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 my favorites: a ridiculously creamy and velvety sugar-free keto eggnog.
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 just 2g net carbs peeps! (I still can’t believe this lol!).
The Sweetener
You’ve got plenty of options for this sugar free eggnog. You can use allulose (my favorite because no aftertaste and zero GI, just be sure to add 30% more as it’s less sweet!), erythritol (the one with the least cooling aftertaste imo is Lakanto) and xylitol (non-corn though to avoid tummy troubles!).
*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.
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 Video
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?! Alternatively, a batch of keto candied pecans (or granola!). 😉
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’ve just made my second batch of this. Perfection. Thank you.
🙂