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Eggnog Ice Cream

Eggnog ice cream is a velvety, holiday-spiced frozen custard made by cooking egg yolks to 175°F, then churning until creamy and freezing until firm. Expect warm nutmeg and cinnamon notes (with optional rum) in every cold, smooth scoop.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 minutes
Total Time 29 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Eggnog base
  • 2 cup store-bought eggnog
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp rum or bourbon (optional)
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 strainer

Method
 

Cook the custard
  1. Heat the store-bought eggnog and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming, with wisps of steam rising from the surface.
  2. Whisk the hot eggnog-cream mixture slowly into the egg yolks beaten with granulated sugar, drizzling in a thin stream to prevent scrambling.
  3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175°F and coats the back of a spoon.
Season and chill
  1. Strain the custard into a clean container, then stir in vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, rum or bourbon if using, and salt until fully blended.
  2. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours (cover once cool) so the custard is cold before churning.
Churn and freeze
  1. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until thick and creamy, following the machine’s typical cycle.
  2. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm.
  3. Grate fresh nutmeg over each serving right before eating for the brightest aroma.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, cook to 175°F and keep stirring so the custard thickens evenly without curdling. Cover and refrigerate the finished base for up to 2 days before churning; after churning, freeze up to 2 weeks for best scoop quality. This recipe is not dairy-free; if you want a swap, use dairy-free heavy cream and dairy-free eggnog made for custard-freezing consistency.