Nothing says happy holidays like a glass of keto eggnog! So rich and creamy, this homemade eggnog is surprisingly easy to make. It has all the traditional flavor you love, and only 1g net carbs per serving.
Do you walk past the displays of holiday eggnog every year, wishing you could grab a carton to enjoy? Do you shudder when you look at the carb count and wonder why no one has ever thought to market sugar-free eggnog?
Me too, my friend, me too! With all the options available now, like dairy-free and vegan, it just seems to make good sense.
I do believe I am the first person who ever published a sugar free eggnog recipe. This article was first published back in 2010 and I’ve been making it every year since. I’ve tweaked it here and there along the way and it’s now richer and creamier than ever.
Pair it with keto sugar cookies or tender keto ricotta cookies for a special treat this holiday season. Or add a shot of my sugar free kahlua for a classic holiday drink.
It’s so easy to make!
I’d never had homemade eggnog until the first time I spent Christmas with my in-laws, but I was immediately intrigued. It was so thick and frothy and rich, it was more dessert than beverage. But of course, it was also full of sugar and carbs.
So I set about making my own keto version. I followed a basic recipe from America’s Test Kitchen and swapped the regular milk for almond milk, and the sugar for keto sweeteners.
Turns out that it’s remarkably easy, and it tastes just a good as the original. Without all the sugar and other additives.
My keto eggnog has only 1g net carbs per serving. And you can make a big batch for holiday gatherings, or a smaller batch for just you. Either way, it’s a must-make holiday beverage.
Reader Testimonials
“Yum – delicious! I made this eggnog with almond milk and I’m going to make another batch with Soy milk for my grandson. We haven’t been able to find Silk Nog this year but this is just as good — if not better!” — Sue
“I have tried several keto Eggnog recipes. This one is by far the best tasting! As an added bonus is is the easiest one to make, too. I’ve made it three times and every time it’s a hit. The only thing I changed was adding more nutmeg. I prefer a little stronger taste (especially when adding rum).” — Gloria
“I made this today. It’s nothing short of absolutely delicious. Don’t second your decision to make this!” — Cheryl
Ingredients you need
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- Low carb milk: I recommend 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 1 to 2g of carbs per cup. I really love vanilla hemp milk for a nut-free option. You can also use the thinner coconut milk that comes in a carton for the eggnog base.
- Eggs: You will need whole eggs as well as additional egg yolks.
- Sweeteners: I like to use a combination of Swerve and allulose. But you can use any sweetener for keto eggnog, since the consistency relies primarily on the egg and yolks. For the whipped cream, make sure to use a powdered or liquid sweetener to avoid grittiness.
- Nutmeg: A little nutmeg and vanilla give eggnog that classic holiday flavor. But you can use cinnamon if you prefer.
- Heavy whipping cream: Whip the cream to soft peaks and then fold into the eggnog base for a super thick, rich consistency. You can also dollop whipped cream on the top.
- Whiskey, rum, or brandy: Turn it into a cocktail with a shot of alcohol. This is completely optional, and you can use a little rum extract too.
Step-by-step directions
1. Prepare the eggnog base: Whisk the eggs, yolks, sweetener, and salt together in a large saucepan. Slowly whisk in the almond milk until well combined.
2. Cook gently and carefully: Using an instant read thermometer, cook the mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers 165ºF (this can take up to 15 minutes).
3. Chill the base: Stir in the vanilla and the nutmeg. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least three hours.
4. Whip the cream: Before serving, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sweetener and remaining vanilla into soft peaks. Fold into the egg mixture or dollop overtop of individual servings.
5. Make it a cocktail: Add some liqueur to each glass and pour the eggnog over. Stir gently and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
Use a good instant-read thermometer. It’s important to know the exact temperature of your keto eggnog as you whisk it. Raw eggs are cooked at 160ºF so you want to take your mixture to at least that temperature. But don’t go over 170ºF or the eggs will start to curdle and the eggnog will be much too thick. I take mine to about 165ºF.
Whisk almost constantly. Any beverage made with eggs can go from thin to thick in a matter of seconds. So stay near your pot and whisk continuously.
If the eggs curdle: Even if you follow my directions carefully, your eggs might curdle and clump. It’s likely your pan that’s the issue, as many don’t distribute heat very well.
But don’t panic! If your eggs curdle, pour the eggnog base into a blender while it’s still warm and blend until smooth. It will be fine!
This keto eggnog recipe has 1.5g of carbs and 0.5g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1g net carbs per serving. Compare that to conventional eggnog, which has 20g of carbs per serving!
Homemade eggnog is really only good for about 3 days and should be kept in the fridge at all times.
For a dairy free version, substitute the whipped cream with some whipped coconut cream. Simply chill a can of coconut milk for 24 hours and scoop off the thick portion at the top of the can. Beat with some sweetener and vanilla extract until it’s light and fluffy.
How to serve keto eggnog
Drink it as is. It’s a delicious keto holiday beverage.
Try it as a cocktail. Add an ounce rum, whiskey, or brandy, or try it with my Sugar Free Coffee Liqueur. It’s absolutely delicious!
Add some coffee. This sugar-free eggnog recipe 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 and be careful not to overheat it, as it may curdle the eggs. Then mix it with espresso and top it 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
Keto Eggnog Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup granular Swerve Sweetener
- ⅓ cup allulose or BochaSweet
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk or hemp milk
- 2 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- Whiskey, rum, or brandy (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs, yolks, sweetener, and salt together in a large saucepan. Slowly whisk in the almond milk until well combined.
