Coffee Drink
Eggnog Latte Recipe: Hot, Iced & Milk Ratio
An eggnog latte combines espresso with prepared eggnog, often lightened with milk. This gently warmed version has a sweet, custard-like flavor, with the eggnog supplying its own sweetness and spice.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- 75 mg referenceGeneric USDA espresso, 36 gGeneric espresso estimate; beans and extraction change actual caffeine.
- Calories
- Estimated 220 kcalDefined recipe; eggnog and milk includedNo whipped cream, syrup or alcohol is included.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 36 g espresso + 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) Hood Golden Eggnog + 60 g (¼ US cup) whole milk
- Made with
- Espresso + prepared eggnog + whole milk
- Sugar
- Estimated 24 g total. 21 g from the named eggnog and 3 g from milk; total sugar includes milk sugar.
- Preparation
- About 5 minutes; equipment ready
Estimates use Hood Golden Eggnog and USDA milk and espresso records. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- Choose eggnog latte for a thick, custard-like drink; the added milk makes the prepared eggnog easier to sip.
- Taste the eggnog’s sweetness and spice before adding syrup, since the carton already supplies both.
- Use pasteurized, nonalcoholic ready-to-drink eggnog, warm gently and stop before boiling.
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Eggnog Latte Recipe
Have the espresso equipment ready before warming the eggnog. Leave pouring room in the cup.
Recipe
Hot Eggnog Latte
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 5 minutes; espresso equipment ready
Ingredients
- 18 g coffee, ground for espresso, to yield 36 g brewed espresso
- 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) pasteurized, nonalcoholic ready-to-drink eggnog; Hood Golden is the nutrition reference
- 60 g (¼ US cup) cold whole milk
Equipment
- Espresso machine and grinder
- Scale and measuring jug
- Small saucepan, whisk and thermometer
- 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz) heatproof cup
- Espresso basket suited to 18 g and tamper
Method
- Combine 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) prepared eggnog and 60 g (¼ US cup) whole milk in a small saucepan.
- Warm gently over low heat, stirring, to 60–65°C (140–149°F). Do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk lightly.
- Brew 18 g ground coffee to 36 g espresso into a warmed 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz) cup.
- Pour all the warm eggnog mixture into the espresso and serve promptly.
Estimated nutrition: 220 kcal · 24 g total sugar. Per latte, using Hood Golden Eggnog and whole milk.
Recipe notes
Use pasteurized, nonalcoholic ready-to-drink eggnog, not raw egg mixture. Contains milk and egg.
Use pasteurized, nonalcoholic ready-to-drink eggnog and follow its storage instructions. The gentle warming step is for this prepared product, not for cooking a raw egg mixture.
Equipment and Preparation
The espresso brewing guide covers the coffee preparation. Eggnog is measured by volume; the additional milk is weighed.
A saucepan makes a small portion easy to control. If using a steam wand instead, first check that your equipment permits sweetened eggnog mixtures and follow its cleaning instructions. Do not expect eggnog to behave exactly like plain milk: Hood’s eggnog latte method also heats prepared eggnog gently before frothing, using different coffee and eggnog portions.
How to Make an Iced Eggnog Latte
Use 36 g espresso, 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) prepared eggnog and 60 g (¼ US cup) whole milk; add 100 g (3.5 oz) ice in a 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz) glass. Brew the espresso and let it cool briefly while you combine the cold eggnog and milk. Put the ice in the glass, add the cold dairy mixture, pour in the espresso and stir.
There is no heating or frothing step for this version. Its ingredient-based calories and total sugar are the same as the hot recipe. Ice changes dilution as it melts; it does not remove the sugar or caffeine already in the glass. For a less rich everyday iced drink, compare the iced latte.
How Much Milk Should You Add to Eggnog?
Start with 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) eggnog and 60 g (¼ US cup) whole milk for this small latte. The extra milk softens a concentrated, sweet eggnog base without adding another sweetener. Because milk is weighed and eggnog is measured by volume, these quantities are not presented as an exact volume ratio.
