Eggnog Cookies

Usher in the holiday baking season with these simple, soft, and tender eggnog cookies! Laced with fragrant nutmeg and real eggnog, these are a great contender for this year's cookie tin or holiday dessert.

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Dotdash Meredith Creative
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Dotdash Meredith Creative
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Updated June 15, 2022
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This post is written in partnership with got milk?

One of the absolute classic winter flavors is eggnog, a rich drink made with dairy milk, egg yolks, nutmeg and a healthy dash of rum or bourbon (for those that prefer their eggnog with a little kick).

The flavors of eggnog easily translates into a soft, tender cookie that will make your entire home smell like the holidays!

Serve these cookies with a large glass of real milk (of course), and enjoy! For the best flavor, grate just a touch of fresh nutmeg over the tops before serving.

Storebought or homemade eggnog?

The answer is easy: either!

You can certainly make these cookies with homemade eggnog (use homemade eggnog before you add the bourbon or rum), but this recipe is developed using store bought eggnog, and frankly, we could use all the breaks we can find these days.

Any tips on glazing the cookies?

When glazing these cookies, be sure to sift the powdered sugar before adding the eggnog and extracts. If your powdered sugar has lumps in it, you won’t be able to get the lumps out after you’ve added the liquid -- trust us!

Practice drizzling the glaze on a piece of parchment paper first to make sure you have a consistency that you're comfortable with.

And if you find the glaze too thin and hard to work with, you can add more powdered sugar (a tablespoon at a time) to thicken it up. If it's drying too fast, try thinning it with more eggnog, 1/2 teaspoon at a time.

How do I store and freeze these cookies?

Store these cookies in an airtight container, and they'll last 3 days at room temperature.

In addition, the cookies will freeze fine but keep in mind the glaze might dissolve when you thaw them out.

If you want to make them ahead of time to serve at a later date, you can freeze them unglazed in an airtight container or a resealable freezer Ziplock bag. Thaw and then glaze before serving for optimum appearance. Frozen eggnog cookies can last up to 2 months in the freezer.

Eggnog Cookies

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Total Time 42 mins
Yield 36 cookies

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup eggnog, store-bought is fine

  • 2 large egg yolks

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (optional)

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

  • 2 tablespoons eggnog

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (optional)

To finish:

  • Grated nutmeg

Special Equipment

  • Stand mixer

Method

  1. Mix together the butter, sugar, and spices

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, place the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.

    Mix on slow speed until most of the ingredients are blended, then increase to medium speed and mix until the butter is creamy and clings to the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes.

    Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through mixing and then afterwards.

  2. Whisk liquid ingredients

    In a small bowl, add the eggnog, egg yolks, vanilla, and rum extract (if using).

    Beat together with a fork then drizzle the mixture into the mixing bowl as it is turned on to low speed. Continue to mix on low speed until all the liquid is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

  3. Beat in the flour

    Add the flour and turn the mixer to low. Once most of the flour has been absorbed, increase the speed to medium low until no dry flour remains.

    Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice to make sure the dough is completely homogenized.

  4. Prepare the dough to chill

    Scrape out the dough onto some plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Pat the dough down into a 1-inch thick layer. The dough will be sticky so, use the plastic wrap to help pat it down.

  5. Chill the dough

    Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.

  6. Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheets

    Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325°F.

    Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.

  7. Shape the cookies

    Break off small chunks of the dough and roll them into 1-inch balls.

    Place them on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

  8. Bake the cookies

    Bake in the oven for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the bottoms are starting to turn golden brown.

  9. Cool

    Let the cookies rest on the warm baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

    Repeat with baking the remaining cookies.

  10. Make the glaze

    Once the cookies have cooled completely make the glaze by placing the sifted powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Add the eggnog, vanilla extract, and rum extract (if using) and mix together.

  11. Glaze the cookies

    Drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Then garnish each cookie with a sprinkling of fresh grated nutmeg if you wish.

  12. Serve with a big glass of real milk, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
3997 Calories
163g Fat
588g Carbs
53g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 3997
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 163g 209%
Saturated Fat 96g 481%
Cholesterol 1016mg 339%
Sodium 1081mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 588g 214%
Dietary Fiber 9g 31%
Total Sugars 366g
Protein 53g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 692mg 53%
Iron 17mg 93%
Potassium 852mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.