These eggnog cookies are soft, lightly spiced with nutmeg, and topped with an eggnog glaze that sets up just firm enough to stack. I made a batch in November, fully intending to save them for a cookie exchange. I ate four of them with my morning coffee before the frosting had even dried. That should tell you everything you need to know.
The dough is a simple drop-and-chill situation — butter, sugar, eggnog, egg, flour, and nutmeg — and the eggnog frosting comes together in about two minutes with powdered sugar, a splash of eggnog, a bit of Karo syrup, and vanilla. The Karo is not optional if you want the frosting to actually set. More on that below.
Why This Recipe Works
- Eggnog does double duty — it flavors both the cookie and the frosting, so the flavor carries all the way through
- Chilling the dough for at least an hour keeps the cookies from spreading into flat discs
- Flattening with a glass right out of the oven gives you a proper cookie shape without rolling or cutting
- The Karo syrup in the frosting makes it set firm when dry, so cookies can be stacked and gifted without a mess
- Nutmeg in both the dough and as a topping makes these taste unmistakably like eggnog — not just vanilla with a festive name
What to Know Before You Start
A few things that will save you from a frustrating batch:
The chill time is non-negotiable. The dough is sticky before it goes in the fridge. One hour minimum — two is better if you have the time. If you skip this step, you’ll get flat, sad puddles instead of real cookies.
Flatten them immediately. The moment the cookies come out of the oven, press them down with the bottom of a greased flat-bottomed glass while they’re still hot and pliable. Once they cool, they won’t flatten — they’ll crack. This step is not optional and it takes about 30 seconds, so don’t skip it.
Let the frosting dry completely before stacking. The Karo syrup helps it set, but it needs at least an hour — longer in a humid kitchen. Stacking too early means frosting on the bottom of the cookie above it. Ask me how I know.
Any brand of eggnog works. Full-fat store-bought eggnog is what I use. It’s thick enough and flavored well. If you’re out or want to make your own, The Kitchn has a solid homemade eggnog recipe that I’ve used in a pinch — works great in this dough.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup softened butter — Real butter, not margarine. Softened means it holds an indent when you press it, not melted or cold from the fridge.
- 1 cup sugar — Plain granulated sugar. Nothing fancy.
- 1 cup eggnog — Store-bought or homemade. Full-fat gives the best texture and flavor.
- 1 egg, beaten — Beat it briefly before adding. Helps it incorporate evenly.
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour — Spoon and level your flour, don’t scoop directly from the bag or you’ll end up with dense cookies.
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt — Don’t skip this. It balances the sweetness.
- 1 tsp nutmeg — Freshly grated nutmeg is noticeably better here if you have it. Pre-ground works fine too.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Eggnog Frosting
- 1½ cups powdered sugar — Sifted if it’s lumpy, otherwise straight from the bag is fine.
- ¼ to ½ cup eggnog — Start with ¼ cup and add more as needed. You want a thick, spreadable consistency — not pourable.
- 1 tsp light Karo syrup — This is what makes the frosting harden when it dries. Without it, the frosting stays soft and tacky. You can find Karo syrup at nearly any grocery store.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Ground nutmeg for sprinkling on top
How to Make Eggnog Cookies
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy — about 2–3 minutes with a hand mixer or stand mixer. The mixture should look pale and feel airy, not dense or greasy. If your butter was too cold, you’ll see lumps. If it was too warm, it’ll look almost liquid. Aim for the middle.
Step 2: Add Eggnog and Egg
Add the cup of eggnog and the beaten egg to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until combined. The batter will look a bit curdled at this point — that’s normal. It smooths out once the flour goes in.
Step 3: Add the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined — don’t overwork it. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. That’s correct.
Stir in the vanilla.
Step 4: Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight. The dough needs this time to firm up enough to handle. If you try to bake it straight from the mixing bowl, it will spread too much and lose its shape.
Step 5: Scoop and Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. I give each one a quick roll in my palm to make them rounder, but a drop cookie scoop works just as well and is faster. Leave about 2 inches between cookies.
Bake for 8–10 minutes. The cookies should look just barely set on the edges and still slightly underdone in the center. They firm up as they cool. If they look fully cooked in the oven, they’ll be dry once cooled.
Step 6: Flatten While Hot
This is the step people skip and then wonder why their cookies look like golf balls. The moment the pan comes out of the oven, use the bottom of a greased flat-bottomed glass (spray the bottom with a little cooking spray) and press down on each cookie to flatten it to a proper cookie shape. Do this while they’re hot — you have about a 60-second window before they set and won’t cooperate.
Transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool completely — at least one hour — before frosting.
Step 7: Make the Eggnog Frosting
Whisk together the powdered sugar, ¼ cup of eggnog, Karo syrup, and vanilla. Add more eggnog a tablespoon at a time until you reach a thick but spreadable consistency. It should hold its shape when you lift a spoon but spread easily with the back of a knife. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too stiff, add a splash more eggnog.
