This eggnog custard tart has a crunchy gingersnap cookie crust topped with eggnog custard. Then garnished with homemade gingerbread cookies, sugared cranberries and rosemary! It's perfect for your Thanksgiving dessert spread or holiday Christmas party!
You might also like this biscoff tart or this cranberry tart!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few ingredients to make this eggnog custard tart with gingersnap cookie crust!
Gingersnap Cookies - The tart crust is made from ground up gingersnap cookies, but you could easily swap out graham crackers if you prefer. The classic Stauffer's Gingersnap Cookies are my favorite, but any crispy gingersnap cookies will do the trick!
Eggnog - You can use your favorite store-bought eggnog or make your own!
Egg Yolks - Using just yolks adds a super rich flavor the custard! I also love using yolks because I always have leftovers from making macarons.
Spiced Rum - This is optional, but adding a little spiced rum makes this a deliciously spiked dessert! You could also use your favorite bourbon!
Vanilla Bean Paste - I prefer to use vanilla bean paste in my custard recipes because it has a much stronger, richer flavor! However, you can easily substitute pure vanilla extract.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Optional Garnishes
You can garnish this eggnog custard tart however you like! I love making it look festive and Christmasy by topping with homemade gingerbread cookies, sugared rosemary, and sugared cranberries!
How to Make a Christmas Tart
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Pulse the gingersnap cookies in a food processor until you have about 2 cups of crumbs.
In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix until it resembles wet sand.
Press the mixture into the bottom of the tart pan and slightly up the sides. Make sure it is tight and compact! You can use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to help pack down the crust.
Bake the crust at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until it's lightly golden brown and looks dried out.
Let cool to room temperature before filling.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth and set aside.
Scald the eggnog in the microwave or on the stove top until it is almost boiling. (I prefer the microwave because there is no chance of burning the eggnog).
In a large sauce pan, combine the flour, sugar, nutmeg, and salt.
Over medium-low heat, slowly add in the eggnog about ½ cup at a time while whisking constantly.
As the filling begins to thicken, add in another ½ cup of eggnog and continue whisking.
Once all of the eggnog is added and the filling has thickened (enough the coat the back of a spoon), remove the pot from the heat.
Pour about ½ cup of the filling into a glass measuring cup and then slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly until fully combined and smooth.
Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the filling cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the filling has thickened to a pudding consistency.
Stir in the butter, spiced rum, and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
Cool the filling almost to room temperature, stirring occasionally, before pouring into your cooled tart shell. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (at least 3 hours) to let the filling set.
Right before serving, top with gingerbread cookies, sugared rosemary, and sugared cranberries.
Store the eggnog custard tart covered in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Recipe Notes
The most important step in making the custard is tempering the eggs. I know that sounds scary, but I promise it's not that hard! Tempering just means that you'll slowly add a small amount of hot liquid to the beaten eggs so that the temperature rises slowly and they don't scramble (trust me, you don't want scrambled eggs in your eggnog custard!
Once the filling mixture is scalding hot, you'll remove about ¼ cup and place it into a glass measuring cup (the best for pouring hot liquid) and then slowly drizzle into the beaten eggs while whisking. Then you'll add the warm egg mixture back into the rest of the eggnog custard. Easy peasy!
This recipe can be used to make a few different sizes of eggnog tart!
- 1 - 9.5 inch tart
- 2 - 7 inch tarts
- 5 - miniature tarts
If you don't want to make the gingersnap cookie crust, you can also use a classic pie crust recipe! Use ½ of my perfect pie crust to fill a 9.5 inch tart pan!
Recipe FAQ's
This tart will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes, of course! Just substitute your favorite graham cracker crust.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Eggnog Custard Tart
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust
- 2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs, 30-40 cookies
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
Eggnog Custard
- 2 cups eggnog
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons spiced rum or bourbon, optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Instructions
Gingersnap Crust
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Pulse the gingersnap cookies in a food processor until you have about 2 cups of crumbs.
- In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix until it resembles wet sand.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the tart pan and slightly up the sides. Make sure it is tight and compact! You can use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to help pack down the crust.
- Bake the crust at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until it's lightly golden brown and looks dried out.
- Let cool to room temperature before filling.
Eggnog Custard
- In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth and set aside.
- Scald the eggnog in the microwave or on the stove top until it is almost boiling. (I prefer the microwave because there is no chance of burning the eggnog).
- In a large sauce pan, combine the flour, sugar, nutmeg, and salt.
- Over medium-low heat, slowly add in the eggnog about ½ cup at a time while whisking constantly.
- As the filling begins to thicken, add in another ½ cup of eggnog and continue whisking.
- Once all of the eggnog is added and the filling has thickened (enough the coat the back of a spoon), remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour about ½ cup of the filling into a glass measuring cup and then slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the filling cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the filling has thickened to a pudding consistency.
- Stir in the butter, spiced rum, and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
- Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
- Cool the filling almost to room temperature, stirring occasionally, before pouring into your cooled tart shell. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (at least 3 hours) to let the filling set.
- Right before serving, top with gingerbread cookies, sugared rosemary, and sugared cranberries.
- Store the eggnog custard tart covered in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Notes
- 1 - 9.5 inch tart
- 2 - 7 inch tarts
- 5 - miniature tarts
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.
Anne says
Can the eggnog custard tart be made ahead and frozen?
Kyleigh Sage says
I don’t recommend freezing it because custard can sometimes separate and get funky when frozen and then thawed.