• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Browse Recipes
  • Resources
  • subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
Life Currents
Home » Eggnog Custards

Eggnog Custards

November 14, 2022 by Debi 6 Comments

  • Share
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Individual Holiday Eggnog Custards are a delicious, easy to make, silky egg custard dessert that comes together quickly, and is filled with the wonderful festive flavors of the season.

This is a holiday favorite in my family. The custard, which is based off of my eggnog custard pie, is soft and yummy! If you like eggnog you need to give these crustless naturally gluten-free custards a try!

Want more delicious and festive eggnog desserts? Be sure to check out my Eggnog Cloud Pie, Eggnog Oatmeal Cookies, Baked Eggnog Oatmeal, Eggnog Ice Cream, Eggnog Rice Pudding, and Eggnog Pound Cake.

two eggnog custards on plates with spoons, greenery around them.

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

two custards in ramekins with spoons, plates, greenery, and spices around.

Bain Marie or water bath

These custards come out best if you use the water bath method. The bain marie or water bath, makes for a more gentle cooking and a silkier custard.

Though, I will admit, that I regularly pop these custards in the oven without doing a water bath. So, it is possible, as long as you don’t mind that they are a little less than perfectly cooked (they are still delicious!). If you skip the bain marie, place the 6 ramekins on a baking sheet, making it easier to carry all 6 at a time.

To make a water bath, fill a large roasting pan or baking dish with about 1-inch of water.

Place the filled ramekin dishes into the water filled roasting pan. Add more water if necessary to reach halfway up the sides of the custard cups.

Pro tip: add the water to the roasting pan once the pan is already resting on your oven rack. That way you’re not carrying a heavy water filled pan all around your kitchen.

a black cat looking at a custard in a ramekin.
You may have to share these delicious custards with your furry friends!

How to make

With just a few ingredients and a little time in the oven, these individual eggnog custards are creamy and taste exactly like the holidays. 

Be sure to scroll down to the printable recipe card with all the ingredient amounts and instructions.

how to make eggnog custards

Mix the eggnog, eggs, rum, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add sugar, salt, and nutmeg, and mix well until all the sugar is dissolved, and you don’t feel any more sugar at the bottom of the bowl.

how to make Eggnog custards.

Pour the filling into the ramekins, and bake either using a water bath or without the water bath if you choose.

Allow custards to cool on a wire rack.

Individual custards can be served warm, fresh from the oven. Or serve them cold from the fridge.

Top the custards with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg if desired. What to make the best and easiest whipped cream? Check out my instructions for delicious mason jar whipped cream!

Store any leftovers, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.

What can I use instead of brandy or rum?

If you don’t drink alcohol, or don’t have any brandy or rum around, just substitute 2 tablespoons more eggnog for the liquor.

a spoonful of Eggnog Crème Brulee

Eggnog Crème Brulee

Want to fancy them up? These are so easy to brulee and make Christmas Creme Brulee!

Make the custards in advance and brûlée the tops just prior to serving.

Simply sprinkle about 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the top of each chilled custard.

how to make Eggnog Crème Brulee, a custard sprinkled with sugar.

Broiler

You can place the custards under the broiler to caramelize. But, be advised, that the broiler may produce inconsistent results, with some dark spots and some lighter spots.

I do recommend the kitchen torch here, but to broil them, set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler.

Brown the sugar under the broiler until golden and caramelized, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Kitchen torch

To use a kitchen torch (the easier and more consistently good method), hold the flame of the kitchen torch close enough for the flame to touch the dessert, but not smothering the flame. Keep the flame constantly moving across the top of the sugar.

And brulee the tops with the kitchen torch until the sugar is caramelized.  If the sugar flames up, blow it out before it burns too much.

close up on an eggnog creme brulee with a spoon in it.

How do I store the custards?

These custards will keep covered in the fridge for about 3 days. Cover them tightly with plastic wrap.

They can also be stored in the freezer for about 3 months.

Looking for other custard recipes? Check out this delicious vanilla custard recipe, Egg Tarts, as well as these pumpkin custards.

close up on a custard topped with whipped cream.

Let’s keep in touch

If you like seeing my recipes subscribe via email in the upper right.
Or, connect with me on your favorite social media channel for recipes, photos, & much more:
Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter!
And find my shop on Amazon for recommendations on cool tools

If you try this recipe,
please come back & leave a comment below letting us know how it goes.
Share a picture & tag @lifecurrents on Instagram.
Or you can upload a “tried it” photo (I would love to see)
via the pin.

looking down on two bowls of eggnog custards with whipped cream, spices around them.

