Chocolate and Spice Eggnog Recipe

Bittersweet chocolate melted into the cream forms the base for this eggnog variation.

Chocolate and spice eggnog, served in a stemmed glass with a cinnamon stick garnish.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

For more eggnog variations, check out this post.

Recipe Details

Chocolate and Spice Eggnog Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 5 mins
Active 10 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 12 to 16 servings
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

  • 8 large eggs, separated

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3 cups whole milk

  • 2 cups rum or brandy

  • Garnish: cinnamon stick

Directions

  1. Bring 1 cup cream to a simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir until melted. Add remaining cream and set aside.

  2. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on low speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and, watching carefully, beat until they are about the consistency of shaving cream, about 90 seconds. Reduce speed to medium. With mixer running, add half of sugar and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Transfer whites to a large bowl. Do not wash bowl.

  3. Add egg yolks and remaining sugar, cayenne, and cinnamon to now-empty stand mixer bowl and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow and ribbony, shutting off machine and scraping down sides with a rubber spatula as necessary, about 2 minutes total. Add vanilla, milk, cream/chocolate mixture, and alcohol and mix on low speed to combine.

  4. Using a rubber spatula or handheld whisk, fold the whipped whites into the egg yolk/milk mixture until completely incorporated. Serve by ladling into goblets and garnishing with extra ground cayenne pepper and a cinnamon stick.

Special Equipment

Stand mixer, immersion blender with whisk attachment, or hand mixer

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
283 Calories
17g Fat
16g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 283
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 131mg 44%
Sodium 64mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 89mg 7%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 151mg 3%
*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.)