Eggnog Cookies

I love adding my homemade eggnog to any and everything during the holidays including this eggnog cake and these eggnog cookies. They just taste so cozy boos. They give you all the vibes of spiced eggnog with a little browned butter and super chewy texture in the mix. I also drizzle on a simple eggnog flavored icing so you get a little more sweetness. They are perfection boos.

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A closeup of iced eggnog cookies on a plate with icing drizzled over the top.

How to Make Eggnog Cookies

Step 1: Brown the Butter

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook while constantly stirring until the butter starts to foam up and darken. it will start to smell nutty, and you will begin to see brown specks begin to form at the bottom.
  2. Remove the browned butter from the heat and transfer it to a bowl. Let it sit until it’s completely cool.
Browned butter in a saucepan with a wooden spoon in the pot.
  1. Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
  2. Combine the remaining stick of butter, sugar, and cooled brown butter in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg, vanilla, and rum extracts to the bowl and beat on medium speed until they’re fully incorporated into the mixture.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl. Take frequent breaks to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. It’s super important you do not over-mix after adding the flour.
A collage of images showing how to mix the cookie dough together to make Christmas butter cookies.

Step 3: Shape and Bake the Cookies

  1. Roll the dough into 1-2” balls and line them up on the prepared baking sheets.
  2. Bake in a preheated oven until firm around the edges but cracked and soft in the middle. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes on the pan before moving them over to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely.
A collage of an image of cookie dough balls on a tray and then after baking.

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Step 4: Make the Eggnog Icing and Drizzle the Cookies

  1. Add the icing ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until it’s mixed and pourable.
  2. Drizzle the icing over the tops of the cooled cookies in a decorative pattern.
A collage of ingredients for icing in a bowl and then drizzling over the cookies.
A closeup of iced butter cookies on a plate with icing drizzled over the top.

Eggnog Cookies Recipe

This eggnog cookie recipe is so easy with a spiced butter cookie base and homemade icing made with real eggnog! They are perfect for the holidays!
4.94 from 16 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter divided
  • 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour sifted
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • pinch ground black pepper
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large whole egg room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons eggnog
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon rum extract

For the Icing

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoon eggnog until pourable
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

For the Eggnog Butter Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt a 1/2 cup of butter. Continue to melt, constantly stirring, until the butter starts to foam up and darken. The butter will start to smell nutty and brown specks will begin to form at the bottom. Remove the brown butter from the heat, transfer it to a bowl, and allow it to completely cool.
  • Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and black pepper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a large bowl and a hand mixer, combine the remaining butter, sugar, and cooled brown butter. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the whole egg, egg yolk, eggnog, vanilla and rum extracts, then continue to beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.
  • Begin to gradually add in the flour mixture, taking breaks to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Do not over mix.
  • Roll the dough into 1-2” balls and line them up on the baking sheets. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until firm around the edges but cracked and soft in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes before moving them over to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely.
  • Bake the cookies in batches. If baking more than one batch in a row, make space in between racks in the oven and rotate the pans halfway through.

For the Eggnog Icing

  • Whisk together all ingredients until pourable.
  • Once cookies are cooled, drizzle icing over the tops of cookies in a decorative pattern.
  • Optional: Add sprinkles to tops of cookies and serve.

Notes

Storage

Store your cookies in an airtight container with a layer of parchment paper in between each row to keep them fresh for a longer amount of time. They are best 2-3 days after baking but can go fresh for about 5 days.
Can I freeze iced cookies?
To freeze baked cookies, place unfrosted cookies in a bag or airtight container. If you have already frosted them and want to freeze them, I suggest flash-freezing them first so they don’t stick together. Lay them out in a single layer on a baking pan and freeze for an hour or two. Then transfer them to a container and separate layers with a piece of parchment paper. Freeze your baked cookies for up to two months.
To freeze cookie dough, wrap it in plastic wrap first and then place it in a freezer bag. Store it in the freezer for up to two months.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
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Recipe Tips

  1. Bake the cookies in batches. If baking more than one tray at a time, make space between racks in the oven and rotate the pans halfway so they bake up evenly.
  2. Don’t over-mix your cookie dough. Too much mixing can make your cookies tough. We don’t want to overactivate that gluten boos.
  3. Drizzle the cookies on a wire rack over a pan. Place your wire rack up above a baking sheet so that any excess icing drizzles off the cookies and onto the baking sheet.
  4. Use a whisk, spoon, or fork to drizzle the icing over the cookies. You can go over the cookies in various directions to create a simple pattern with the icing.
  5. Spacing the cookies on the baking pan. These cookies have a small spread so you need to leave some room for them to spread out.

Recipe Help

How do I make even-sized cookies?

The best way to make sure your cookies all end up the same size is to use a cookie scoop or a measuring device. Scoops for cookies come in one or two tablespoons. I used the 1″ for baking my cookies, and they came out a nice size that can be eaten in just a couple of bites. You can certainly make them larger if you prefer, but they may need to cook a bit longer. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can use a tablespoon to measure out the dough.

Three eggnog cookies on a plate with a bite missing from one.

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Filed Under:  Christmas, Cookies, Dessert and Baking, Oven

Comments

  1. Yummy, soft pillow like cookie. My dough was dry as well, I just added eggnog to the dough until it came together. Baked up beautifully.

    1. Oh thank you for the feedback. We just retested and add in an extra egg yolk and a bit of eggnog. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies however!

  2. I just baked these cookies and the flavor is amazing. I wasnt surprised. All the recipes I’ve tried of yours have, in one aspect or another, impressed me!
    I do wonder if I didnt miss something when making them. After they were mixed i found the dough to be quite dry and didnt come together as I expected. I added a couple tablespoons of water to the dough and mixed and it came together just enough for me to be able to roll ball shapes. Next time I would substitute water for egg nog.
    Also, mine didnt spread hardly at all. The first batch I cooked puffed up nicely, but was more of a ball shape. The second, I imprinted my thumb in each, and that helped. From reading this can you tell if I might have missed a step? I did double check the ingredients and dont feel as if I missed any. Thanks for such fabulous recipes and your help!

    1. Hmm, I am not sure. These cookies are heavier, like a shortbread so don’t really spread too much or puff up.

  3. As usual, your cookies are the best. Great idea using the eggnog and rum. Your recipes never disappoint. Thanks again!

  4. I love anything egg nog around this time of year and these cookies seem really tasty and festive. Thanks for sharing.

  5. I am baking these cookies again for a cookie exchange. We usually have a sort of contest and I know who’ll be the winner hahahaha! Thanks for the recipe!

  6. Fun cookie twist, these cookies are so flavorful and fun to make. I will be making batches to give friends and family during the holiday season.

  7. Made these for an office potluck and they were a hit! The brown butter makes the cookies extra decadent but it’s the eggnog glaze that make them special.

4.94 from 16 votes (1 rating without comment)

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