Homemade Eggnog Latte (Hot or Iced)

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Make your own holiday coffee with this festive homemade eggnog latte! This Christmas latte comes together with just two ingredients, and you don’t need expensive equipment. In just minutes, you can enjoy a fancy latte right in your kitchen that tastes like it came from the coffee shop. Every delicious sip is ultra creamy and indulgent for the perfect holiday breakfast treat.

An eggnog latte on a wooden serving platter with Christmas decor around it.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Recipe FAQs
Expert Tips
Perfect Pairing
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you’re looking for a Starbucks copycat eggnog latte, I have good news — this recipe is even better.

Puts an extra festive touch to the holiday season: This latte is loaded with classic eggnog flavor. Just imagine how fun Christmas morning will be unwrapping presents and spending time with your loved ones while sipping a cozy holiday coffee.

Super quick and easy: You know those mile-long lines at the coffee shop during the holidays? You get to skip them and whip up this eggnog latte in just minutes from the comfort of your own home. Bonus points for still sporting your house coat and slippers.

Eggnog makes for an extra creamy, rich latte: Thanks to its cream base and plenty of yolks, eggnog is even richer than milk, resulting in a more luxurious latte.

Bonus: If you love the Starbucks holiday latte lineup, make sure you also try my Baileys latte, maple latte and gingerbread latte, made with a gingerbread simple syrup.

Ingredients

Hard to believe it only takes two ingredients, right? Just another reason to love this recipe!

For the eggnog, you are welcome to use a store-bought brand for a quick and easy option. But if you're up for it, you will love my homemade maple eggnog. It's still easy to whip up, and it tastes so much better than what you'd buy at the store. Plus, the maple adds a wonderfully rich flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let's chat about how to make a hot homemade eggnog latte, which is the most popular option. To make an iced eggnog latte, I included instructions in the recipe card.

Step 1: To start, we pour our eggnog into a small saucepan and gently warm it over medium heat (photo 1).

Pouring eggnog into a small saucepan on the stove.

Step 2: As the eggnog warms, we brew some espresso (photo 2).

A cup of espresso underneath the machine after brewing.

Step 3: After the eggnog begins to steam and small bubbles appear on the surface (photo 3), we turn off the stove and vigorously whisk the eggnog. This forms the frothy topping that makes lattes so special (photo 4).

A collage showing the process of heating and then whisking the eggnog in a saucepan.

Step 4: As our last step, we pour our frothy eggnog into our serving mug with the espresso and gently stir to combine the two (photo 5).

Pouring the frothed eggnog into a latte cup with espresso.

And that's it! If you'd like an extra dose of holiday fun, top this homemade eggnog latte with some whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg. Settle in by the fireplace and sip.

Looking down on two eggnog lattes with festive Christmas decor.

Recipe FAQs

Can you add alcohol to an eggnog latte?

Absolutely! Some of my favorite alcohol additions are bourbon, dark rum, Baileys, Kahlua and brandy. For an extra special treat, add a shot of my orange and vanilla infused bourbon — it adds the most delicious flavor.

Can you use regular coffee to make lattes?

Typically, lattes are prepared with espresso, but you can instead brew a cup of coffee with double the amount of coffee grind. French-press coffee also works well because of its strong flavor.

That said, for those interested in an espresso machine, I love our Nespresso, and you can find one in a variety of price points.

Do you need additional sweetener for an eggnog latte?

Eggnog is so sweet on its own that I find additional sweetener unnecessary. However, if you like an extra-sweet latte and you need more sugar, real maple syrup would be a tasty option. You could also add a plain simple syrup or a flavored one, such as cinnamon, caramel or vanilla. Just add to taste.

What’s the ideal temperature of milk for lattes?

Ideally, milk for lattes should be heated to 140-160 degrees F. While you can generally judge the temperature by the steam, you are more than welcome to use an instant thermometer for a more precise measurement.

Expert Tips

Own a milk frother tool or machine? You're more than welcome to use that instead -- no need to change the recipe measurements. I like to offer the stove-top method since not everyone has latte equipment, and everyone should have a delicious holiday eggnog latte in their life.
As you pour the eggnog on top, be gentle to ensure the liquid goes into the mug, and you have plenty of foam left to pour on top.
Don't let the eggnog boil. We just want it to create steam on top with small bubbles forming on the surface.
You'll want to use a larger mug than your typical coffee cup to accommodate the eggnog, espresso and foam. Latte mugs are larger and perfect.

Perfect Pairing

This Christmas latte calls for a holiday brunch treat. Fortunately, I have some delicious options. Try my gingerbread waffles, apple cinnamon rolls or pumpkin crullers. These sweet treats are perfect with the decadent 'nog and spices. You'll also love these gingerbread pancakes from Holiday Sweets n Treats.

For an even-better-than-Starbucks eggnog latte, you will love this recipe. It’s the perfect homemade holiday latte to keep you feeling cozy and festive during this celebrated time of year.

Cheers!

A close-up of an eggnog latte with Christmas ornaments and candles around it.

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