Luscious and incredibly delicious, expect this homemade paleo and keto eggnog to vary little (if at all!) from the traditional holiday classic!
Homemade Paleo & Keto Eggnog 🎁
Ultra Luscious!
To kick off the holiday cheer I’ve got one of our favorites: a ridiculously creamy and velvety sugar-free keto eggnog. And if you’re anything like me, its taste will be enough to swoon you back to Christmas past. And definitely not in an Ebenezer Scrooge sort of way!
Fact is, this custard-based drink is thought to be around since the late 1600s. And whether you enjoy it warm or chilled, spiked or virgin, creamy or frothy, this keto recipe will cover all your bases.
Oh, and 2g net carbs peeps!
The Sweetener 🍯
You’ve got plenty of options for this sugar free eggnog. Think xylitol and allulose* (no aftertaste), Lakanto (barely any aftertaste), and Swerve (some slight cooling sensation).
*Because allulose is 70% as sweet as sugar, you need to add 30% more (simply multiply the amount of sweetener in recipes by 1.3!).
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕
The ‘Milk’ 
You’ve got a couple options here. Arguably the best (i.e. the traditional version) is the heavy whipping cream version (HWC). But the coconut milk one is killer too, you just need to take care of a few details.
For the HWC version you can do a 1:1 ratio of cream to nut-based milk (macadamia and almond work great!), adjusting with a little more milk after chilling until desired consistency is reached.
Meanwhile, for the coconut version use 1 1/3 cup of full-fat coconut milk. With roughly an even ratio of the solids and liquids from the can. Just keep in mind that this version is slightly more prone to scrambling, so you’ll want to add in the warm coconut milk veeeery slowly as to not scramble the eggs! And (very important!), but sure to remove it from heat before it begins to simmer.
The Spices 🍂
Freshly grated nutmeg is truly ideal here. You may have noticed this, but nutmeg looses its kick very fast. So the pre-ground version will never compare.
And also ideal are cinnamon sticks. But you can get away with subbing here for 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
The Booze 🥂
Totally optional… but then again, highly suggested! I recommend you either go for a dark rum or a bourbon. Both nil carbs and great pairings.
Fun fact: when eggnog made it’s travel across the Atlantic to the colonies, rum was a cost-effective substitute to the other heavily-taxed liquors. But during the American Revolutionary War, the supply of rum dried out, and bourbon began to be used as a substitute. So both rum and bourbon are the traditional alcohols of choice.
Though if keto, know your limits as booze can hit you way harder. I use 2/3 cup here, but anywhere from half to one cup will work great. Or just pour to taste.
The Method 🔍
There are many (many!) ways to make eggnog. With the traditional being raw and cured…! But given that that takes roughly two weeks, I decided to go for the cooked route.
Fact is you’re essentially making a custard, with the yolks acting as the thickeners. So you’ll be whisking the egg yolks with the sweetener until light and fluffy. Followed by tempering in the ‘milks’, i.e. adding them veeeery slowly as to not scramble the eggs! And then cooking the mixture for roughly 10 minutes until it just begins to simmer. Very simple, yet awesome results.
And in terms of the eggs, if you’re ever to splurge on free-range or organic eggs this is it. At least in my opinion, you really can taste the difference here. Unsurprisingly perhaps, as the yolks take center stage.
Oh, and I opted out of the folded egg whites at the end. Even though it’s the traditional way, I’m just not that fond of the added frothiness. I simply like my eggnog thick and creamy, like most commercial varieties out there. But if that’s your thing, go for it: right before serving, beat your egg whites until soft peaks form and fold them into the eggnog. Just note that if you have leftovers, the egg whites will separate.
The Recipe Video
Homemade Paleo & Keto Eggnog
Luscious and incredibly delicious, expect this homemade paleo and keto eggnog to vary little (if at all!) from the traditional holiday classic!
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened nut milk macadamia or almond
- 2 cups heavy cream or coconut milk*
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated, plus more for garnish
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/2-3/4 cup xylitol allulose or erythritol (I use 1/2 cup)*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2-1 cup dark rum or bourbon to taste
Instructions
Please see recipe video for deets and tricks!
Add nut milk, heavy cream, cinnamon and nutmeg to a medium saucepan and simmer for about 8-10 to infuse. Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the yolks.
Add egg yolks and sweetener to a large bowl and, using a whisk or an electric mixer (easier), beat them until light, fluffy, and most of the sweetener has dissolved (if using erythritol, some granules will remain).
Gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Tempering means adding the hot milks (very!) little by little to your egg mixture while whisking constantly, so your eggs don't curdle.
Return everything to the saucepan, and cook over medium/low heat for roughly 8-10 minutes, or until your mixture reaches 160°F/70°C and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and sieve onto a medium mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla and liquor of choice, to taste. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
Your eggnog will continue to thicken while chilling. So give it a good stir right before serving, and feel free to thin it out with a little nut milk until desired consistency is reached.
