This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This single serve eggnog comes off the stove creamy and smooth, spiced with nutmeg and made from scratch. Sip it warm or chilled, and add a splash of rum or bourbon if you like. It’s perfectly sized for one person.
Featured Comment
“Made recipe as is – just without the booze. I know, I am no fun. But It is delicious!”
– Janet
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes, if you’re serving it cold
- Total Time: 20 minutes warm, longer if chilled
- Equipment: 1-quart saucepan
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Servings: 1
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Rich and sweet, with the classic flavor of nutmeg and a hint of vanilla.
Small batch eggnog takes the holiday punch bowl down to a single glass, so you can pour yourself homemade eggnog any time of year.
Why You’ll Love This Small Batch Eggnog
Homemade eggnog is one of my favorite holiday treats, and this recipe gives you all the rich flavor of the classic in a single glass. It’s a cooked eggnog made from scratch on the stove, and it’s made for one person.
Most eggnog recipes start with six eggs or a dozen and make enough for a party. I developed this small batch eggnog recipe around one egg yolk, so it makes the amount one person will actually drink.
The yolk is tempered before it’s cooked, which means I whisk the warm milk into it a spoonful at a time so it heats slowly and stays smooth. Then the eggnog cooks over low heat until it reaches 160°F, so there’s no raw egg in your glass.
I love that you can adjust it to your taste. Use more cream for a richer eggnog or more milk for a lighter one, and add a shot of rum or bourbon if you’d like it spiked. In about 20 minutes, you can be sipping it warm.
Looking for more single serving holiday drinks? Try Hot Chocolate For One or Small Batch Mulled Cider, or browse all of my Christmas recipes.
Ingredients
Small batch homemade eggnog takes one egg yolk and a handful of everyday ingredients. For ways to use any leftover ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Milk: Milk is the base of the eggnog. I use whole milk because a higher milkfat makes a creamier drink, but 2 percent, 1 percent, or skim will also work. For a non-dairy milk, see the Dairy Free Eggnog variation below.
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream gives eggnog its richness. Look for a carton labeled heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; they’re the same thing. To make it with half and half, see the Eggnog Without Heavy Cream variation below. Use any extra cream in Lasagna Soup For One, Banana Pudding For One, or a Mini French Silk Pie.
Egg Yolk: The yolk of one large egg gives the eggnog its body and rich flavor, and it thickens the drink as it cooks. To separate the egg, crack it over a small bowl and pass the yolk back and forth between the shell halves until the white falls away. Save the egg white for Small Batch Meringue Cookies, a Mini Texas Sheet Cake, or any of our egg white recipes.
Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the eggnog. You can use a little less if you like your eggnog lightly sweet. Maple syrup also works and adds a slightly different flavor.
Nutmeg: Ground nutmeg is the classic eggnog spice. It’s whisked in with the egg yolk and sugar. For a more spiced eggnog, add a pinch of cinnamon with it.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla rounds out the flavor. Stir it in at the end, after the pan comes off the heat.
Rum, Bourbon, Whiskey, or Brandy: Any of these turns the recipe into a classic spiked eggnog, and each brings its own flavor. Leave it out for a non alcoholic eggnog. The Spiked Eggnog variation below has the details.
Whipped Cream: A spoonful of my Small Batch Whipped Cream on top finishes the glass.
Recipe Variations
Each of these variations changes the flavor or richness of this easy eggnog recipe, and all of them still make a single glass of eggnog.
Spiked Eggnog For One
Spiked eggnog is the classic holiday version of the drink, made by adding a spirit to the finished eggnog. To make spiked eggnog for one, stir 1 shot (1½ ounces) of rum, bourbon, whiskey, or brandy into the eggnog after it’s cooked and poured into your glass. Each spirit brings its own flavor, so use the one you like to drink. Start with half a shot, taste it, and add the rest if you want it stronger.
Spiced Eggnog
Spiced eggnog has a second spice added to the nutmeg for a stronger spice flavor. Whisk ⅛ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice into the egg yolk along with the sugar and nutmeg. Cloves also work, but they’re strong, so use only a small pinch.
Eggnog Without Heavy Cream
To make eggnog without heavy cream, replace the ½ cup of cream with ½ cup of half and half for a lighter eggnog. A lower fat milk, such as 2 percent, also works in place of whole milk, though a higher milkfat makes a richer drink. You can also change the ratio of milk to cream as long as the total stays at 1 cup.
Dairy Free Eggnog
For dairy free eggnog, replace both the milk and the heavy cream with 1 cup of almond milk, oat milk, or another non dairy milk. The method stays the same, and the eggnog comes out smooth. This version is dairy free but not vegan, because it’s still made with an egg yolk, so leave off the whipped cream or use a non dairy topping.
Eggnog For Two
To make eggnog for two, double every ingredient: 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 egg yolks, 4 tablespoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Use 2 egg yolks, and don’t swap in 1 whole egg for them. Cook it in a 2-quart saucepan and follow the same steps, heating the eggnog until it reaches 160°F. Pour it into two glasses, adding a shot of rum or bourbon to each if you’d like it spiked.
