Pumpkin Eggnog

Combine the best of Thanksgiving and Christmas in one beverage with Pumpkin Eggnog. This lightly spiced holiday drink tastes just like pumpkin pie in liquid form.

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Pumpkin Eggnog recipe

Christmas season seems to come earlier and earlier every year these days. We are all thinking about Christmas before Thanksgiving comes and goes.

That’s why I think you’ve got to have some hybrid foods and drinks to go with both seasons.

Pumpkin eggnog is just that. It combines the flavors of the pumpkin spice latte with rich eggnog, giving this holiday tradition a major Thanksgiving twist with pumpkin pie flavors.

Smooth, thick, and creamy, this recipe is based on traditional eggnog that’s made the old-fashioned way: with real eggs, whipped egg whites, cream and your favorite whiskey.

More holiday drink recipes: Yule Mule • Thanksgiving Sangria • Russian Tea

Why you’ll love this recipe

Pumpkin eggnog is the fall twist this classic Christmas cocktail always needed. It’s like regular eggnog but with a delightful pumpkin spice twist. 

• Pumpkin eggnog is a great drink for the holiday season. Enjoy it for any holiday occasion from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
• It’s easy to make at home with real eggs and real pumpkin purée.
• Everyone will love this delicious pumpkin spice version of the traditional Christmas cocktail.

Tools & glassware

To make homemade eggnog, you’ll need a mixer to help you whip the egg whites and mix the egg yolks in the cream mixture. A stand mixer or electric mixer will both work fine.

(Bonus: A mixer is also helpful for making homemade whipped cream to put on top!)

This recipe makes enough for eight drinks. You can halve it or double it. But if you do double it, you will probably want a punch bowl and ladle to serve it.

To serve this drink, rocks glasses or mugs will work well.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this Thanksgiving eggnog recipe. Here’s what to grab at the grocery store:

• eggs: Use pasteurized eggs for eggnog for the safest eggnog experience. 
• sugar: Granulated sugar is best to keep that pumpkin orange color. 
• whole milk: You can use 2% milk if needed, but skip the 1% and skim milk for the best texture. 
• heavy cream: This is also sometimes called whipping cream. 
• spiced rum: Feel free to substitute whiskey, brandy, dark rum or even aged tequila instead if you prefer. Fireball is also a great and flavorful add-in for eggnog.
• pumpkin purée: Be sure you use real pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. 
• whipped cream: A scoop of vanilla ice cream would also be really lovely. 
• pumpkin pie spice: This spice mix usually contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. It’s the best way to bring in all of the aromatic pumpkin pie spices into this drink, but you can also use ground cinnamon, cardamom or grated nutmeg. 
• cinnamon sticks: Use these to garnish the glasses. You could also use star anise. 

Variations and substitutions

Mix things up by trying one of these variations on this pumpkin nog:

Non-alcoholic eggnog: If you want to make it alcohol-free, you can substitute a zero-proof spirit such as Ritual rum alternative.

Dairy-free eggnog: You can make dairy-free eggnog by substituting coconut cream (not cream of coconut) and your favorite non-dairy milk alternative such as almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk or oat milk.

Vegan eggnog: You can try using the dairy-free instructions above along with egg replacers. Aquafaba might work best in lieu of the egg whites to make the drink fluffy. However, I’ve not tried this, but let me know how it goes if you do.

How to make Pumpkin Eggnog

Here’s how to make this delicious pumpkin eggnog recipe:

1. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. You can use a mixer or a whisk.
2. Stir in the milk, heavy cream, pumpkin purée and spiced rum.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with the remaining ¼ cup sugar until soft peaks form.
4. Stir in the pumpkin and egg mixture.
5. Serve in a punch bowl and ladle it into eight rocks glasses.
6. Garnish each glass with whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice and a cinnamon stick.

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making this festive drink recipe:

• Use new eggs at room temperature. Old eggs and cold eggs will not whip as easily.
• Make sure the bowl you use for whipping egg whites is clean and dry. If your egg whites don’t set up properly, you won’t have the same thick, creamy eggnog. 
• Eggnog is usually served chilled or at room temperature, but it can be enjoyed warm. To warm it, heat it on low to medium heat on the stove, but don’t let it simmer or boil.

Pairing ideas for Pumpkin Eggnog

This boozy Pumpkin Eggnog is the perfect Thanksgiving cocktail or Christmas drink. 

When you make it this time of year, serve up your favorite pumpkin treats like pumpkin bread, pumpkin brittle or pumpkin cake push pops.

Or turn things on their head and try this eggnog pumpkin pie recipe. It’s a holiday twist on the traditional pumpkin pie.

You could even stir this eggnog into your morning coffee to give it some eggnog and pumpkin flavor. It would also be good on top of a homemade pumpkin cream cold brew. 

Another idea is to use it in an eggnog white Russian, where you substitute eggnog for the cream.

FAQ

More pumpkin drinks

Try one of these delicious recipes for pumpkin drinks: 

• Pumpkin Spice White Russian
• Pumpkin Spice Mule
• Creamy Pumpkin Martini
• Pumpkin Spice Old-Fashioned