Brown Butter Caramel Eggnog

A mug filled with creamy brown butter eggnog topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle, accompanied by gingerbread cookies and red berries.

5 from 1 vote

Brown Butter Caramel Eggnog

Brown Butter Caramel Eggnog is homemade eggnog at its finest. It's the last eggnog recipe you'll ever need. Enjoy this as an alcohol-free eggnog recipe or spike it for adults.

Course any, Drink

Cuisine American

Keyword eggnog

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 404kcal

Author Paula

Ingredients

Caramel for rimming your cup

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
½ cup whole milk cream or bourbon

For the eggnog

4 large eggs yolks and whites seperated
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
½ cup butter browned
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups powdered sugar (aka confectioners) sifted then measured

Instructions

Caramel for rimming your cup

Add 1 cup of sugar to your saucepan over medium-low heat. Let the bubbles start to form, and the sugar starts to melt and brown. Stir with a whisk to keep it from burning. Once all the sugar has turned dark brown, add the 6 Tablespoons of butter whisk, and allow to melt. Stir consistently. Once the butter is fully melted, cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in a half cup of milk, cream, or bourbon and stir. Bubbles will form plentiful. Allow to bubble without overflowing for 2 minutes. Stir and remove from heat. Pour into a small mason jar if available, and allow to cool before rimming your mugs.
1 cup granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, ½ cup whole milk

For the eggnog

Separate four egg yolks. Place these in the saucepan. Add in a ⅓ cup sugar.
4 large eggs, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Whisk until creamy. Now add one cup of heavy cream and two cups of whole milk. Whisk until the mixture reaches 175℉. Take it off the heat.
1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 cups whole milk
In a separate cast iron saucepan on the stovetop, over medium heat, add the half cup of butter and melt, stirring occasionally. Once the butter is melted, allow to continue cooking until it turns golden brown. This will happen slowly and then all of a sudden. It will take about five minutes from the initial melt until turning golden brown. Be sure to keep stirring so it doesn't burn. Once your butter is nice and brown remove this from the heat.
½ cup butter
Slowly add the heavy cream and milk to the brown butter. Heat until the milk reaches 160F on an instant-read thermometer. This is the temperature at which eggs will cook, so when we add it to the egg and sugar mixture, we can rest assured knowing our egg yolks are cooked.
Remove from the stovetop and slowly pour the milk mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking vigorously to prevent scrambling the eggs. You can do this in three pours if needed. The first one is the most crucial. Once you have incorporated all the milk into your eggs and sugar, add the vanilla extract and spices. Place it back on the stovetop over low heat and stir occasionally until you are ready to serve, or place in a glass punch bowl in the refrigerator to chill.
Whisk up your egg whites. When they're nice and foamy fold them into your milk mixture along with a bit of your brown butter mixture. Try to mainly get those crispy morsels.
Grab a large bowl and add the reserved egg whites from your eggnog recipe. Add 1 teaspoon cream of tartar and mix on high with a handheld electric mixer until very frothy. Add two cups of powdered sugar to the mix and continue to beat on high for about 10 minutes. The mixture will be light, fluffy, shiny, and form stiff peaks. Add dollops to your mug or glass of eggnog, brûlée with a kitchen torch.
1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 2 cups powdered sugar (aka confectioners)
Optional: sprinkle with cinnamon, shaved chocolate, or more caramel drizzle.

Nutrition