120 g caster sugar; ¼ tsp salt; 2 tbsp dark rum

Eggnog Ice Cream

A rich nutmeg custard ice cream with egg yolks, cream and a splash of rum, chilled for 4 hours and frozen for 4 more.

45 min prep and cooking plus 8 hr 15 min Infusing, chilling and freezing 9 hr start to finish Serves 8 servings Medium

Why Eggnog Ice Cream Works

Eggnog is traditionally egg yolks, cream, sugar, spice and spirits, and that is almost exactly the definition of a rich custard ice cream. The drink and the dessert were always meant to meet. It is a holiday treat in North America, with a thick, spiced base that freezes into something richer than most vanilla ice creams.

Use a generous measure of freshly grated nutmeg: a whole nutmeg grated on a fine grater has a scent and sweetness that pre-ground powder lacks. About a teaspoon in the custard is right, with a pinch of cinnamon and a split vanilla pod for roundness. Infuse the spices in the warm milk for 15 minutes before making the custard.

Add the rum after cooking, and in a small quantity. Alcohol lowers the freezing point of ice cream, and too much leaves it soft and slushy. Two tablespoons of dark rum or bourbon per litre of base is enough to give the flavour of a spiked eggnog without harming the texture. Leave it out for children, and the ice cream will be slightly firmer.

Cook the custard to 80°C / 176°F, strain, and chill for 4 hours until cold. Churn, then freeze for 4 hours. Serve in small scoops with a grating of nutmeg on top, alongside Christmas pudding or gingerbread.

What to Put on the Table With Eggnog Ice Cream

Gingerbread
Christmas pudding
Mince pies
Hot coffee

Making Eggnog Ice Cream, Step by Step

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Heat the cream, milk, vanilla bean paste, nutmeg and cinnamon until steaming. Cover and infuse for 15 minutes.
Whisk the yolks, sugar and salt until pale. Reheat the milk, whisk a ladle into the yolks, then return everything to the pan.
Cook over low heat to 80°C / 176°F, stirring, until the custard coats a spoon. Strain, stir in the rum and chill for 4 hours.
Churn until thick.
Freeze in a covered container for 4 hours.

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Worth Knowing Before You Cook

Grate fresh nutmeg.

Use only a small amount of rum.

Chill the custard completely.

Changing the Recipe

In a sauce, full-fat crème fraîche can usually take the place of the double cream; single cream is thinner and more likely to split if it boils, so keep it below a simmer.

Keeping What's Left

Keeps in the freezer for 2 weeks.

Eggnog Ice Cream: Your Questions Answered

How long does Eggnog Ice Cream take to make?

30 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 8 hours 15 minutes of Infusing, chilling and freezing, so allow 9 hours from start to finish. The recipe serves 8.

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 2 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

268Calories

4gProtein

19gCarbs

18gFat

0gFibre

18gSugar

110mgSodium

Vegetarian Gluten-Free Low-Carb

Eggnog Ice Cream

What to Put on the Table With Eggnog Ice Cream

Making Eggnog Ice Cream, Step by Step

Worth Knowing Before You Cook

Changing the Recipe

Keeping What's Left

Eggnog Ice Cream: Your Questions Answered

What's in a Serving

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

What to Put on the Table With Eggnog Ice Cream

Making Eggnog Ice Cream, Step by Step

Worth Knowing Before You Cook

Changing the Recipe

Keeping What's Left

Eggnog Ice Cream: Your Questions Answered

What's in a Serving

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

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