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Slow cooker egg nog takes all the guess-work out of making homemade egg nog, and turns out perfect results every single time!
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Eggnog is one of my absolute favorite parts of the holiday season. Served warm or cold, with a generous sprinkling of nutmeg on top, it's the very best excuse to basically drink custard.
If you're concerned about raw eggs or egg yolks, this is slow cooker eggnog. That means two important things: the egg yolks are not raw so no worries there, and the slow cooker does all of the work for you.
You just whisk and walk away. If you think of it, when you pass by the slow cooker, give it a quick whisk and let it keep working. That's mostly to make you feel useful anyway.
I've got some truly lovely easy holiday drop cookie recipes coming your way on the blog in the next few days. Make a big a batch of eggnog, though, because they each go perfectly with this lightly sweet, spicy eggnog.
The only reason instructions beyond dump-it-all-in-the-slow-cooker are at all necessary is because you want to make sure that the egg yolks are fully incorporated into the mixture before the slow cooker starts, well, cooking.
If you're hoping for a dairy free eggnog, the recipe ingredients below have some dairy-free substitution suggestions. Eggnog for all!
Homemade Slow Cooker Egg Nog
Equipment
- 4 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 7 (175 g) egg yolks, beaten
- ⅝ cup (75 g) granulated sugar
- 3 ½ cups (28 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream, at room temperature (can use full fat canned coconut milk or whole evaporated milk)
- ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) rum, (optional)
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 2 whole nutmeg seeds, plus more for grating
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a 4 quart (See Recipe Notes) slow cooker, place the egg yolks and granulated sugar, and whisk vigorously until smooth. Add the milk and then the cream and optional rum in a slow but steady stream, whisking constantly until well-combined. Add the cinnamon stick and whole nutmeg seeds. The mixture should be smooth and relatively thin.
- If you’ve used a large bowl, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a 4-quart* slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, turn it on low and set for 2 hours. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, whisking a few times if you think of it, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not overcook or the mixture will clump and curdle.
- Remove and discard the whole nutmeg and cinnamon. Unplug the slow cooker and allow the eggnog to cool for at least an hour before transferring to covered container and refrigerating until chilled. If you think that the milk has clumped or curdled at all, run the eggnog through a fine mesh sieve before chilling. Serve cold or warm with a sprinkle of grated fresh nutmeg.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Does the time (1.5 to 2 hours) change depending on whether it’s an older slow cooker or a newer one that runs hotter?
Becky beat me to it, was wondering how far in advance I could make it. Thanks x
Yum!!!!! How long does this keep in the fridge?
Hi, Becky and Suzey, the eggnog will keep for as long as the dairy you use to make it is fresh, plus a little bit longer due to the sugar content which acts as a preservative. The fresher the dairy, the longer it will keep. As a benchmark, I used dairy that was nowhere near its expiration date the most recent time I made eggnog, and it kept for at least a week. Hope that helps!
Thank you!!! Cannot wait to make it!