Recipe

square crop of two cups of custard on plates with a cloth napkin and greenery around.

Eggnog Custards

Debi
Individual Holiday Eggnog Custards are a delicious, easy to make, silky egg custard dessert that comes together quickly, and is filled with the wonderful festive flavors of the season.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prevent your screen from going to sleep.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 162 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups dairy eggnog
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 2 tablespoons rum or brandy
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg plus additional for garnishing

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Mix the eggnog, eggs, rum, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add sugar, salt, and nutmeg, and mix well until all the sugar is dissolved, and you don’t feel any more sugar at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Transfer the filling to 6 ramekins.
  • To make a water bath, fill a large roasting pan or baking dish with about 1-inch of water.
  • Place the filled ramekin dishes into the water filled roasting pan. Add more water if necessary to reach halfway up the sides of the custard cups.
  • Bake about 25 minutes in the bain marie, rotate tray and cover the custards with foil, and continue to bake about another 10-15 minutes more.
  • To bake without a water bath, place filled custard ramekins of a baking sheet, and bake 20-25 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through cooking.
  • Bake until just set, when the custard is slightly golden on the outside and slightly jiggles in the center when you gently shake the pan. To check for doneness, poke a knife in the center of the custards, if it comes out clean, they are done.
  • The hot custards will continue to bake after you have removed them from the oven.
  • Remove ramekins from water bath. Allow custards to cool on a wire rack.
  • Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg if desired.

Notes

Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 7gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 126mgPotassium: 171mgSugar: 18gVitamin A: 293IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword custard, eggnog, individual
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!
  • Share

Filed Under: Breakfast, Christmas, Desserts, Gluten-free Tagged With: baking, custard, desserts, eggnog, Food, recipe

You May Also Like

square crop of a bowl of cookie dough ice cream.
Cookie Dough Ice Cream
square crop of a sliced loaf of bread on a cutting board with a bread knife to the right.
Cottage Cheese Dill Bread
square crop of a slice of cake with a fork in front of the whole cake.
Coconut Almond Torte
about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

Previous Post: « Mashed Potatoes
Next Post: Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynn

    November 15, 2022 at 5:09 am

    5 stars
    Ok, HUGE fan of eggnog and I am in love with this recipe. I had to go right out and make these. So easy to make and so festive!

  2. Erin

    November 16, 2022 at 11:36 am

    5 stars
    Eggnog is SO GOOD, and I love that it can be transformed into these custards! We loved this and will make it again and again throughout the holiday season.

  3. Kathi

    November 16, 2022 at 11:42 am

    5 stars
    I adore eggnog and had to “test” these out to make sure they’d work for the holidays! They worked!!

  4. Jennifer

    November 17, 2022 at 6:45 am

    5 stars
    Such a new and fun dessert to make outside the normal pies and cookies! It’s going to be a fun holiday table!

  5. Amy

    November 17, 2022 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    These are such a fun and sophisticated little treat perfect for the eggnog lovers in my family! Definitely making these again!

  6. Julie

    November 17, 2022 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    Oh heavens, this custard was so good. I love eggnog and this dessert was so creamy and delicious.

5 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

Most Popular Recipes

square crop of a glass of iced coffee with a mocha drizzle and a cloth napkin behind it.
square crop of a bowl of lemon cottage cheese pudding with a spoon on the side.
square crop of creamy dressing in a glass jar with fresh cilantro and limes around it.
looking down on a bowl with two scoops of coconut sorbet in it.
square crop looking down on a small white bowl filled with ranch and surrounded by vegetables and a lemon wedge.
a Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes with a bite missing so you can see the filling.
A chip that's been dipped in cheese and the bowl of cheese is behind it.
looking fown in a cast iron skillet filled with White Bean Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi and a wooden spoon sticking out.
a white bowl filled with rice pudding that's topped witha s prinkle of cinnamon and there's a spoon in the pudding.

Footer

SEEN ON

as seen on

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

This month’s featured recipes: Bourbon Banana Bread, Crescent Roll Chicken Squares, Pecan Pie Muffins, and Flourless Chocolate Cookies.

Want to tip me? You can Buy Me a Coffee! And thanks!

© 2025 lifecurrentsblog.com. All rights reserved. Find my Privacy Policy Here.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Flipboard
  • Mix
  • Threads
  • X
  • Email

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.