If the first cup feels too rich, try 90 ml (3 US fl oz) eggnog with 90 g (6 US tbsp) milk, keeping the espresso at 36 g. That adjustment gives the eggnog a smaller role and lowers the label-based estimate to 195 kcal and 20.3 g total sugar.
Heat the eggnog-and-milk mixture gently for a creamy, easy-to-sip texture.
Starbucks traces its eggnog latte to 1986, when Dave Olsen combined eggnog and milk behind the espresso bar at Il Giornale. The café later merged with Starbucks.
For its December 2, 2025 U.S. return, Starbucks paired steamed eggnog and espresso with foam and nutmeg, and also offered an iced version.
Eggnog Latte Taste and Substitutions
Eggnog gives the espresso a sweet, custard-like flavor and a thicker feel than a plain latte. Its spice aroma sits above the coffee, while the added milk loosens the texture. The result is creamy and gently aerated, with espresso bitterness providing contrast to the sweet dairy.
I compared this recipe's 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz) eggnog and 60 g (¼ US cup) whole milk with the lighter 90 ml (3 US fl oz) eggnog and 90 g (6 US tbsp) milk option, keeping 36 g espresso in each. I used the same nonalcoholic eggnog and warmed both gently without boiling. The first felt like a custard-rich treat, with a coating texture that stayed after the sip; in the lighter cup, I noticed the coffee finish sooner. Both were sweet enough without syrup. I choose the first for richness and the second for less eggnog body before adding more coffee.
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| Change | What to do | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Different commercial eggnog | Keep the first portion measured and check its label | Sweetness, thickness, allergens and nutrition |
| Plant-based nog | Choose a ready-to-drink product and use a compatible plant milk | Ingredients, heating behavior and the entire dairy estimate |
| Decaf espresso | Keep the measured prepared-coffee portion | Caffeine falls but is not necessarily zero |
| No espresso machine | Follow Hood's complete brewed-coffee eggnog latte recipe | Its two-serving formula uses Light Eggnog and different coffee portions |
An eggnog latte mixes prepared spiced eggnog with espresso; Vietnamese egg coffee serves coffee beneath a separately whipped egg topping. Do not add a raw yolk to this latte to make it more “eggnog-like.” Its egg ingredient is already contained in the prepared commercial drink.
Fix a Thick, Scorched or Overly Sweet Eggnog Latte
| What you notice | A useful correction |
|---|---|
| Mixture sticks to the saucepan | Use low heat and stir continuously; stop before it boils |
| Burnt flavor | Start again with a clean pan; extra syrup will not remove scorching |
| Drink feels too thick or sweet | Try the 90 ml (3 US fl oz) eggnog and 90 g (6 US tbsp) milk variation next time |
| Little foam | Aim for a smooth drink with light aeration rather than a tall foam cap; avoid repeated heating |
| Espresso disappears | Check that the coffee was concentrated and that the dairy portions were measured |
Eggnog Latte Calories, Sugar and Caffeine
The defined serving has an estimated 220 kcal, 24 g total sugar and 75 mg reference caffeine. It contains milk and egg when made with Hood Golden Eggnog and whole milk. No extra sugar is added by this recipe, but the purchased eggnog already contains added sugar.
Serving calculation and source assumptions
Hood Golden Eggnog lists 180 kcal and 21 g total sugar per 120 ml, including 16 g added sugar. USDA whole milk supplies 61 kcal and 5.05 g sugar per 100 g, so 60 g contributes 36.6 kcal and 3.03 g sugar. The generic prepared-espresso record gives 9 kcal and 212 mg caffeine per 100 g: 36 g contributes 3.24 kcal and 76.32 mg caffeine. The total is 219.84 kcal and 24.03 g sugar before rounding.
For the 90 ml eggnog and 90 g milk alternative, the same records give 135 + 54.9 + 3.24 = 193.14 kcal, and 15.75 + 4.545 = 20.295 g total sugar. The displayed estimate rounds to 195 kcal and 20.3 g. No gram-to-ml conversion is needed: each ingredient uses the unit in its reference.
These ingredient estimates use the stated eggnog label and USDA espresso data. Check your carton for its own formulation.