The Best Chewy Eggnog Cookies Recipe for a Festive Holiday Season

Embrace the joyful spirit of the holidays with these incredibly delicious Eggnog Cookies. If you’re a fan of the creamy, spiced seasonal drink, you are absolutely going to adore these soft and chewy eggnog sugar cookies. They capture all the warm, inviting flavors of classic eggnog in a delightful bite-sized treat, making them an essential addition to any festive gathering. Remarkably easy to prepare, this recipe is a holiday baking dream come true, promising a batch of cookies that are not only irresistible but also a breeze to whip up. Get ready to impress your family and friends with a unique twist on the traditional Christmas cookie!

Every Christmas, these eggnog sugar cookies become the star of our dessert table, charming everyone with their rich flavor and wonderfully soft texture. Topped with an exquisite eggnog glaze that perfectly complements the spiced cookie, they truly melt in your mouth. This cookie recipe is a tradition in our home, a definite favorite alongside our cherished Custard Cookies.

If you find yourself captivated by the distinctive taste of eggnog, then you must explore our other festive creations. We have a variety of delightful eggnog desserts that are perfect for the season, including Eggnog Cupcakes, Eggnog Pie, and Eggnog Fudge. For a heartier treat, the entire family also raves about our Easy Eggnog Bread and the decadent Eggnog Cake. These recipes are designed to fill your home with the comforting aromas and flavors of the holidays.

Why We Love This Recipe for Eggnog Cookies

There are countless reasons why these eggnog cookies have become a staple in our holiday baking repertoire. They embody everything we cherish about festive treats – delightful flavors, ease of preparation, and the ability to bring smiles to everyone’s faces. Here’s why we know you’ll love them too:

• Unmistakable Eggnog Flavor: Every single bite is a burst of wonderful, authentic eggnog flavor. The perfect balance of nutmeg, cinnamon, and the creamy richness of eggnog makes these cookies truly special and incredibly festive. They are a delightful way to enjoy the classic holiday drink in cookie form.
• Remarkably Easy to Prepare: Despite their gourmet taste, these cookies are surprisingly simple to make. With clear, step-by-step instructions, even novice bakers can achieve perfect results. It’s the ideal recipe for busy holiday schedules, allowing you to create impressive treats without spending hours in the kitchen.
• Soft, Chewy, and Perfectly Textured: We love a cookie that’s both soft and chewy, and these eggnog cookies deliver exactly that. They have a tender crumb that practically melts in your mouth, making them incredibly satisfying. The texture is consistently perfect, batch after batch.
• Ideal for Holiday Gatherings: Whether you’re hosting a Christmas party, attending a cookie exchange, or simply enjoying a quiet evening at home, these cookies are a crowd-pleaser. Their festive appeal and delicious taste make them a welcome addition to any holiday celebration. They’re sure to be a conversation starter!
• Versatile and Customizable: While the classic recipe is fantastic, these cookies are also great for a bit of customization. You can easily adjust the spices, add a touch of rum extract for a more “adult” flavor, or experiment with different toppings. Their versatility means you can tailor them to your personal taste.

Essential Ingredients for Eggnog Cookies

Crafting the perfect eggnog cookie relies on a careful selection of ingredients that work together to create its signature flavor and texture. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need:

Ingredients for the Eggnog Cookies

• Butter: For the best results, use unsalted butter softened to room temperature. This allows it to cream smoothly with the sugar, incorporating air and creating a tender, uniform cookie dough.
• White Sugar: Granulated sugar provides sweetness and contributes to the crisp edges and chewy center of the cookies.
• Eggs: Large eggs act as a binder, helping the dough come together and adding richness. Ensure they are at room temperature to blend seamlessly with the other ingredients.
• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cookie structure. Measure it correctly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off to avoid dense or dry cookies.
• Baking Powder: This leavening agent helps the cookies rise slightly, giving them a soft and fluffy texture.
• Ground Nutmeg and Cinnamon: These warm spices are absolutely crucial for capturing the authentic taste of eggnog. Freshly ground nutmeg will offer the most intense and aromatic flavor.
• Eggnog: The star ingredient! We highly recommend using full-fat eggnog for a richer, more pronounced flavor and a moist, tender crumb. Reduced-fat versions may yield a less flavorful and potentially drier cookie.
• Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract enhances all the other flavors, adding a layer of warmth and complexity to the cookies.

Ingredients for the Eggnog Frosting

• Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar, it forms the base of our smooth, drizzle-friendly glaze. Sifting it is key to preventing lumps.
• Eggnog: Used to thin the powdered sugar and infuse the frosting with even more delightful eggnog flavor. You can use any leftover eggnog from the cookie recipe.
• Ground Nutmeg: A final sprinkle of nutmeg on top of the glaze not only adds an attractive visual touch but also reinforces that signature eggnog aroma and taste.

You’ll find the complete, precise ingredient list with measurements in the detailed recipe card at the bottom of this page. Be sure to scroll down for all the specifics!

