If you love eggnog, then you will love these Eggnog Cookies! Made with rich and flavorful eggnog, warming spices, and rum (optional), they bake up soft and tender like little pillows of Heaven, then drizzled with an eggnog icing. They are a quintessential holiday cookie!
Other ways to use up eggnog include our eggnog muffins and eggnog cake balls.
The Perfect Holiday Cookie
Is there anything more holiday-ish than eggnog? If you’ve never tasted homemade eggnog, definitely let this be your year. It’s fantastic. Make a batch and then save a little over a 1/2 cup to make this eggnog cookie recipe.
These eggnog cookies are a must for the holidays, so pretty on a cookie platter. They have a cake-like, tender texture, flavored with just the right amount of warm spices and rich eggnog, then drizzled with delectable icing. They practically melt in your mouth. Everyone loves them!
Eggnog Cookie Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these eggnog cookies.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Eggnog: We’re partial to our homemade eggnog recipe – it’s fantastic and better than store bought. If you’re in a pinch, store-bought is fine, though. Use full fat. These cookies tend to spread more using low-fat eggnog.
- Egg yolks: Just egg yolks are used in eggnog (not the whole egg), so we stayed true to that for these cookies.
- Flour: All purpose flour that’s spooned and leveled.
- Baking powder: A leavening agent that gives the cookies lift.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg for classic eggnog taste.
- Salt: A little salt heightens the other flavors.
- Unsalted butter: We prefer using unsalted butter to control the saltiness of the cookies. It needs to be at room temperature.
- Granulated sugar: Not just for sweetness, but it also allows the butter to cream properly. Don’t cut back. It’s holiday time, it’s ok!
- Vanilla: A classic base flavor for eggnog.
- Rum: Traditional eggnog includes rum and it gives these cookies more depth of flavor. If you omit it, double the amount of vanilla.
- For the glaze: powdered sugar, eggnog, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and rum.
How to Make Eggnog Cookies
These are a simple cookie with pretty standard pantry ingredients, other than the eggnog. Here are some tips to keep in mind for optimal results when making them.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for the complete details and instructions.)
- Spoon and level the flour: Scooping the flour for the dough could result in using too much, and the cookies will end up dry and crumbly. So make sure you spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup.
- Keep the cookies uniform in size: Use a cookie scoop and try to keep your cookies all the same size so they bake evenly. Portion out 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls and not more or they will spread too much.
- Don’t over-bake: These only bake for 11-12 minutes. It might not seem like a lot, but they continue to cook slightly as they cool. Over-baking will get you dry, crumbly cookies.
Make Ahead and Storing
- Make ahead: You can prepare the cookie dough, roll into balls, and place them in the refrigerator 1 day in advance of baking. Let the cookie dough come pretty close to room temperature before baking.
- Storing leftovers: Store any leftover cooled cookies in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Baked and cooled eggnog cookies can be frozen up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. We recommend leaving the glaze off and placing parchment paper in-between layers of cookies so they don’t stick. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then apply fresh glaze. We prefer these cookies at room temperature.
More Holiday Cookies:
- Molasses Cookies
- Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Eggnog Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup eggnog
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon dark rum (or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract)
- 2 egg yolks
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons eggnog
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon dark rum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the center position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar using a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer. Scrap the bowl down, as needed, and beat on high until light and fluffy.
- Pour in the eggnog, vanilla, and rum. Then add the egg yolks one at a time while mixing on medium. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
- Turn the speed down to low; add in the flour mixture until just combined. Give a few turns of the batter with a spatula incorporating any remaining white streaks of flour.
- Using a cooking scoop, portion out 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls, rolling them in the palm of your hands to form them.
- Drop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the center appears dry. Do not over-bake.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack.
- In the meantime, make the glaze: In medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the glaze. (Add more powdered sugar or eggnog to achieve drizzling consistency.)
- Once cookies have cooled completely, drizzle the icing over the top.
- Enjoy with a tall glass of eggnog or milk!NOTE: You can omit the rum, if preferred. Just replace the amounts listed with an equal amount of vanilla extract.
