Milk Kefir Eggnog
Milk Kefir Eggnog
I hunted the internet for a milk kefir eggnog recipe and couldn’t find one that was much more than adding a bit of kefir to homemade eggnog. I wanted a milk kefir that was flavored as an eggnog during the second ferment – so I came up with my own recipe.
I’m so glad I did, it turned out fantastic! The eggnog they sell at the store is way too sweet for me, and most brands contain corn syrup and unhealthy preservatives.
This milk kefir eggnog is thick and rich, just sweet enough, and full of probiotics.
I am already working on batch #2 – it’s delicious!
Milk Kefir Eggnog Recipe
4 cups finished milk kefir (grains removed)
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
2″ cinnamon stick
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. allspice
3 cardamom pods
3/4 cup 18% cream
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. raw honey
Whisk to incorporate the honey and cover with a lid.
Ferment at room temperature for 24 – 48 hours (to taste – I waited 48 hours for the full probiotic benefits)
Strain to remove whole spices.
Separate 3 eggs. Whisk yolks until light and frothy.
Measure 1 cup of kefir mixture into a saucepan.
Add 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Heat slowly on medium-low heat, whisking continually.
When kefir is steaming (NOT boiling), add half of warmed kefir to egg yolks while quickly whisking yolks to prevent lumps.
Pour mixture back into the pot while whisking quickly.
Continue cooking at medium-low heat and whisking continually for about 15 minutes to produce a custard and to cook the eggs.
It will thicken up enough to coat the back of a spoon, or you can check for doneness by temperature; the eggs are cooked when the mixture reaches 160 degrees.
Remove from heat and allow custard to cool.
If you have any lumps, you can strain through a fine mesh sieve
Add custard into remaining milk kefir eggnog mixture, whisk to incorporate, and chill in the fridge at least 2 hours before serving.
Serve as is or add rum, bourbon, rye whiskey, brandy, Kahlua, or Grand Marnier.
Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg to garnish.
It is hard to wait for this to finish fermenting because once you put the vanilla and spices in the milk kefir, the aroma is incredible. Have you ever tried a milk kefir eggnog?
posted by GrassFood on November 28, 2015
Incredible! I can’t wait to try this. I’ve never done a second fermentation with my kefir. Thank you!
posted by YogurtHydro on November 28, 2015
Come back and tell me what you think!
posted by DJ on November 30, 2015
I really need to try this. I need more probiotics in my diet.
posted by alicia szemon on November 30, 2015
eggnog! yass! i need to try this
posted by Betty on December 6, 2015
Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop
posted by Richard Hicks on December 14, 2015
This would make a super drink when having guests over!
posted by Karen on December 23, 2015
Question! What would happen if you added the custard to the secondary ferment? Would it ferment as well? Thanks!
posted by YogurtHydro on December 30, 2015
Sorry for the late reply – I took a week off for Christmas:)
I wouldn’t add the custard to the second ferment because of the eggs. But once it’s all mixed together the kefir will continue to ferment the mixture in the fridge. The cold slows the fermentation, but it doesn’t stop it.:)
posted by Lena P. on March 16, 2016
Yum this sounds tasty. I’ll have to try it. I’ve never made my own kefir!
posted by Samantha Sullon on March 21, 2016
Sounds good to me! I will try this kind of eggnog :)
posted by Debbie on December 30, 2016
Doesn’t cooking kill the probiotics?
posted by YogurtHydro on January 5, 2017
Yes it does; this is why I heat only 1 cup of kefir mixture in which to cook the egg as it leaves the remaining kefir unheated.:)
posted by DivaDivine on November 20, 2019
Just an FYI: eggs and nutmeg aren’t in the ingredient listing.
Looks like a good recipe
posted by Nancy on December 30, 2019
Found this recipe for the holidays, and it’s a keeper! Just a note: I wanted to keep the probiotics intact, so I heatied just some milk with eggs and sugar, let it cool, then added the cooked custard to the second-ferment kefir that steeped in the cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. It still provides the thickening but without damaging the probiotics. Thanks for this treat!
posted by YogurtHydro on December 31, 2019
Glad you enjoyed it Nancy, I really loved this one too! I do actually state in the write up that I only heated 1 cup of the kefir to make the custard as well, for the same reason. However, there is evidence that dead probiotics are also very good for you – so if you find a recipe calling to cook a fermented food, you will still get benefits from it.:) Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it!
posted by Nancy on January 2, 2020
Aha! That’s good to know. I thought dead probiotics had no value and haven’t wanted to cook with kefir at all. Yippee! New horizons! Any references for that science would be greatly appreciated!
posted by YogurtHydro on January 3, 2020
Yes, it opens up more possibilities! Here are a couple scientific papers for you –
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566317/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20403231?fbclid=IwAR1qbmQ6_dHd11zXm0TS8hDfWNkFhDc4q2OfCAHuoncCrj_aIC0h-XAEeHg