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 (4) eggs
- 2 large (2) egg yolks
- 1/3 cup (91 g) granular Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup (91 g) allulose, or BochaSweet
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 4 cups (1 kg) unsweetened almond milk, or hemp milk
- 2 1/2 tsp (2.5 tsp) vanilla extract, divided
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (119 g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp 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 tsp 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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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?)?
I made this today. It’s nothing short of absolutely delicious. Don’t second your decision to make this!
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.
2 c. heavy cream and leave out the almond milk totally.
How do you eliminate the gritty texture from granular Swerve leave? My desserts always taste gritty.
Use the powdered instead, if you prefer.
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.
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.
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.
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. ????
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.
Carolyn, if I use pasteurized eggs, do I still need to cook the mixture to 165 degrees, or even cook it at all? Thanks.
You need to cook it to make it thicken properly.
I will so be making this tomorrow, I love egg nog but I wanted a dairy free recipe.
Can you use flax milk as well??
Can’t see why not! I use hemp milk frequently.
Lol, I curdled it too, but poured it into my vitamix and blended to a smooth consistency. Looking forward to trying it out when it cools. In the meantime, enjoying an egg nog latte. Will be more careful about my temps next go ’round! Thanks for the recipe!
The quality of your pan can make a difference on how quickly it cooks!
Didn’t work for me! 🙁 So disappointed. It did not thicken – had it on a low heat, then it curdled… No idea how to salvage. Wasted all the ingredients. Sad.
It’s not wasted. Pop it into a blender and blend it up. Will be smooth and perfect.
If a blender doesn’t fix it (an immersion blender is better than a whisk), strain it – it is still usable. Or try it in her baked recipes or add more thickener and take it to custard/gelatin consistency. Never waste expensive ingredients.
Ideally you should stop heating the mixture around 150-155 as it will continue cooking even when the heat is turned off. You could also pasteurize the eggs first then just whip everything up. Most original recipes for egg nog didn’t require cooking at all.
I tried your recipe with coconut milk and macadamia nut milk separately in 2 different batches. The coconut milk one was terrible. Don’t go there y’all. I’m officially swearing off coconut milk after using 1 carton on recipes that asked for Almond milk (I’m allergic to almonds). I apparently hate coconut milk. Who knew?! Ha anyway the 2nd batch with macadamia nut milk was AMAZING! I want to drink it all. I’m not sharing any of it. Thanks for this thick gorgeous delicious rerecipe I saw it on high faluten’ low carb on YouTube.
Macadamia milk is great. You might also try Hemp milk… it’s delicious. The one from Pacific Foods is wonderful.
Swerve has 4 grams of carbs per tsp. That is 96 grams per 1/2 cup. Divide that by 8 and you at 12 grams of carbs just with the Swerve alone per 1/2 cup serving. This doesn’t appear to be low carb at all. Regular egg nog can be around 15-30 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup.
Hi Sam. You need to do your research on the carb impact of erythritol, which is virtually zero. It is excreted in the urine without ever entering the bloodstream. Therefore it shouldn’t be counted at all and is definitely low carb.
This is a great recipe. We drank some I made your scones with some and made eggnog hot chocolate with the rest. My eggs did curdle just a bit because I was reading my thermometer wrong but my quick fix was to use my stick blender and it made it perfect. Thank you so much I will be making this again. An the scones were fantastic.
I feel so foolish asking, as it MUST be somewhere in this recipe blog, but where is the video?