Make delicious homemade Eggnog Ice Cream from scratch or with leftover eggnog! You can even use this eggnog ice cream recipe with store bought eggnog!
It’s the day after Christmas and if anyone who celebrated yesterday is reading this instead of binge-watching and eating leftovers, I applaud you.
Since this recipe makes a great Christmas dessert, it might seem strange to post an eggnog ice cream recipe *after* Christmas, but whatever, I’m strange. And a bit of a procrastinator.
In all seriousness, I saved this holiday season recipe for today on purpose because SURPRISE you can make eggnog ice cream with leftover eggnog; however, this ice cream recipe will taste the best if you use my homemade eggnog recipe.
How to Make Eggnog Ice Cream
The recipe I’m sharing below is if you want to intentionally make eggnog ice cream, but truth be told you could put just about any eggnog into an ice cream maker and it would turn out pretty darn good.
The ingredients are all there, right? Milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar… that’s about all you need to make ice cream.
If you cooked your eggnog (like in my homemade eggnog recipe) you can just chill it and freeze it in your ice cream maker.
Same goes for store-bought, though the quality of the ice cream will depend on the quality of the nog. Try to find a brand that doesn’t have too many weird ingredients on the label.
If you have raw eggnog, pour it into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until it’s thick enough to coat a wooden spoon. Strain it through a sieve and chill it for at least two hours before you freeze it.
Whatever you start with, make sure it is thoroughly chilled before pouring it into your ice cream maker. Make sure to only make as much as your machine will hold – my KitchenAid model holds one quart (4 cups) of liquid. You can get your KitchenAid attachment from Amazon here.
Enjoy!
FAQ
Can I put alcohol into this Eggnog Ice Cream Recipe?
One thing to remember is that alcohol doesn’t like to freeze, so if you’ve already boozed up your eggnog, you’re out of luck. You’ll just have to drink it.
A *little* bit of rum, brandy, or bourbon — say, two tablespoons — won’t do any harm, and in fact will make the ice cream extra scoop-able once frozen. Too much, and it will never freeze.
How long does eggnog ice cream last?
The answer to this question depends if you stored it in an airtight container without any air in it – like an unopened store bought container of ice cream. In this case it will last two to four months unopened. After you open it, or if you stored it in an airtight container with some air in it, then it will be the best quality for about six weeks.
Eggnog Ice Cream Recipe
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Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Cream the egg yolks and sugars together in a large mixing bowl until light in color. Whisk the whole milk into the mixture until well-combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon; about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Pour the hot custard mixture through a sieve and into a medium bowl. Whisk in the nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate until chilled; at least two hours.
- Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions for your ice-cream maker model. For KitchenAid, turn the mixer on to ‘stir’ then pour in the mixture and churn for 20 to 30 minutes (or until you reach your desired consistency). Scrape the soft serve ice cream into a freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze until solid.
Nutrition

Please note this recipe is also spelled egg nog ice cream recipe, egg-nog ice cream recipe and eggnog icecream recipe.
I think my custard curdled while I was cooking it – why would this have happened? It never got thick, just chunky/split. Help!
Hi Amy, the only things I can think of is you might have gotten it too hot and/or weren’t stirring it enough while it was cooking.
Hey I love this recipe thanks very much. I have just made it a second time and added 1/4tea spoon of dried ginger it makes it taste like a gingerbread house
This is a great recipe. Pour a shot (or less depending on preference) of bourbon over ice cream in serving dishes for an added treat.