How to Make Delightful Eggnog Cookies

Making these festive eggnog cookies is a straightforward process, perfect for a cozy afternoon of holiday baking. Follow these steps for soft, chewy cookies with a delicious glaze:

Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugar. Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large mixing bowl, using either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and white sugar. Beat them together on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is crucial for incorporating air into the dough, which results in a tender cookie.

Step 2: Add Eggs and Vanilla. Once the butter and sugar are perfectly creamed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, stir in the vanilla extract. Continue mixing on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth and well-combined, ensuring no streaks of egg remain.

Step 3: Incorporate Eggnog. Gently pour the eggnog into the wet ingredients. The eggnog is key to imparting that wonderful holiday flavor and moisture to the cookies. It’s important to mix it thoroughly but avoid over-mixing at this stage.

Step 4: Mix Until Blended. Continue mixing the wet ingredients on low to medium speed until they are just well blended. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough cookies. Stop as soon as the ingredients are combined.

Step 5: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground nutmeg, and cinnamon. Ensuring these dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed before adding them to the wet ingredients helps distribute the leavening and spices evenly throughout the dough.

Step 6: Combine Wet and Dry. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix by hand with a spatula or a wooden spoon until just combined. The key here is to mix until no dry streaks of flour remain, but absolutely do not overmix, as this can lead to dense and tough cookies.

Step 7: Scoop and Bake. Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to drop uniform balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are set. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Step 8: Prepare and Apply Glaze. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the eggnog icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and eggnog until smooth. You can adjust the consistency by adding a little more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or a few more drops of eggnog for a thinner drizzle. Drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled cookies, then sprinkle with a pinch of ground nutmeg for a beautiful finish. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Pro Tips for Perfect Eggnog Cookies

Achieving bakery-quality eggnog cookies is easy with a few expert tricks. These tips will help ensure your cookies turn out perfectly every time:

• No Need to Chill the Dough: One of the best parts about this recipe is that there’s no mandatory chilling time for the dough! This means you can go from mixing to baking much faster. However, if you prefer to prepare the dough ahead of time, you can certainly cover it and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before scooping to make it more manageable.
• Precise Flour Measurement is Key: The amount of flour you use significantly impacts the cookie’s texture. Too much flour can lead to dry, crumbly, and tough cookies, while too little can result in overly spread-out and flat cookies. For best accuracy, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge, rather than scooping directly from the bag.
• Achieve Uniform Cookies with a Scoop: For perfectly sized, evenly baked cookies, a cookie scoop is your best friend. Using a scoop ensures that each cookie is the same size, which means they will all bake consistently and be done at the same time. Plus, it makes the process much quicker and less messy!
• The Importance of Cooling: Don’t rush the cooling process! After baking, allow the cookies to cool on the hot baking sheet for about 5 minutes. This allows them to firm up without becoming overcooked. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling on the rack ensures air circulation, preventing soggy bottoms and completing the baking process gently.
• Time-Saving Glaze Preparation: To maximize your efficiency, prepare the eggnog glaze while your cookies are baking. This way, the glaze will be ready to go as soon as your cookies have cooled, saving you time and streamlining the entire process.
• Choose Full-Fat Eggnog: For the most authentic and rich eggnog flavor, stick with full-fat, store-bought eggnog. While you can certainly make homemade eggnog, store-bought options are a convenient and delicious shortcut that won’t compromise the taste of your cookies. Reduced-fat versions may not deliver the same creamy texture or robust flavor.
• Enhance Flavors with Extracts: If you’re looking to deepen the holiday flavor profile, consider adding a touch of rum extract or brandy extract to either the cookie dough or the frosting. A quarter to half a teaspoon is usually enough to add a sophisticated depth without overpowering the natural eggnog taste.
• Don’t Overbake: Overbaked cookies will be dry and hard. Keep a close eye on them during the last few minutes of baking. The edges should be just lightly golden, and the centers should look set but still slightly soft. They will continue to cook slightly as they cool on the baking sheet.
• Parchment Paper is Your Friend: Always line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This prevents the cookies from sticking, ensures even baking, and makes cleanup a breeze.

Frequently Asked Questions About Eggnog Cookies

More Easy Christmas Cookies to Love

If you’re still in the mood for more festive baking, here are some other easy Christmas cookie recipes that are sure to spread cheer:

• Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe: Fun, colorful, and deliciously buttery, these cookies are a visual delight.
• Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies Recipe: A classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate, these are always a hit.
• Snowball Cookies Recipe: Melt-in-your-mouth, nutty, and dusted with powdered sugar, they truly look like little snowballs.
• Adorable Reindeer Cookies: A creative and fun cookie perfect for baking with kids during the holidays.
• Red Hot Cookies: For those who love a bit of cinnamon spice, these cookies deliver a delightful kick.

We hope you truly enjoy baking and savoring these wonderful eggnog cookies for your next holiday celebration or cookie exchange. Their soft texture, rich flavor, and festive glaze make them an absolute must-try. Please come back and leave a comment once you’ve made them – we’d love to hear how much you and your loved ones enjoyed this recipe!