Eggnog may be known as hot cocoa’s less desirable cousin, but we’re here to argue its case. If you refuse to drink the milky bev straight, perhaps we can convince you to try one of these festive eggnog cocktails at your holiday party instead. Spiking your glass with a bit of booze in order to cut its sweetness just might turn you into a believer. Speaking of, here are 20 eggnog cocktails that are bound to impress at Christmas cocktail hour, from the O.G. to eggnog Mexican hot chocolate to pumpkin eggnog with bourbon.
20 Eggnog Cocktails That Will Convert Your Tastebuds This Holiday
This divisive bev is *so* misunderstood
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Published Oct 27, 2023
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
What Is Eggnog?
This drink is a decadent elixir made from cream, sugar, whipped egg whites and egg yolks. It's sweet, rich, silky and tastes pretty darn close to melted ice cream, if we do say so ourselves. Despite how divided folks are over the old-school milk punch, it's been part of the holiday zeitgeist since the 1700s, so there must be something redeeming about it—right, haters? This Christmas, we dare you to give it another chance.
What's the Best Store-Bought Eggnog?
We took it upon ourselves last holiday season to taste-test more than a dozen popular brands of store-bought eggnog to find the very best for every need and preference. Our favorite overall was Hood Golden Eggnog, due to its custardy texture, nutmeg-forward flavor and affordability. We also liked Turkey Hill Eggnog for cocktails, Ronnybrook Eggnog for an extra-thick texture and a handful of non-dairy eggnogs for vegans and dairy-sensitive drinkers, like Chobani Oatmilk Oat Nog and Califia Farms Holiday Nog.
Once you have a carton picked out, these 20 eggnog cocktails will be well within reach.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
You can’t go wrong with the O.G., especially when it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare. (The rest is all simmering and chilling.) It tastes great on its own, but we love how nicely this drink pairs with whiskey, dark rum and cognac alike.
2. Peppermint Eggnog White Hot Cocoa
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pot, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
The mocktail version is just the Christmas Eve nightcap for your little ones. (Warning: They’ll squeal over the crushed peppermints and mini marshmallows.) But we suggest adding vanilla vodka or bourbon to your mug for extra holiday magic.
3. Christmas Vacation Dirty Chai Cocktail
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, gluten free, <30 minutes
The recipe technically calls for canned coconut milk, which gives the drink a tropical twist, but we'd much prefer it with eggnog as the base. Made with vodka and coffee liqueur, the cocktail's real magic comes from the spiced vanilla-chai honey syrup.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Forget dark, spiced spirits—this sipper stars bubbly, bright prosecco. It's a nostalgic nod to NYC's famous egg creams, which the boomers at your table will appreciate. If there are staunch eggnog haters at the party, get an extra bottle of vino for them to sip on.
5. Eggnog Mexican Hot Chocolate
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, dairy free, <30 minutes
The recipe is dairy-free, since it calls for soy eggnog and soy milk, but you could totally substitute homemade or store-bought dairy eggnog. (There are also plenty of oat milk and almond milk options out there nowadays.) So, would you like yours topped with Baileys or crème de cacao?
6. Pumpkin Eggnog with Bourbon
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, gluten free, beginner-friendly
In case you still haven’t had your fill of pumpkin come December, this whiskey-kissed sipper has you covered. Canned pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spices infuse the eggnog with lots of fall flavor. But if you're in a pinch, look for pumpkin eggnog at the grocery store (yup, it exists).
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
The original cocktail calls for vodka, coffee liqueur and cream. Here, eggnog takes over for cream before the drink is topped with whipped cream and nutmeg. We love how no-frills yet versatile this recipe is. Feel free to sub in vanilla- or whipped cream-flavored vodka, or even coffee-flavored tequila.
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Refreshing peppermint schnapps meets vanilla vodka and simple syrup to create a festive cocktail for the books. Simply substitute eggnog for rum cream liqueur or use a bit of both. (Whatever you do, don’t forget to coat the glass’s rim in crushed peppermint candies.)
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, one pot
If the whole drinking eggs thing freaks you out, look no further than this yolk-free alternative. We think it’s a stellar recipe for serving a crowd, so if you’re hosting, look no further. Spike it with dark rum or bourbon to get the party started.
10. Beer, Nog and Bourbon Cocktails
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
Even the craft beer nerds at the cookie swap can get in on the nog-laced fun, thanks to this recipe that starts with your favorite porter or stout. (We'd recommend a vanilla-forward porter or a coffee-like stout. If you want the drink to turn out extra creamy, use a nitro stout.)
- Time Commitment: 10 days and 20 minutes (includes aging time)
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Remember raising your sourdough starter like a newborn at the beginning of quarantine? This recipe is sort of the same idea: The eggnog will need at least ten days in your fridge to age and properly meld with the whiskey, rum and cognac. Might we suggest preparing the base in your stand mixer?
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
We love this recipe because it's a total breeze to multiply for guests. Sweetened with brown sugar and finished with nutmeg-dusted whipped cream, this espresso bev is well worth getting out of bed for, especially on Christmas morning. Why not spike it with your spirit of choice on a lazy Sunday?
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, no cook
Who knew Saint Nick was so into Irish cream? We like that Baileys is the main alcohol here; it keeps the drink from tasting excessively boozy. Nevertheless, feel free to substitute (or add) cream liqueur, amaretto, cognac or bourbon to the mix.
14. Easy Keto Eggnog
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: low carb, keto-friendly, low sugar, crowd-pleaser
Yup, this typically sugary drink can be low-carb, so tell your keto-loving relatives to grab a mug. The trick is using zero-calorie sweetener instead of sugar and trading dairy milk for unsweetened almond milk. The rest (heavy cream, eggs and spices) are already keto-friendly.
15. Naughty-Nice Hot Cocoa with Spiked Eggnog Marshmallows
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
We usually like our eggnog in liquid form, but these maple-vanilla marshmallows infused with coconut rum will do. The cocoa also includes coffee and hazelnut liqueurs. Bonus points for garnishing each glass with a sugar cookie and festive sprinkles.
16. Chai Eggnog
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, one pot, beginner-friendly
Rum, brandy, bourbon or even smoky mezcal will taste divine in this dairy-free stunner, which is made with almond and coconut milks. Chai tea bags are steeped in the eggnog, so there’s maximum winter spice in every sip.
17. Boozy Pumpkin Pie Shooters
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Just look at those toasted meringue crowns. (We're suckers for the graham cracker crumb-coated rims, too.) In case you need more convincing, these shooters are made with vodka and real pumpkin purée.
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Dark espresso and Irish cream take this morning bev over the top. You could definitely add caramel sauce, coffee liqueur, whiskey or your favorite flavor syrup to the mix if you'd like. (Oh, and a tall crown of whipped cream.)
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, dairy-free, <30 minutes, make ahead
Dairy-free milk stars in this silky-smooth sipper, along with a flurry of warm spices and a generous glug of maple syrup for sweetness. Bourbon is the suggested spirit here, but spiced rum or vanilla whiskey would work great, too.
20. Coquito
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Think of coquito as Puerto Rico's take on eggnog. It stars coconut cream, coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk—and a whole lot of rum. The key to making coquito is letting it chill in the fridge for at least a full day to enhance its flavor profile and mellow the intensity of the liquor.
