The BEST Soft Eggnog Cookies
Get in the mood for Christmas with these soft eggnog cookies. They are tender, sweet and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. The eggnog frosting on top is creamy and delicious!
Add a festive flavor to your next batch of Christmas cookies by adding some eggnog. The sweet beverage adds a delicious taste to these cookies and the frosting. A touch of rum extract and sprinkle of nutmeg makes each bite taste like the popular holiday cocktail! You will love the cookie’s soft texture and creamy frosting (I use the same frosting on these fluffy eggnog cupcakes!)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture. Biting into one of these cookies is so satisfying because they simply melt away!
- Ready in under an hour. A short chill time guarantees a soft cookie that is ready in no time!
- Unique flavor. The rum extract adds a distinctive concentrated flavor similar to the cocktail while the egg yolks give the cookies a yummy eggy flavor.
- Super easy to make! There are just a few basic steps required to make these Christmas cookies.
- Great use of leftover eggnog. If you’re trying to empty out the fridge, don’t throw away the ‘nog! Bake cookies instead.
Ingredient Notes
- Eggnog: Use good quality eggnog for this recipe for the best flavors (I prefer Southern Comfort). Avoid using homemade eggnog as it may affect the texture of the cookies.
- Butter: Bring unsalted butter to room temperature to achieve the perfect cookie dough.
- Egg yolks: For an extra rich and eggy flavor, use fresh yolks. Tip: it’s easier to separate yolks when the eggs are still cold, but remember to bring to room temperature before adding to the dough.
- Rum extract: This adds a deliciously rich flavor of rum to the cookies without using alcohol.
- Spices: Don’t skip the nutmeg and cinnamon as they add the classic seasonal flavors! Check that they are fresh and not expired for the best taste.
Refer to the recipe card for ingredient details and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Make cream cheese frosting instead. Beat 1 cup (8 oz) block-style cream cheese and ¼ cup butter until smooth and creamy. Then add 1 ¾ cups of confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, then mix until combined. This rich, creamy frosting tastes delicious with soft-baked cookies (like these pumpkin cookies).
Omit the rum extract. If you are not a fan of alcohol then feel free to omit the rum extract and stick to vanilla extract instead. This will give the cookies more of a vanilla-like flavor and it can be served to kids too (they’ll also like eggnog snickerdoodles!)
Make cookie sandwiches. Instead of adding the frosting on top, frost the bottom of one cookie and sandwich it together with another!
How to Make Eggnog Cookies
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
- Beat wet ingredients. Combine butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a separate bowl using an electric mixer. Mix the ingredients for 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time beat well after each addition. Mix in the extracts and eggnog.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Scoop dough into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 350 F. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.
- Make the frosting. Beat butter in a bowl for 3 minutes or until light and creamy. Add the rum extract and eggnog to the butter. Mix until combined, then mix in confectioners’ sugar.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies then dust them with freshly grated nutmeg.
Expert Tips
Weigh your ingredients. For accurate measurements, use a kitchen scale to weigh flour. However, if you don’t have a scale, then you can fluff up your flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
Use room temperature ingredients. This helps achieve the perfect texture when mixing the cookie dough and frosting. As a result, the cookies will be extra soft and the frosting will be silky smooth.
Make sure you chill the dough. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes ensures that the cookies do not spread too much as they bake. It’s also important to avoid overworking the dough when rolling into a ball as this will warm the dough.
Let the cookies cool completely before adding the eggnog frosting. If the cookies are still warm then the frosting will melt!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. Alternatively, they can be stored at room temperature for 3 days. I suggest placing parchment paper or wax paper between layers so the cookies won’t stick.
Freeze dough for up to 3 months. Form it into a log and wrap in plastic wrap before freezing. Defrost in the refrigerator, roll into balls and bake according to the recipe. You can also flash freeze the dough balls for an hour and place in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen for 12 to 14 minutes.
Make ahead the dough and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Frosting may also be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe FAQ
No, but they will last longer when chilled.
If you don’t have rum extract on hand, then swap it for 1 teaspoon white rum instead. However, the flavor won’t be as strong. You can also use vanilla extract.
Using butter that is too warm or too much eggnog can result in thin frosting. To firm up the frosting, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, mix it for 5 seconds then frost the cooled cookies.
The dough was too warm causing the cookies to spread in the oven. Try not to overwork the dough when rolling into balls as your body heat will warm the dough. It’s also possible the baking sheet was still warm from the previous batch.
Related Recipes
Give these recipes a try if you are looking for more creative ways to use eggnog this holiday season.
Did you love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and if you REALLY loved it, consider leaving a comment further down the page.
Get the Recipe: The BEST Soft Eggnog Cookies
Ingredients
Eggnog Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for topping
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup (170 g or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon rum extract
- ½ cup eggnog, room temperature
Frosting
- ½ cup (113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2-4 Tablespoons eggnog, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon rum extract
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), mix butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing just until combined. Add vanilla extract, rum extract and egg nog and mix until incorporated.
- With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined (avoid over mixing).
- Scoop dough out by heaping tablespoonfuls, gently roll into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet. Space cookies 2-inches apart. Place cookie sheet in the refrigerator while oven preheats to 350° F.
- Bake at 350° F for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat butter until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Mix in rum extract and 2 tablespoons eggnog. With the mixer on low, slowly add powdered sugar. If necessary, add more eggnog one tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Use an offset spatula to spread frosting on cooled cookies. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg if desired.
7 Comments on “The BEST Soft Eggnog Cookies”
It’s eggnog season and I am so ready for these cookies. I’ll be making these over the next few months. Then I’ll make more to freeze the dough so I can have them in January too.
Yum! These are so delicious and so festive. I’m going to add them to the goody bags I make for my neighbors this year.
I have started collecting Christmas cookie recipes to make during this holiday season. Your cookie recipe is going to my private collection to make:) Easy and delicious!
I wish eggnog is available year round so I can keep on making these. They are so good. 🙂
This is one of our favorite cookies to make during the holidays! We love the flavor of eggnog!
These look delicious!