Eggnog Ice Cream

During the holidays, eggnog laced with warm spices and perhaps a hint of rum or whiskey feels like a luxurious treat. But there’s no reason for this rich, creamy treat to be limited to the month of December. Let’s turn this classic drink into a no-churn eggnog ice cream that’s right for any season.

Eggnog is a decadent concoction made with eggs, cream and alcohol, and then laced with spices. Similar beverages were consumed in England around the 13th century. By the 17th and 18th centuries, eggs and milk were plentiful in the 13 colonies, and eggnog became a celebrated and celebratory drink. George Washington even wrote his own super-boozy eggnog recipe!

To honor the history of eggnog in the United States, serve this ice cream at a Fourth of July party or summer barbecue. Or, make it part of your winter holiday traditions. There’s no way to go wrong with something this delicious.

Ingredients for Eggnog Ice Cream

• Eggnog: Use good store-bought eggnog or homemade eggnog to make this ice cream.
• Heavy whipping cream: Dairy labels can be confusing, but anything labeled whipping cream, heavy cream or heavy whipping cream will work here.
• Sugar: The recipe calls for granulated sugar, but if you’d prefer a hint of molasses flavor, light or dark brown sugar would work as well.
• Rum: Choose spiced rum or whiskey for this eggnog ice cream recipe. For eggnog without the booze, add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
• Cinnamon: The quintessential spice brings sweetness and warmth to any dish. To expand your repertoire, here’s some great info about different types of cinnamon.
• Nutmeg: It’s not ‘nog without nutmeg! If you can find whole nutmeg and grate the spice as you need it, it’ll be much more fragrant than the powdered stuff. Because nutmeg is so strong, it is best used in moderation.

Directions

Step 1: Make the ice cream

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Place the eggnog, heavy whipping cream, sugar, spiced rum, cinnamon and nutmeg in a blender.

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Process until thickened. It will take a minute or two, depending on the power of your blender.

Editor’s Tip: The fast rotation of the blender’s blade whips air into the ice cream base, simulating the action of an ice cream churn.

Step 2: Freeze the ice cream

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Working quickly, scrape the eggnog mixture into freezer-safe containers, leaving room for the ice cream to expand as it freezes. Freeze until firm, several hours or overnight.

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Recipe Variations

• Crumble in cookies: For a bit of crunch, wait until the ice cream is partially frozen and stir in crumbled Biscoff or amaretti cookies, or bits of gingerbread.
• Add squash: If you’re making this eggnog ice cream recipe in the fall, add 1 cup homemade or store-bought pumpkin puree to the blender before you start processing the ingredients.
• Make it chocolaty: Start by making a batch of homemade chocolate eggnog and go from there. This iteration may benefit from bourbon in place of the rum.

How to Store Eggnog Ice Cream

Store homemade ice cream in the freezer in a tightly covered container made of glass, metal or freezer-safe plastic. Use the ice cream within a month.

Eggnog Ice Cream Tips

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Can you make the eggnog ice cream recipe without the rum?

Absolutely! Without the rum your ice cream will be more solid, as alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water and helps keep the ice cream soft. In place of the rum, add 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract or increase the amount of whipping cream slightly. The extra fat will help keep the ice cream easier to scoop.

How do you make eggnog ice cream in an ice cream maker?

If you need to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker, be sure to do this the night before you plan to make ice cream. Then, instead of using a blender to combine your ingredients, whisk them together in a mixing bowl, assemble your ice cream maker and pour in the mixture. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning.

How should you serve eggnog ice cream?

Because eggnog ice cream is full of flavor, it can be served by itself in a dish or in a cone and then, if you wish, dusted with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg or cocoa powder. You could also use this ice cream to make an affogato, serve this ice cream over waffles or put a scoop between a pair of old-fashioned gingersnaps to make an ice cream sandwich.