Can You Warm up Eggnog? Here’s How!
As a holiday drink, eggnog is traditionally served in a punch bowl and is intended for people to self-serve, pouring themselves as much as they want. As such, eggnog is usually served at room temperature or slightly chilled. However, not everyone prefers it that way since eggnog tastes slightly different at different temperatures. So, can you warm up eggnog?
You can warm up eggnog using a few methods; you can use the microwave, the stove, or the oven. You can warm up store-bought as well as homemade eggnog.
Even though it is intended as a holiday party drink and therefore traditionally served in a punch bowl, many love having eggnog chilling by the TV. Some circumstances call for chilled, but others for warm eggnog. Therefore, in the following paragraphs, I will discuss how to warm up eggnog to enjoy it to the fullest.
Can You Heat up Store-bought Eggnog?
Heating store-bought eggnog is fairly simple, and you don’t need special skills or equipment. You can microwave the eggnog, heat it up in the oven, or use the stove.
The main thing you need to remember and make sure that it doesn’t happen is to let the eggnog boil. If your eggnog boils, you can kiss it goodbye as the milk will curdle. So whatever you do, make sure you always stir your eggnog.
If you decide to use the microwave, put the eggnog in a microwave-safe mug and warm it up at medium power. Place the timer at 30 seconds, and every 30 seconds, take out the mug, stir the eggnog, and put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds unless it is warm enough for you.
If you use the stove, ensure you heat up your eggnog at medium heat and stir it all the time, without stopping even for a second. Warming up eggnog on the stove is very similar to warming up milk, so what would make the milk stick to the pan? The same thing would make the eggnog stick. Therefore, in addition to using a non-stick pan and constant stirring, you will need to maintain the temperature at medium and not increase it.
Keep an eye on the eggnog while heating it up, and remove it from the stove if you notice that it starts changing color (if it gets darker, you have gone too far).
The third option to heat up the eggnog is to use the oven, but keep this option open only in case you are prevented from using the other two. Adjust the oven temperature to low and place the eggnog inside a poured pan. The oven-heated eggnog will likely come out thicker than it was, so if you don’t mind the altered structure, you will feel like you have a milky and alcoholic dessert.
Can You Heat up Homemade Eggnog?
Yes, you can heat up homemade eggnog. Homemade eggnog is denser than store-bought eggnog, so the same rules don’t apply.
You can’t heat up homemade eggnog straight from the fridge, as it will curdle. You should leave it at room temperature until it thins to pop it into the microwave or on the stove. The oven is not an option for homemade eggnog.
Also, homemade eggnog doesn’t contain any of the additives that store-bought eggnog contains, so be mindful of how you treat it.
If you decide to warm it up in the microwave, make sure you set the temperature to low and stir it every 30 seconds.
If you use the stove, you will need a large pot so that the eggnog has plenty of space and sets the temperature to low. The pot needs to be more than half empty so that you can warm up your homemade eggnog properly. Also, the pot needs a well-insulated bottom because homemade eggnog sticks more than store-bought.
How to Heat up Eggnog on the Stove?
If you are heating up store-bought eggnog on the stove, you must set the temperature to medium. Stir at all times after you place the eggnog pot on the plate. Keep your movements slow so as not to make the eggnog too thin.
Make sure you don’t let your eggnog boil, which goes for homemade eggnog. Also, track the color of your eggnog and remove the pot from the stove once you see bubbles forming, but you should avoid the bubbles in the first place.
If you are heating up homemade eggnog, make sure you have a large enough pot with a well-insulated bottom. Don’t let the eggnog boil; don’t heat it up straight from the fridge. You must let it sit at room temperature for a while before popping it on the stove.
Homemade eggnog is denser than store-bought and doesn’t contain additives, so you need to stir a bit more aggressively to prevent it from thickening and curdling.
How to Heat up Eggnog in the Microwave?
When heating up homemade eggnog in the microwave, you need to set the temperature to low and microwave your eggnog in 20-second intervals until you achieve the desired temperature.
For store-bought eggnog, you need to set the temperature to medium and heat up in 30-second intervals until the eggnog is to your liking.
You must ensure that your eggnog, homemade or store-bought, doesn’t boil and curdle. Monitor the color and stir the eggnog after each microwaving interval
What Are Other Ways to Warm up Eggnog?
Besides the microwave and the stove, there are a few other options to warm up eggnog. However, you can try warming up store-bought eggnog in the oven, but it will thicken, so if you don’t mind that, you can turn your eggnog into an alcoholic and milky dessert.
The oven is not an option for homemade eggnog, as it is already thicker than store-bought and will curdle.