How To Make Single Serving Eggnog
Here’s how to make a glass of eggnog from scratch, cooked gently on the stove so it comes out smooth and safe to drink. The recipe card below has the exact amounts.
- Heat the Milk and Cream: Pour the milk and cream into a 1-quart saucepan and warm them over medium heat while you mix the egg yolk.
- Whisk the Egg Yolk, Sugar, and Nutmeg: In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, sugar, and nutmeg until the mixture is smooth.
- Temper the Egg Yolk: When the milk starts to simmer, with small bubbles rising and breaking at the surface, take the pan off the heat. Whisk 1 tablespoon of the warm milk into the egg mixture. Keep adding the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each one, until about half of it (about ½ cup) is in the bowl. Adding the warm milk slowly heats the egg gently so it doesn’t curdle.
- Return the Mixture to the Pan: Pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and cream, and whisk to combine.
- Cook the Eggnog: Set the pan over low heat and stir constantly for about 10 minutes, until the eggnog reaches 160°F on a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, cook it until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Keep it from boiling, because boiling can curdle the egg.
- Stir in the Vanilla: Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Serve Warm or Chilled: Pour the eggnog into a glass. Drink it warm right away, or cover the glass and refrigerate it until it’s cold, at least 30 minutes. If you’re adding rum, bourbon, whiskey, or brandy, stir it in right before you drink it.
Expert Tips
Use a Small, Heavy Saucepan: A 1-quart saucepan is the right size for one cup of eggnog. In a wider pan, the liquid spreads into a thin layer that heats too fast, and the egg can scramble before you notice. A heavy bottom also spreads the heat more evenly than a thin one.
Add the Warm Milk Slowly: Tempering is the step that decides whether your eggnog comes out smooth. Whisk the whole time and add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, because pouring it in all at once can scramble the egg yolk.
Stop at 160°F, Even If It Looks Thin: Eggnog is thinner while it’s warm and thickens as it cools. Take the pan off the heat when the thermometer reads 160°F or the eggnog lightly coats the back of a spoon. Cooking it longer to make it thicker will turn it into custard.
Finish With Freshly Grated Nutmeg: Ground nutmeg works well in the recipe. If you have whole nutmeg, grate a little over the top of the glass just before drinking, because freshly grated nutmeg has a stronger flavor.
Stir Chilled Eggnog Before You Drink It: Eggnog can separate as it sits in the refrigerator, with the cream rising to the top. A quick stir brings it back together.
Troubleshooting
Here’s how to get cooked eggnog as smooth and as thick as you want it.
Why Is My Eggnog Lumpy Or Curdled?
Eggnog turns lumpy or curdles when the egg yolk cooks too fast, either because the warm milk was added too quickly during tempering or because the eggnog got too hot on the stove. To fix lumpy eggnog, pour it through a fine mesh strainer into your glass. The strainer catches the small bits of cooked egg and leaves the eggnog smooth. Next time, add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, keep the heat on low, and take the pan off the stove before it boils.
Why Is My Eggnog Thin?
Eggnog is thin when it’s still warm, because it thickens as it cools. Homemade eggnog is only slightly thick when it comes off the stove, and it thickens more in the refrigerator. If it’s still thinner than you’d like after chilling, use more cream and less milk the next time you make it, keeping the total at 1 cup.
Why Is My Eggnog Too Thick?
Eggnog gets too thick when it’s cooked past 160°F, because the egg yolk keeps thickening the longer it’s heated. To thin eggnog that’s too thick, whisk in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s the texture you like.
Serving Suggestions
Making eggnog for one is a good reason to bake a small batch of cookies to go with it.
- Small gingerbread cake: A slice of gingerbread cake is a classic Christmas pairing, with ginger and molasses next to the nutmeg in your glass.
- Small batch snickerdoodles: The cinnamon sugar coating on snickerdoodles goes with the spices in eggnog.
- Shortbread bites: Buttery shortbread bites are a simple, plain cookie to have with a rich drink.
- Small batch molasses cookies: Molasses cookies are a traditional holiday cookie, and their spices go with the nutmeg.
- Small batch sugar cookies: A few sugar cookies keep it simple.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eggnog can be served warm or cold, and this recipe works both ways. Drink it warm straight from the saucepan, or cover the glass and chill it in the refrigerator until it’s cold, at least 30 minutes. Chilling gives the flavors time to blend and makes the eggnog a little thicker and creamier.
Serve eggnog in a glass or mug, plain or topped with a spoonful of whipped cream. Eggnog can be drunk by itself with no alcohol, or with a shot of rum, bourbon, whiskey, or brandy stirred in. This recipe makes a single serving, so it goes straight from the saucepan into your glass.
Add alcohol to eggnog right before you drink it. Stir 1 shot of rum, bourbon, whiskey, or brandy into the glass, whether the eggnog is warm or chilled. If you’re saving eggnog for later, store it plain and add the spirit when you’re ready to drink it.
