These eggnog cookies are soft and full of flavor! They’re perfect for holiday parties, with a delicate eggnog icing that isn’t overly sweet.
There are so many things I love about the holiday season, and most of them involve the kitchen. If this is the season of giving, then baked goods are one of my favorite gifts to share with friends and family.
This eggnog cookie recipe combines two of my top holiday loves. Can you guess what they are?
I absolutely love cookies. Baking them, photographing them, you name it.
These soft gingerbread cookies are my newest favorites, but I’m still head over heels in love with my chai-spiced pistachio snowdrop cookies. Not to mention my snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies, Andes Mint cookies, and pine nut tahini cookies.
Are you getting the idea? I can keep going if you’d like.
Eggnog Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated white sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Eggnog
- Confectioners’ sugar
In addition to cookies, I adore eggnog. I try not to keep it around because I will drink it until my jeans don’t fit, but it is an amazing addition to baked goods.
You should check out my eggnog poundcake with rum glaze, and my eggnog rum layer cake if you’re feeling adventurous.
Tips For The Best Eggnog Cookies
- These frosted eggnog cookies are a real treat if you like soft, cake-like cookies. The batter will be very soft while you’re scooping it, more like a very thick cake batter than a traditional cookie dough. That’s normal! If you find the dough difficult to scoop, you can try chilling it for 15 minutes or longer to firm up the butter a bit.
- I highly recommend using full fat eggnog as opposed to low fat versions, which in my opinion have a weird aftertaste. I like the brands Organic Valley and Southern Comfort, if you can find either one locally. You could also try using homemade eggnog, though I haven’t tried this. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
- You definitely want to chill the dough before baking. It will keep them from spreading too much. As you can see, when baked according to instructions, they don’t spread as much as, say, a chocolate chip cookie. You don’t need to leave too much space between each cookie; 1 1/2 inches should do it.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting so you don’t wind up with a gooey mess. If you like the combination of eggnog and rum (I do), try adding a bit of rum to the frosting! Swap out a bit with the eggnog to taste (I’m thinking 1 tablespoon).
- I recommend using a microplane zester to grate fresh nutmeg over the cookies. Fresh nutmeg truly enhances the nutmeg flavor, and a microplane zester ensures you get an even coating.
Frosted Eggnog Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 15 ounces all-purpose flour (approximately 3 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup good quality eggnog (see notes for brand recommendations)
For the frosting:
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup good quality eggnog (optional: swap 1 tablespoon of the eggnog with spiced rum)
- freshly grated nutmeg for topping
Instructions
Prepare the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using an electric hand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and scrape down the side of the bowl.
- Alternate between the flour mixture and eggnog, adding until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again to make sure everything is evenly combined.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, portion the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. These don't spread as much as some cookies, but leave at least 1 1/2 inches in between each cookie (you can always bake in batches to be safe). Allow to chill for 15 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until they're just barely starting to turn golden around the edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Prepare the frosting
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the sugar (about 1/4 cup at a time), then add the eggnog (and rum, if using).
- Once the cookies are at room temperature, frost, and then top with a generous amount of freshly grated nutmeg (I recommend using a microplane zester for this).
- Store cookies in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks (possibly longer, but they'll taste best within 2 weeks).
Video
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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Eggnog cookies looked soooo good and yummy, I had to try and make them. I used your suggestion and used 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Thx Jen!
Wow! This is gorgeous. I bet they would be scrumptious eggnog cookies amazing for kids. Will definitely try this for a birthday party. Thanks for sharing.
I don’t know if I am adding too much flour.
15 ounces dry is a hair less than 2 cups not approx 3
can someone please clarify
Hi Sher! Are you by chance trying to measure with a liquid measuring cup? There’s a difference between dry ounces and fluid ounces, which often confuses people. So, 8 fluid ounces of water or milk is always 1 cup, right? Fluid ounces are always the same. However, a cup of rocks is going to weigh more in dry ounces than a cup of feathers. I get this question periodically, so I wrote an article recently called “How to Measure Flour,” which will hopefully clarify things further. I always recommend using a kitchen scale to get the most accurate measurement when baking. The scale uses dry ounces.