Eggnog Cupcakes
These Eggnog cupcakes are the kind of holiday dessert that makes the whole kitchen smell warm and festive. The cupcakes are soft and fluffy, with cozy notes of cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, vanilla, and creamy eggnog in every bite.
They’re especially lovely for Christmas parties, holiday gatherings, or a cozy afternoon of baking- like my almond Florentines.
During the holidays, I love experimenting with dessert recipes that have that warm, spiced undertone.
My low carb gingersnaps and fig galette have been crowd pleasers every time I make them, but this time, I really wanted to try something classic. And these cupcakes seemed like the perfect idea.
Quick Look: Eggnog Cupcakes
- 🔪 Prep time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: 18–20 minutes
- 🧁 Yield: 8 cupcakes
- 🥣 Main ingredients: Flour, butter, sugar, eggs, eggnog, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- 👩🍳 Cooking method: Cream butter and sugar → add wet ingredients → add dry ingredients → bake → cool → frost
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🎄 Best served: At holiday parties, Christmas gatherings, or with coffee or tea.
Jump to recipe
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- These cupcakes are packed with classic holiday flavors. Eggnog gives the cupcakes a rich, festive flavor while keeping the batter tender.
- The batter comes together with simple baking ingredients.You can prepare the cupcakes ahead and frost them (with some rich Devonshire cream) once they have completely cooled.
- They’re a great way to use up leftover eggnog during the holiday season.
Recipe Ingredients
Eggs: Use large room-temperature eggs.
All-purpose flour: The structure for the cupcakes.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a tender crumb.
Spices: I used a mix of cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg to lend the cupcakes gentle warm-spice flavor. You can also add a pinch of ground dried ginger if you want to.
Butter: Creates a rich, tender cupcake.
Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the other flavors.
Eggnog: Adds creamy richness and the signature holiday flavor.
Baking powder: To help the cupcakes rise and become light and fluffy.
Check recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use your favorite dairy-free eggnog if you want the eggnog cupcakes to be dairy-free.
- Add holiday sprinkles to the frosting for a more festive finish.
- For smaller cupcakes, divide the batter among more liners and begin checking for doneness earlier.
How to Make Eggnog Cupcakes
Step 1: Add softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the room-temperature eggs, vanilla extract, and eggnog to the butter mixture. Beat well until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Step 3: Gradually add in the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Mix only until the ingredients are combined.
Step 5: Spoon into cupcake liners until about two-thirds full and bake at 350F for about 18-20 minutes.
Tips and Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before you start mixing and use room-temperature eggs for easier incorporation into the batter.
- Cream the butter and sugar until noticeably lighter and fluffy. Mix the batter only until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full to leave room for the cupcakes to rise.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
How to Serve Eggnog Cupcakes
Serve these cupcakes as part of a Christmas dessert table or alongside coffee, tea, or a warm holiday drink. I like to pair them with some crackers, orange marmalade and my favorite cheese Christmas trees or some cranberry goat cheese truffles.
They’re also lovely for casual holiday baking when you want a simple dessert that feels a little more special.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Store the finished cupcakes in an airtight container. If they are already frosted, keep them refrigerated if the buttercream you use requires refrigeration. Let refrigerated cupcakes sit out briefly before serving so the texture softens.
Overmixing the batter after adding the flour can make cupcakes dense or tough. Mix on low speed only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
Start checking them around the 18-minute mark. They should be baked through when they are done; the original recipe gives a baking time of 18–20 minutes.
More Holiday Bakes
If you tried this eggnog cupcakes recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Eggnog Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1.25 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon nutmeg freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup eggnog
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 100 g butter softened to room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Add the softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
- Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and eggnog and beat well to fully incorporate.
- Gradually add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with batter.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes with eggnog buttercream and decorate with holiday sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature before mixing.
- Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients have been added.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- A dairy-free eggnog can be used as a substitution.
- Leftover eggnog should be refrigerated and used within a week.
- The current source post references eggnog buttercream but does not provide a separate buttercream ingredient list or recipe.