Non alcoholic eggnog is this recipe as written, with the rum or bourbon left out. Nothing else in the recipe changes.
Homemade eggnog is safe to drink when the egg is cooked to 160°F, and this cooked eggnog recipe heats the egg yolk to that temperature on the stove. There is no raw egg in the finished drink. A thermometer is the surest way to check. Without one, the eggnog is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
Eggnog can be made without nutmeg by leaving it out of the recipe. Nothing else changes. If you’d like a different spice in its place, add a pinch of cinnamon.
Homemade eggnog lasts up to 3 days in the refrigerator, so you can make it up to 3 days ahead. Keep it covered, and stir it before drinking because it can separate as it sits. This is most useful when you make eggnog for two and save the second glass.
Reheat eggnog slowly in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, and take it off the heat before it boils. Eggnog can also be reheated in the microwave in short bursts, stirring after each one.
This single serve eggnog recipe makes about 1 cup, which is one glass. It’s made with ½ cup of milk, ½ cup of heavy cream, and 1 egg yolk.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this easy eggnog for one, please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Eggnog For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) rum, bourbon, whisky, or brandy (optional) – 1 shot
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- In a 1-quart saucepan, warm the milk and cream over medium heat while you prepare the egg mixture.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, sugar, and nutmeg until smooth.
- When the milk starts to simmer, with small bubbles breaking the surface, remove the pan from the heat. Whisk 1 tablespoon of the warm milk into the egg mixture, then keep adding it 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each one, until about half of the milk (about ½ cup) is mixed in. Adding the milk slowly warms the egg gently so it doesn’t curdle.
- Pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cream, and whisk to combine.
- Set the pan over low heat and stir constantly for about 10 minutes, until the eggnog reaches 160°F on a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, cook until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Don’t let it boil, because boiling can curdle the egg.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the eggnog into a glass. Drink it warm right away, or cover the glass and refrigerate it until cold, at least 30 minutes. If you’re using rum, bourbon, whiskey, or brandy, stir it in right before drinking. Top with whipped cream, if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This is a great recipe. Made it exactly as stated and it is delicious. Its very sweet, though, so next time I will try cutting the sugar in half.
Made recipe as is just without the booze. I know, I am no fun. But It is delicious!
So happy to find this recipe! And a cooked one at that! I’m the only one who drinks eggnog, and I never find small containers at the store. Keeping this one!!!! Thank you for all you do.
Love this recipe, not overly sweet and milkshake thick like the commercial ones. I made this twice. Once I added brandy and the other time Shanky’s Whip {Irish whiskey}. I think I liked the Shanky’s better. Topped it off with a little whipping cream and nutmeg. Not low cal but who cares, it’s a treat and you live only once.
This was easy to execute and follow, and I liked the method! I used half and half and 2% milk, it came out great, creamy and smooth – my only complaint is the recipe as written was very sweet. I like the boozey flavors and the spice of the nutmeg to be the dominating flavors with the sweetness complimenting those flavors rather than the main flavor being sweet. If you’re like me, I would maybe halve the sugar! If you love sweet, then I think you’ll absolutely love the recipe as written. 🙂
TERRIFIC recipe.
Have you tried to make a light version? Perhaps changing the milk to almond milk and instead of sugar perhaps Stevia? And can light cream be substituted for the heavy cream?
You can use half and half instead of cream to lighten the eggnog. You can also use lower-fat milk but the kinds of milk with a higher milkfat will deliver a more rich eggnog. We have not tested this recipe with alternative sweeteners other than maple syrup.
When doubling the recipe, can a whole egg be used instead of 2 egg yolks?
No. Use two egg yolks.
Love eggnog! I want to try your recipe. I like my booze to be Fireball !! After Christmas cannot find eggnog in stores this just might be the thing to continue my favorite ckcktail year round. Thank you Happy Holidays!!
Can’t wait to try this. I love eggnog but want to limit it because of the calories and fat. If I buy a container I can’t stop drinking it. This is the perfect indulgence size.
Ohhh this is lovely! Thanks so much. My husband is not an eggnog fan…although he might be if he tastes this version. You did a great job converting it to one person and I am going to enjoy the heck out of it! Merry Christmas!
Thank you.
Merry Christmas sweet gal. You are doing so many interesting things with your life. I love hearing all about you guys and your adventures. Love ya! Nina in Huntsville….
Hi Nina,
Merry Christmas to you as well!
Much love to you and your family,
Joanie
This is an awesome treat! It will also come in handy for so many recipes where I would like to add a bit of eggnog but don’t have any on hand! Thank you!
I love this recipe! So perfect for when I just need a little pick me up, but not too much!
Is it necessary to heat or cook the milk. I’ve made it without by just adding the egg and salt in a blender and mixing for about a min. or until frothy.
This is a cooked eggnog version, there are other versions where the egg is not cooked.