- Using an instant read thermometer, cook the mixture over low heat, whisking 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 of the vanilla and the nutmeg. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least three hours.
- Before serving, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sweetener and remaining vanilla into soft peaks. Fold into the egg mixture or dollop overtop of individual servings.
- For an eggnog cocktail, add 1 oz liquor or liqueur to each glass and pour the eggnog over. Stir gently and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.
GLORIA J HUMPHREY says
I have tried several keto Eggnog recipes. This one is by far the best tasting! As an added bonus is is the easiest one to make, too. I’ve made it three times and every time it’s a hit. The only thing I changed was adding more nutmeg. I prefer a little stronger taste (especially when adding rum).
Carolyn says
I am so happy to hear that!
Anne Bury says
Hi Carolyn. How long does this keep, and will the Swerve sweetener re-crystalize at all?
Anne Bury says
Sorry – I see you suggest no more than 3 days but I’ wondering about the recrystalization
Carolyn says
It shouldn’t recrystallize in the fridge… there’s more liquid and not enough Swerve. If it does… give it a whiz in your blender!
Sarah says
I made this with macadamia nut milk in a faux double boiler because I was worried about it curdling. It turned out lovely and was even better the second night. Thank you!
Vita Mazzaluna says
Very excited to find this recipe. I could not get the mixture to thicken, though. I used Monk Fruit w Erythritol so maybe that was the difference?
Vita Mazzaluna says
Cancel the question! Should have read first…literally thickened enough about 2 minutes after posting. Drinking in my coffee now while the rest chills! Yahoo! Thanks for the recipe!
Zoe says
Oh I hope this works this time! I am 30 minutes in, on low, just hit 93 degrees on my instant read. I tried it earlier today, got frustrated at the half hour mark (as it says may take up to 15 minutes). It wasn’t thickening either. So I turned it up to 3, and it curdled. So… Now that I am engaged in attempt 2, any thoughts on tweaks I can make? An hour of whisking is non-fun.
Carolyn says
Hi Zoe… sounds to me like your instant read thermometer is off. This does not take 30 minutes! Not even close… I think you’d be better off going by the visual I show in the video, of sticking a spoon in and seeing if your finger can leave a track across the back. I truly think that you can’t trust your thermometer in this instance. I also think perhaps you are expecting something too much in terms of thickening and that’s why you’re not seeing it. It’s not as dramatic as when you make something like pudding or pastry cream.
So take a big spoon, stick it into the mixture. Pull it out and run your finger down the back and if the track stays clear (i.e. the liquid doesn’t fill it in again), it’s thickened. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Also… if it does curdle, get it off heat right away and into a blender to smooth it out.
Zoe says
It never did thicken enough to stick to a spoon at all. It is absolutely delicious, and didn’t curdle the second time. I have a brand new digital instant read that has not led me wrong before. I wonder if it could be my pot? Anyway, the deliciousness was worth it, even if it didn’t thicken to spoon-sticking level, and I whisked and cooked on low (well I had to take it up to 3) for a solid hour, maybe a bit more. It was worth the time. It would be groovy for it to work for me in 15 minutes though for sure.
Thanks for the reply!
Carolyn says
That is SO strange. If anything, it tends to thicken too much. Wish I could help more!
Greg says
I too had it take 30 minutes and I have a therma pen and another thermometer. Maybe it is the pot
Carolyn says
What kind of pot did you use? Mine is a heavy duty stainless steel.
Megan says
Dumb question, but are you supposed to take it off the heat once it registers to 165 Fahrenheit? This is my first time making anything like this.
Also mine took forever to thicken but I used the swerve brown sugar because I didn’t have any of the granulated sugar. Do you think it could have been problematic?
Carolyn says
It can take a while to thicken – depends on your eggs and milk. And yes, take it off heat right after it hits the target temp.
Lorraine Rowe says
We loved this eggnog but realized that the recipe was bigger than we could finish in just a few days so…
I used it to make eggnog ice cream !
I put some of the soft ice cream into a silicone mold of gingerbread men and once the ice cream was firm it was delicious, adorable, and perfect served beside a piece of your cranberry cobbler ! Thank you for all you share and inspire others to do !
Carolyn says
Smart! I often just make a half batch but now I want some ice cream!
JoAn says
Will this work with milk or cream instead of almond milk?
Carolyn says
It works with milk but cream is too thick and you’d end up with something more like a thick custard.
Cathy Forehand says
Carolyn, this recipe is fabulous. it tastes exactly like real eggnog. mine was thick enough without the cream and i drank it every day til gone. i will make more right away to keep on hand.
Yolanda says
Loved it…I reduced the nutmeg and added a little allspice and cloves because that’s how I like my eggnog.. spicy….
It was so easy and delicious… my dessert after dinner tonight…
Thanks for your recipes.. I keep coming back to your blog for almost everything..
April says
Hello! How long will this keep refrigerated?
Carolyn says
Hi, I answered that in the FAQ section – about 3 days.
Kami says
Can it be done with just yolks? I’m intolerant to egg whites…
Carolyn says
Yes, but you need 4 and it may thicken very quickly so watch it.
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.