Photo: Chitaika (Shutterstock)
Eggnog is as Christmas as chunky, colorful lights–it’s not for everyone, but some households are all about it. Whether you have a yearly event concocting your family’s secret recipe, or buy liters of the store bought variety, try adding it to your pancake mix and make the most Christmassy breakfast of your life.
Eggnog is a creamy, spicy holiday drink, and undoubtedly fabulous on its own hot or cold, but it also works well as a dynamite flavoring in countless recipes. It’s basically your milk ingredient living its best life. There’s already a combination of warming spices, egg yolks, cream, and, heck, even booze, already mixed in. For various, inexplicable reasons, should you have leftover eggnog you can’t get rid of (maybe a friend gifted you too much, or you’re not in the mood to drink it and you’d rather eat it), make eggnog pancakes. Simply substitute equal parts eggnog for the liquid ingredient in your favorite pancake recipe, and proceed as usual. You’ll be rewarded with the same fluffy pancakes you love along with untamed Christmas flavors in every bite. Even though there’s already spice in the mix, those of us on the Naughty List add a tad more cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter.
Surprisingly, you won’t get much of the alcohol’s flavor in the finished pancake. I expected to taste quite a bit, considering I wasn’t shy with my pour and they don’t cook long, but it was completely unnoticeable. I wasn’t mad about it; the eggnog added plenty of delicious flavor and sweetness regardless. However, if you want to taste more of your holiday spirits, try making an alcoholic syrup or icing glaze to drizzle over your eggnog hot cakes.
These pancakes make for an excellent breakfast on Christmas morning, for a New Year’s Day brunch, or as a general winter-time snack. Explore the versatility of eggnog, and try substituting it in other morning staples like French toast or bread pudding.
