Eggnog steel-cut oatmeal made from scratch – no store-bought eggnog required! It’s easily dairy free too.
Around this time every year I make myself a list called ‘Things I’d like to make before Christmas but won’t be bothered to’. The main things on the list are:
- A gingerbread house
- A chocolate yule log – which is basically a really fancy chocolate Swiss roll.
- At least one of the holiday DIY projects I’ve seen on Pinterest. Like a homemade ornament, or a stocking, or cookie mix in a jar (complete with a handwritten recipe and ribbons and all that jazz).
- Homemade eggnog
There are also a bunch of other things, like going nuts with the Christmas lights (but since I live in an apartment, they’d have to be inside lights).
As usual, I’ve crossed nothing off the list. While I’ve made tons of gingerbread, the gingerbread house remains a distant dream. Don’t expect a chocolate yule log to come out of my kitchen, given I don’t even own a Swiss roll pan. And I probably don’t have the patience for a DIY project.
But hey, a girl can dream.
What about eggnog – have I poured myself a glass of homemade nog? Technically, no. But after making this oatmeal, I feel like I’m halfway there.
Instead of using store-bought eggnog, this oatmeal starts by essentially making a custard from milk and egg yolks. The oats are then cooked in this custard, some vanilla and spices are added, and the egg whites are stirred in towards the end.
So we’re kind of making eggnog and oatmeal at the same time. ‘Tis the season for multitasking too, no?
It might seem weird that I used almond milk in this recipe, given eggnog is usually made with whole milk, half-and-half or cream. But there is some method to my madness: almond milk doesn’t burn, bubble over or stick to the pan easily.
There are few things worse than trying to make breakfast, only to end up with an overflowing pot of scorched milk. Luckily, almond milk makes life a bit easier. Of course, you can use any other kind of milk if you prefer. I imagine whole/full-fat milk would be the creamiest (but also the most likely to burn or bubble over).
Just so you know, I went easy on the nutmeg in this oatmeal. I’m someone who’s easily overwhelmed by nutmeg, so feel free to increase it if you’re not a nutmeg-wuss like myself.
Oh, and while this is an alcohol-free oatmeal, I included a few ideas if you’d like this eggnog oatmeal to taste like booze. (‘Tis the season!).
- Oatmeal
- 2 cups almond milk
- 2 eggs, separated
- ½ cup steel-cut oats
- Pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Toppings- Ground (or freshly grated) nutmeg
- Maple syrup
- In a saucepan, bring the almond milk to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl.
- Slowly whisk the hot almond milk into the egg yolks. Whisk until completely combined. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and place over medium-low heat.
- Add the steel-cut oats and salt, and stir well. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla bean paste. Sweeten with maple syrup to taste.
- Steel-cut oatmeal generally takes 20 - 30 minutes to cook. As it’s cooking, add more almond milk if it looks as though the oatmeal is drying out. Stir the oatmeal frequently, and adjust the stove heat as necessary.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a small bowl until foamy.
- When the oatmeal is close to being ready (about 5 minutes before it’s done), slowly pour the whisked egg whites into the saucepan while stirring. Stir until the egg whites are fully incorporated. If the egg whites have added too much liquid to the oatmeal, increase the stove heat a little.
- Once the oats have softened and are creamy, divide the oatmeal between two bowls. Top each bowl with a drizzle of maple syrup and sprinkle over some nutmeg. Enjoy!
For an alcoholic eggnog oatmeal, stir in a few tablespoons of bourbon, rum or brandy. Alternatively, add 1 teaspoon of brandy extract or rum extract.
Milk
I used almond milk because it (generally) doesn't stick the saucepan or burn easily. However, whole/full-fat milk would yield the creamiest oatmeal.
It’s very important to stir this oatmeal frequently!
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