This festive Eggnog Cookie Recipe is my version of the perfect Christmas cookie. These cookies are soft, chewy, and topped with creamy eggnog buttercream.
Looking for more Christmas cookie recipes? Try these Christmas M&M Cookies, Stained Glass Cookies, Chocolate Kiss Cookies, or make a complete Cookie Board.
Eggnog Cookie Recipe
There are a lot of Christmas cookie recipes out there, but this Eggnog Cookie Recipe is truly one of the best. Soft and chewy, these sugar cookies are made with cinnamon and nutmeg and covered with creamy eggnog buttercream. They seriously do taste like eggnog in cookie form and will become an immediate family favorite.
Eggnog cookies are perfect for class parties, a fun treat to take to work, or a great choice for a Christmas cookie exchange.
Key Ingredients
- Butter – your butter needs to be softened either at room temperature or by warming gently in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time. You will need some for the cookies and some for the buttercream.
- Sugar – you will need white granulated sugar for these cookies.
- Eggs – it helps if your eggs are at room temperature before you mix them with the butter.
- Cream of Tartar and Baking Soda – these help to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Spices – to enhance the eggnog flavor, we add cinnamon and nutmeg to the cookie dough.
- Cinnamon Sugar – you will need to combine 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 tsp to cinnamon to roll the dough balls in before baking.
- Eggnog – during the holidays you can find this in the dairy section.
- Powdered Sugar – I like to sweetened frosting with powdered sugar so it doesn’t get grainy.
How to Make Eggnog Cookies
- Make the cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix. Combine the butter/sugar mixture with the flour mixture and mix.
- Scoop the cookies. In a small cereal bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Roll the cookie dough into 1 1/4″ balls and drop the cookie dough balls into the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Bake. Place on parchment lined baking sheets about 3″ apart, then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 9-11 minutes, or until just golden on the edges.
- Cool. Take the cookie out of the oven and let them cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them rest until they are completely cooled.
- Make the Eggnog Buttercream Frosting. With an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and powdered sugar. mix until the butter and powdered sugar mixture resemble small peas. Slowly add the eggnog while mixing with the electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Frost the cookies. Spread the eggnog buttercream frosting on the sugar cookies and add sprinkles if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Adjust the amount of spices. These cookies have a pretty strong nutmeg and cinnamon flavor. If you don’t prefer to have such strong flavors, just cut the spices in half.
- Make-ahead. You can make the dough ahead of time! I like to mix and scoop the dough, then line them up on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Don’t overmix the cookie dough. You can beat the butter and sugar together but when adding the flour, mix just enough to incorporate the ingredients.
- Use Room temperature ingredients. For the best final texture, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature when you mix the dough. This keeps the butter from seizing up which makes it difficult to combine without overmixing.
- The Eggnog buttercream frosting is optional. These Christmas Cookies are great either way!
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Room Temperature: If you want to bake and store the unfrosted cookies ahead of time, just place them in a container with a lid. They will stay fresh for a few days.
- Fridge- store baked cookies in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also store cookie dough in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days before baking.
- Freezer: To freeze cookie dough, scoop into balls and place on a parchment-lined pan and freeze until solid. Once frozen, remove from the cookie sheet and place in a freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for 3 months.
- To Bake Frozen Cookie Dough Balls: Defrost for an hour or two in the fridge and bake as directed. If the dough is very cold, you may need to add a minute or two of cook time.
Eggnog Cookies Recipe
These eggnog cookies with eggnog buttercream are the perfect Christmas cookie, with warm and cozy spices and just in time for the holidays.
Yields cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 3/4-3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Eggnog Buttercream
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup eggnog
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy—about 3 minutes. Slowly add the eggs one at a time and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix, then add this to the butter mixture.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Scoop and roll the cookie dough into 1¼" balls and drop the cookie dough balls into the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Place 12 dough balls on a baking sheet about 3" apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until just golden on the edges.
- Take the cookie out of the oven and let them cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them rest until they are completely cooled.
Eggnog Buttercream Frosting
- With an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and powdered sugar. mix until the butter and powdered sugar mixture resemble small peas. Slowly add the eggnog while mixing with the electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Spread the eggnog buttercream frosting on the sugar cookies and add sprinkles if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing instructions: store leftover cookies in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make-ahead tips: You can also store cookie dough in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days before baking, or freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months. To bake frozen cookie dough balls, transfer to the fridge for about an hour or two and bake as directed. If the dough is very cold, you may need to add a minute or two of cook time.
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 68mg | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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More of the Best Cookie Recipes
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- M&M Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Cookies
- Molasses Cookies
- Gingersnap Cookies
- Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Andes Mint Cookies
- White Chocolate and Coconut Cookies
- More Cookie Recipes
- More Frosting Recipes
These amazing Egg Nog Cookies are my edition of a perfect Christmas cookie. There are a lot of Christmas cookie recipes out there to choose from so if you’re looking for a soft and chewy sugar cookie or snickerdoodle and love the flavors of eggnog, these little cuties are for you!
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Categories:
Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Frosting, Holiday Favorites, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, Winter Recipes,
