Hooray for homemade eggnog! This rich creamy keto eggnog features almond milk, whipped cream, and nutmeg for a traditional flavor. It’s easy to make and completely sugar free so you can indulge for the holidays. Dairy free and nut-free options too!
An updated recipe with an instructional video for my famous sugar free keto eggnog!
I’d never had homemade eggnog until the first time I spent Christmas at my in-laws house. Up to that point, I assumed it came in a carton and that was that. Like Athena from Zeus’s head, it sprung fully-formed from grocery store shelves. So my father-in-law’s homemade version came as quite a revelation. Thick and frothy and rich, it was truly a meal unto itself. It was gorgeous, and I’ve thought about it every year since (as I bought my fully-formed version from the grocery store).
Finally, when faced with missing out on one of my favorite holiday treats, I finally got up the gumption to try making homemade eggnog. So I simply followed the eggnog recipe in my America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, swapped almond milk for milk and Swerve Sweetener for sugar, and hoped for the best. Turns out it was so easy. Who knew?
How to Make Keto Eggnog
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- Swap out the dairy milk for unsweetened nut milk or hemp milk. Dairy milk is much higher in carbs, coming in at 12g per cup, whereas almond, cashew, and hemp milk all have only 2g per cup. I really love vanilla hemp milk for a nut free option. Just make sure your non-dairy milk is unsweetened.
- Swap out the sugar for a good low carb natural sweetener like Swerve. Or whatever your favorite sweetener might be. This homemade eggnog doesn’t require a certain sweetener for consistency so you are free to use the one you like best.
- Use a good thermometer. It’s important to know the exact temperature of your keto eggnog as you are whisking it. Raw eggs are cooked at 160F so you want to take your mixture to at least that temperature. But don’t go over 170F to 175F or your egg while start to curdle and your eggnog will be much too thick. I like to take mine to 165F.
- Chill for at least several hours. Then whisk again before you try to serve it. At this point, you can serve it as is or you can add some sugar free whipped cream. Trust me, if you add the cream, this will be like a fat bomb in a glass. It’s that rich and filling!
- Substitute coconut cream for whipped cream for a dairy free version. Simply scoop some of the thick cream from the top of a can of coconut milk and whisk in a little sweetener.
- Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg for the true eggnog experience.
What to do with Homemade Eggnog
Drink it on its own. It makes a wonderful filling keto drink.
Try it as a cocktail. Add an ounce rum, whiskey, or brandy and stir in. Or you can try my Sugar Free Coffee Liqueur. It’s amazing that way.
This sugar free eggnog recipes is also great in low carb lattes. It tastes better than the Starbucks version, I promise! Warm the eggnog base gently in a saucepan or the microwave. Be sure not to overheat it, as it may cook the eggs too much. Then mix with your espresso and top with the whipped cream.
Bake with it! The homemade eggnog base is delicious in muffins, cakes, and cookies. I’ve used it any number of keto baked goods, such as Eggnog Scones, Eggnog Donuts, and Eggnog Cheesecake Bars.
Small Batch Homemade Eggnog
Also, don’t feel you have to make this whole big batch. You can halve the recipe easily. Just be sure to watch your keto eggnog as it cooks. With less liquid in the pan, it will cook more quickly.
Homemade eggnog is good for about 3 days in the fridge but shouldn’t be kept any longer than that. So if you aren’t sharing it with friends, a small batch makes the most sense.
Bottoms up! I am thrilled to discover that eggnog made with almond milk tastes just like the regular kind. It was wonderfully thick and rich, and there wasn’t a hint of almond flavour. With a little whiskey or rum, and the traditional sprinking of nutmeg, it’s a perfect low carb treat with which to ring in the holidays. Or have it alcohol-free as a breakfast or brunch treat. It makes a lot so if people in your house aren’t eggnog fans, just make a half batch, as I did in the video.
I decided to make mine with the whipped cream that the traditional recipe calls for, to make a really rich eggnog, but if you wanted to go dairy-free , you could add in some low carb coconut whipped cream after the custard is chilled. Either way, it’s delicious!
Keto Eggnog - Sugar Free
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolk
- ½ cup granular Swerve Sweetener (or ¼ cup Swerve and ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia extract)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk use hemp milk for a nut-free version
- 2 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup whipping cream use coconut whipped cream for dairy-free
- 1 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- Whiskey rum, or brandy, if desired (you can also use rum extract)
Instructions
- Whisk eggs, yolks, sweetener, and salt together in a large saucepan. Slowly whisk in almond milk until well combined. Using a candy thermometer, cook mixture over low heat while stirring constantly, until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers 165F (this can take up to 15 minutes).
- Stir in 2 teaspoon vanilla and nutmeg. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least three hours and up to 2 days.
- Just before serving, whip cream with powdered sweetener and remaining vanilla into soft peaks and gently fold into the egg mixture. Add 1 oz liquor or liqueur to each glass and pour eggnog over. Stir gently and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.
Notes
Melissa Zmerz says
I love egg nog ice cream! I can’t find a gluten free version locally. How do I convert this to your custard based ice cream and how much of the recipe would I use in my ice cream maker (1 qt?)?
Cheryl says
I made this today. It’s nothing short of absolutely delicious. Don’t second your decision to make this!
Leanne says
Looks like I am a little late on the band wagon with lc eggnog! I love egg nog as I grew up with it. It was my father’s specialty at holiday time. He always made a huge batch and divided it into 2 forms: adult with rum and kid without rum. I definitely want to try this this year. I love to use it as a creamer for my coffee – changes coffee into a holiday delight.
Suzanne says
2 c. heavy cream and leave out the almond milk totally.
Betty Collins says
How do you eliminate the gritty texture from granular Swerve leave? My desserts always taste gritty.
Carolyn says
Use the powdered instead, if you prefer.
Julie says
Thank you for a wonderful low carb eggnog recipe! I bought a thermometer just to make this and it turned out great! I used flax milk and it was delicious with the cream added.
Theresa says
I made the eggnog today. Followed the directions to a T. It looked smooth and creamy when I took it off the stove. But quickly began to curdle as I was adding the vanilla and nutmeg. Had to dump it down the drain. I typically love your recipes. But this one was a waste of eggs and almond milk.
Carolyn says
You NEVER need to dump it down the drain. All you needed to do was put it in a blender and re-emulsify it. Your pan was probably a bit too hot when you were whisking in the vanilla and nutmeg. But it’s an easy save with a blender or immersion blender.
Theresa says
I guess I should clarify, I dumped down the drain the glass that I was drinking because I could not handle the bits of scrambled egg. I do still have more in my jar in the refrigerator. I will try mixing it in my bullet blender and see if that solves the problem. Thanks! But like I said, I do typically LOVE your recipes, and will continue to watch your videos and follow your Keto recipes. 😊
Carolyn says
If you make it again ever, it sounds like yours should be taken off the heat earlier. It may be your pan too, if it holds heat or conducts the heat unevenly.
Jeff says
Carolyn, if I use pasteurized eggs, do I still need to cook the mixture to 165 degrees, or even cook it at all? Thanks.
Carolyn says
You need to cook it to make it thicken properly.