A small espresso pour balances sweet eggnog without turning this into an enormous mug of dessert. Use commercially pasteurized, nonalcoholic eggnog and make the latte just before serving. This is a measured house all-eggnog saucepan version; Feast + West also describes a milk-and-eggnog latte, while Tastes Better From Scratch suggests eggnog with espresso or strong coffee.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (6 US fl oz) commercially pasteurized nonalcoholic eggnog
  • 2 US fl oz (1/4 cup) freshly brewed espresso
  • 1 tablespoon whipped cream, optional
  • 1 small pinch freshly grated nutmeg, optional

Instructions

  1. Brew the espresso and pour into a 12-fl-oz mug.
  2. Heat the pasteurized eggnog gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, to about 150 F / 66 C on a thermometer; do not boil. This warming step is not for raw eggnog.
  3. Remove from heat and whisk in the open pan for 15 to 20 seconds if foam is wanted. Pour over espresso and stir gently.
  4. Add the measured optional toppings and serve immediately. Follow the separate iced method below for an iced latte.

Iced method

Use the same 2 US fl oz espresso , 3/4 cup cold pasteurized eggnog and optional toppings. Cool the espresso promptly in a heat-safe cup set in an ice-water bath. Put 1/2 cup ice in a 16-fl-oz glass, add the cooled espresso, then gently whisk the cold eggnog in an open measuring jug and pour it in. Stir and serve immediately. Allow about 10 minutes, longer if the espresso is still warm. Liquid is 8 fl oz before ice melt, foam and toppings. Never shake hot liquid in a closed jar.

Equipment and foam

A saucepan, thermometer and open whisk are enough. Heat gently to about 150 F / 66 C, avoiding boiling, then remove from heat. This is a serving temperature for pasteurized eggnog, not a safe cooking instruction for raw eggs. Foam depends on the product and tool; frothing longer or heating more is not a cure for every brand. Use a steam wand only if its manufacturer permits eggnog and follow its cleaning directions. A handheld frother goes into an open vessel with room for splashes. Do not improvise microwave times as a safety endpoint.

Measured substitutions

  • Less sweet: replace 1/4 cup of the eggnog with 1/4 cup pasteurized milk, leaving 1/2 cup eggnog plus 1/4 cup milk. Heat together as above; the 8-fl-oz liquid yield remains the same.
  • No espresso machine: use 1/2 cup freshly brewed strong coffee made by your brewer’s directions instead of the 2-fl-oz espresso. This makes about 10 fl oz before foam; use a 14-fl-oz mug or 18-fl-oz iced glass. Do not arbitrarily prolong a French-press steep.
  • Dairy-free: use the same 3/4 cup of a commercially prepared nondairy nog and a dairy-free whipped topping if desired, following the product label. No oat/almond/coconut foam ranking is guaranteed.
  • Optional extra sweetness: stir 1 teaspoon sugar or vanilla syrup into the hot coffee, adding about 1/6 fl oz if using syrup. Eggnog may already be sweet enough.
  • Adults’ spiked version: add 1 tablespoon rum, bourbon or whiskey after heating and mixing, increasing liquid to 8 1/2 fl oz. For a coffee-liqueur option use 1 tablespoon instead; alcohol and sugar vary by label. Alcohol does not make raw eggnog safe. Omit for the nonalcoholic version.

Four lattes and storage

For four espresso lattes, heat 3 cups pasteurized eggnog and brew 1 cup espresso. Divide into four mugs: 3/4 cup nog and 1/4 cup espresso each. Use the same thermometer endpoint and serve promptly; a larger batch may take longer than ten minutes. For four brewed-coffee versions, use 2 cups coffee with 3 cups nog, yielding 10 fl oz each.

Keep eggnog at 40 F / 4 C or below. Follow the carton opening date, use-by date and storage directions; no universal week-long opened-carton life is promised. Measure portions only when needed. Make one latte at a time and discard unfinished served lattes rather than saving and reheating them. If serving a crowd, keep reserve nog cold and discard perishables left outside temperature control over 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 F. See iced coffee ideas and Italian coffee drinks .

eggnog latte in a mug topped with whipped cream and grated nutmeg
Measure the ingredients and follow the complete method below.
ingredients for eggnog latte including carton of eggnog, espresso in a small pitcher, whipped cream, and whole nutmeg
Measure the ingredients and follow the complete method below.
steamed eggnog being poured into a mug of espresso
Measure the ingredients and follow the complete method below.
two eggnog lattes in mugs on a table, each topped with whipped cream and nutmeg
Measure the ingredients and follow the complete method below.

Sources and handling

Susannah Brinkley Henry, Feast + West: Eggnog Latte . House all-eggnog saucepan formula differs from this milk/eggnog recipe; foam not guaranteed.

Lauren Allen, Tastes Better From Scratch: Homemade Eggnog . No homemade eggnog manufacturing recipe added here; use commercially pasteurized eggnog.

FDA: Egg Safety . Heating pasteurized nog for serving is not a raw-egg kill step.

FDA: Serving Up Safe Buffets . House shorter refrigerated limits are editorial choices, not laboratory shelf-life validation.