Recipe Notes
*Please see post for full details on using coconut milk.
pssst! if you're looking for something to do with all your leftover egg whites may I suggest our soft 'n fluffy sandwich bread?!
Note that nutrition facts were estimated without the booze (no effect on carbs, just higher calories depending on amount).
Got some leftover eggnog? Why not whip up our bulletproof eggnog latte. And if you’re a cheesecake fan, our no-bake keto eggnog cheesecake-for-1 comes highly recommended.
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Also, could you tell me where those beautiful reindeer martini glasses are from please?!
Pottery Barn (a couple years back though!) xo!!!
This looks SO indulgent and delicious. Today is officially the first day of spring but I don’t care. I want to make this noooooow.
Paola…you rock! I tried it sans booze and found it a little sweet, but after adding a shot of bourbon…O..M…G! The whole batch was gone in 2 days and there’s only two of us in the house! Thanks so much!
This eggnog was by far the best I’ve ever tasted! I made it because I had fond memories of the one I used to drink as a child and was hoping to make one that at least remind me of it;but this one definitely surpassed my expectations and outdid itself. This will forever be my go to eggnog recipe. Thanks!
So wonderful to hear Zoe than you!
Would this recipe work as a base for ice cream?
I’m very disappointed, my batch of this curdled in the final cooking process. I read the recipe as “cook it for 8-10 minutes or until it reached 160 degrees”. Do you cook for 8-10 minutes or have it reach 160 degrees? I stopped at 110 degrees after about 30 minutes and it’s a brown curdled mess! My understanding is that if a recipe says a certain degree, you should reach that but I’m supposing in this situation that’s not the case. Another question…I used my Cuisanart to beat the eggs and Lakota monk fruit sweetener and then when I added the milk mixture too. Is that too much beating? I don’t have a hand mixer. I’m headed back to the store for more ingredients now.
Lindy I’m sorry this didn’t work out… but by cuisinart do you mean a food processor or blender? I’m sorry you didn’t understand the instructions properly, not much I can do about that?
I have a blend of stevia and erythritol. Would that work?
Also, I recently made eggnog in the Vitamix, and was pleased with the results. If I kinda follow those instructions (eggs/sugar (sweetener)/rum for 4 minutes on high, add cream & nutmeg and blend for an additional two minutes) might it turn out okay? I hate to waste good rum, but I love an experiment.
This is a fantastic recipe! Thank you so much for developing and sharing it–for free! I’ve made it at least 4 times this December and everyone (well, everyone who likes egg nog to begin with–apparently you either love it or hate it!) has found it just delicious. It’s a classic that I will make for years to come. And so easy!! Thank you and merry Christmas!
Paola,
You’ve outdone yourself with this recipe – it is absolutely EVERYTHING I had missed in conventional eggnog and wanted in a keto version.
For your readers, I chose allulose and did 3/4 cup. Otherwise, I’ve followed the recipe with the following addition: Along with the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, I’ve added a scant 1/8 tsp of vanilla powder.
I haven’t added the alcohol yet because some of my drinkers might be adding bourbon instead of rum.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, and happy holidays to you and yours. Next up today? Your gingerbread cookie recipe. I’m going to make round cookies and sandwich them with a lemon cream a la’ Carrs Ginger Lemon Cremes.
Warm regards,
Linda
Another FANTASTIC recipe!!! I don’t love eggnog that is store bought. I made this because my son lives eggnog. I tasted it before it chilled and liked it. Tasted it a couple of days later and lived it! I love how it isn’t too sweet, it is super creamy and just plain yummy! I haven’t added any booze; but I’m sure it will still be delicious! Love, love, love!!
Just put together a batch of this tonight, and it just went into the fridge to try tomorrow. Hoping I whisked the yolks enough, and hoping I did the math properly on the sweetener (1/32 tsp of pure sucralose). I will come back tomorrow night and put a reply on this to let you know!
Hi Paola,
A while back I asked if you had any suggestions substituting egg yolk and I have found that using Arrowroot as a thickening agent works. I use a vanilla custard recipe, add more whole milk/coconut/almond milk then follow the recipe you posted. I do substitute the rum extract as well. (Dr. Oetcker, sugar, and alcohol-free)
Love it.
Thank you so much for all your fantastic recipes!! They never disappoint. I am curious if you know of a method to incorporate egg yolk solids instead of raw yolks (like commercial nogs)? I am trying to find a way to make stay keto and make eggnog lattes at home on my espresso machine but traditional recipes curdle using the steam wand…any thoughts would be fantastic ☺ Thanks so much Paola.
You know what Tracy I have no idea! I’ve used egg white powder before but not egg yolk… For me I found that the coconut version curdled in hot coffee, but I’m not sure about the steam wand?