Step 8: Frost and Finish
Spread the frosting on each cooled cookie using the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula. Sprinkle lightly with ground nutmeg while the frosting is still wet so it sticks. Set the cookies on a rack or flat surface and leave them alone for at least an hour — the Karo syrup will cause the frosting to firm up and lose its tackiness, making them safe to stack or box up.
Helpful Tips
- Use a cookie scoop for consistency. Same-size cookies bake evenly. If some are bigger, they’ll be underdone while the smaller ones overcook.
- Grease the glass bottom each time. If the glass sticks to a cookie mid-flatten, the cookie tears. A quick spray of cooking spray every 3–4 cookies keeps it from sticking.
- Don’t frost warm cookies. Even slightly warm cookies will cause the frosting to slide off or look watery. Cool completely on a rack.
- Measure flour by spooning into the measuring cup and leveling with a straight edge — not scooping directly from the bag. Direct scooping compacts the flour and leads to dry, dense cookies.
- Nutmeg is the flavor of these cookies. Don’t be tempted to reduce it. It’s what makes them taste like eggnog instead of just a plain sugar cookie.
- The dough keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make a batch Sunday, bake Monday, no rush.
Variations
Add a pinch of cinnamon
Some people add ½ tsp of cinnamon alongside the nutmeg. It shifts the flavor toward a more general holiday spice and softens the nutmeg a bit. Both versions are good — it just depends on whether you want the nutmeg front and center or more subtle.
Colored sugar instead of frosting
Skip the frosting and press a little red or green sugar on top before baking. Faster, less mess, and still festive. The cookies won’t be as rich, but they’ll hold up better for shipping.
Spiked eggnog version
If you’re making these for an adults-only gathering, you can substitute ¼ cup of the eggnog in the dough with bourbon. The alcohol bakes off, but the flavor depth stays. Don’t use it in the frosting — the alcohol ratio makes it harder for the frosting to set properly.
Baking Equipment Worth Having
You don’t need much for this recipe, but a couple of specific things make it easier:
- Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Baking Sheet — This is the pan I use for almost every cookie I bake. Aluminum heats evenly, cookies don’t overbrown on the bottom, and the commercial size holds more cookies per batch. Under $15 and worth every cent.
- OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop — Consistent cookie sizes mean consistent bake times. I’ve tried cheap ones and they break. This one has lasted years.
Storage, Make-Ahead, and Freezing
Storing Baked Cookies
Once the frosting is completely dry and set, stack the cookies in an airtight container with parchment between layers. They keep well at room temperature for 4–5 days. After that they start to dry out, though they’re still edible.
Make-Ahead Options
Dough: Make the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can also roll it into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate — then slice and bake as needed.
Unfrosted cookies: Bake the cookies and let them cool completely. Store in a single layer (or with parchment between layers) at room temperature for up to 2 days before frosting. Frost the day you plan to serve or gift them.
Freezing
Unfrosted cookies freeze well for up to 2 months. Let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a zip-top bag with parchment between layers. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then frost once fully thawed.
I don’t recommend freezing frosted cookies — the frosting softens unevenly when thawed and doesn’t look great.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use low-fat or nonfat eggnog?
You can, but the cookies will be slightly less rich and the eggnog flavor will be milder. Full-fat eggnog has more of the spiced, custardy flavor that makes these taste distinctly like eggnog rather than just a slightly sweet drop cookie. If low-fat is all you have, it’ll work — just know the flavor difference is noticeable.
Do I really have to chill the dough?
Yes. The dough has a full cup of liquid (eggnog) in it, which makes it soft and sticky at room temperature. Without chilling, the cookies spread into thin, lacy discs during baking. An hour in the fridge is enough for the butter to firm back up and give the cookies structure. If you’re short on time, 45 minutes might work, but less than that and you’re gambling.
Why does the Karo syrup matter in the frosting?
Karo syrup (light corn syrup) acts as an interfering agent in the frosting — it prevents the sugar crystals from reforming the same way they would in a straight powdered sugar glaze. The result is a frosting that dries firm and smooth instead of staying tacky or turning gritty. Without it, you’ll have frosting that smears every time the cookies are touched. One teaspoon is all it takes.
Can I make these without a mixer?
Yes, if your butter is fully softened. Cream the butter and sugar together by hand with a wooden spoon — it takes more effort but works fine. The key is making sure the butter is soft enough that your arm doesn’t give out halfway through. Cold butter by hand is a miserable experience. Room temperature butter creams in about 3–4 minutes of good mixing.
My cookies came out puffy and didn’t flatten much during baking — what happened?
That’s fine — this recipe uses the flatten-with-a-glass technique right out of the oven for a reason. The cookies are intentionally baked slightly puffed, then pressed flat while hot. If yours look like little mounds when they come out of the oven, that’s correct. Just press them immediately with the greased glass and they’ll settle into a proper cookie shape as they cool.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Depending on how big you scoop them, this recipe makes approximately 4–5 dozen cookies using a teaspoon-sized scoop. Using a tablespoon scoop will give you a larger cookie with a slightly longer bake time — check at 10 minutes and add 1–2 more minutes as needed.