Eggnog is one of those controversial Christmas flavors, but personally I LOVE it! It's my favorite holiday drink and makes a great substitute for milk in both cakes and frostings and it just adds so much flavor to these bourbon eggnog cupcakes! They're rich, boozy, and just slightly spiced with toasty nutmeg. I also topped them with Christmas cookies because why not?

How to Make Eggnog from Scratch
Eggnog is super easy to make, so I usually just make it myself but you can also just buy it at the store if you're feeling lazy! I like my eggnog boozy, but you can omit the alcohol for an equally delicious treat!
I use bourbon in my eggnog (and these cupcakes) but you can also use dark rum or brandy if you prefer!
- 4 large eggs, separated
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the egg yolks and ⅓ cup sugar for about 5 minutes or until the yolks lighten in color and the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add in the milk, heavy cream, bourbon, vanilla, and nutmeg and stir to combine. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside.
- Place the egg whites and 1 tablespoon of sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
- Chill and then serve! It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Cupcake Decorating Tips
- Make sure you let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting!!
- I also like to just lightly brush the tops of the cupcakes with an eggnog and bourbon mixture for extra flavor and to help keep the cupcakes moist, but it's totally optional.
- To decorate all of my cakes and cupcakes, I use this Wilton Decorating Kit* and I love it! It’s super easy to use and has a ton of tips in different sizes. For these cupcakes, I used the 1M tip*.
- I topped these with a pinch of nutmeg and my cute little snowflake shortbread cookies because I had them laying around and I just love how the cookies taste with the eggnog buttercream!
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Bourbon Eggnog Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Eggnog Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons bourbon, omit if using eggnog that already contains alcohol
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, substitute all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup eggnog
Optional Cake Soak
- 2 tablespoons eggnog
- 2 teaspoons bourbon
Eggnog Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 2-3 teaspoons eggnog
Instructions
Eggnog Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar, eggs, bourbon, and vanilla together until combined.
- Stir in about half of the flour mixture. Then stir in the eggnog and the rest of the flour mixture and mix until fully combined. The batter will be thin.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner (they should be about halfway full). Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. In a small bowl, mix together the eggnog and bourbon for the cupcake soak, then brush a small amount over the top of each cupcake.
Eggnog Buttercream
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time until fully combined and smooth.
- Add in the bourbon and eggnog and beat on high for 3-4 minutes or until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
- Frost cooled cupcakes. I used a 1M tip for these photos. Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg over the frosting and enjoy! (If you're feeling super fancy, top with a Christmas cookie!)
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Jill says
Super pretty cupcakes, I love the use of the eggnog, so flavorful!
FOODHEAL says
These cupcakes are looking sooo good. Adding eggnog makes them unique.
Alexandra says
These are absolutely beautiful and make the perfect festive cupcake!
Liz says
These boozy cupcakes sound amazing! Plus, I love your photography and styling, so beautiful!
Addison says
I love egg nog!!! This recipe looks amazing!