Glazed Eggnog Bread

This Glazed Eggnog Bread comes together with just 10 minutes of prep for an easy and delicious Christmas treat! You’ll love the warm spices, the rich eggnog and rum flavors, and the thick, sweet glaze. Serve it as a simple breakfast or snack all season long, pair it with ice cream or whipped cream for a make-ahead dessert, or set out a few slices on your holiday brunch buffet. This quick bread is perfect alongside a hot mug of coffee, tea, or cocoa!

Eggnog Quick Bread

My two favorite holiday flavors are gingerbread and eggnog, so it’s no surprise that each December I look forward to an array of gingerbread cookies, old-fashioned gingerbread cake, and of course, this easy eggnog bread. The moist, warmly-spiced holiday treat is perfect for breakfast, snack, or as a simple dessert. It’s also a great way to use up some leftover eggnog that might be hanging out in your fridge!

You can’t beat the nostalgia or the taste of classic eggnog. Historically known as milk punch or egg milk punch, the rich, sweetened, dairy-based beverage is traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, whipped egg whites, and egg yolks. Eggnog is often spiked with rum and flavored with nutmeg, giving the festive treat a warm, cozy taste, texture and aroma.

Serve Eggnog at Christmas

Eggnog first made its appearance in the American colonies in the 18th century, where both eggs and rum were abundant. The beverage has remained especially popular around Christmastime, thanks to its warm temperature and the cozy flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla bean, that epitomize the winter season. Even if you don’t enjoy sipping on a mug of spiked custard, I can assure you — you’ll love the taste of eggnog when it’s baked into a cake! Serve this special holiday treat all throughout the season for a delicious breakfast, afternoon snack, or easy dessert. It’s cozy, buttery, moist and sweet. Everything that Christmas quick breads should be!

How to Make Eggnog Bread

This eggnog bread might also be considered an eggnog cake. It’s the perfect cross between a quick bread and a pound cake, with a rich flavor, loads of spices, and a moist, tender crumb. It tastes fancy and indulgent, but it couldn’t be easier to make from scratch. You only need about 10 minutes of prep, so this baking is ideal for the busy holiday season!

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon and nutmeg
• Eggs
• Eggnog
• Salted butter
• Vanilla extract and rum extract

Step 1: Whisk Dry Ingredients

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Step 2: Whisk Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients to Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until the batter comes together. Be careful not to over-mix — a few lumps are fine.

Step 4: Bake

Transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 45-60 minutes. The bread is done when it’s golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool completely before glazing.

Step 5: Glaze

Prepare the eggnog glaze by whisking together confectioners sugar, eggnog, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. It should be quite thick, but pourable.

Drizzle the glaze over the cool bread, and then allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.

What to Serve with Christmas Eggnog Bread

For a simple snack or weekday breakfast, this bread is perfect alongside a mug of hot cocoa, coffee, tea or wassail. Serve the eggnog cake for dessert with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you’re including the loaf on a larger holiday brunch buffet, pair it with any of these other delicious dishes:

• Sausage Breakfast Casserole
• Sausage Hash Brown Casserole
• Overnight French Toast Casserole
• Fresh fruit salad
• Sally’s Easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole
• Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche or Quiche Lorraine
• Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
• Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
• Crustless Quiche with Spinach
• Virginia Country Ham Biscuits

Storage

Always wrap your loaf in plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. The eggnog bread will stay fresh at room temperature on the counter for 1-2 days, and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freezer Instructions

Allow the bread to cool completely, do not glaze, and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc freezer bag or wrap again with foil. The bread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread on the countertop. Add the glaze, let it set, then slice and enjoy!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Note: I have also frozen this bread with the glaze already on it. That works fine, but the glaze just doesn’t look quite as good when it’s thawed.

Recipe Variations

• Instead of the rum extract, use 1 tablespoon of rum, bourbon or whisky in the batter.
• For a rum glaze, add about ½ teaspoon of rum or rum extract to the glaze recipe below.
• I prefer the rich flavor that butter adds to the bread; however, you can replace the butter with an equal amount of canola or vegetable oil.
• Eggnog Nut Bread: stir in 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts
• Cranberries: add 1 cup of sweetened, dried cranberries (such as Craisins), or try fresh cranberries for a tart pop of flavor.
• Eggnog Muffins: Prepare the recipe as instructed, divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups that have been lined with paper or greased, and bake the muffins in a 375 degree F oven for 20-22 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Let the muffins cool, and then dip the tops of the muffins in a small bowl of glaze.

Tips for the Best Eggnog Bread Recipe

• Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it to come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in a dry, dense loaf.
• The total baking time will vary depending on the type of loaf pan that you use. A dark metal, nonstick pan cooks the bread faster, so it will likely be done within 45 minutes. By contrast, a lighter metal pan, a glass pan, or a ceramic pan can easily require 60-65 minutes of baking in a 350 degree F oven. You can tell that your loaf is cooked through when you insert a toothpick or long stick deep into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean.
• Use a high-quality, full-fat eggnog for best results. The fat in the eggnog adds moisture and yields a moist, tender crumb. Non-dairy eggnog or low-fat eggnog will not work quite as well.

How to Use Egg Nog

If you have leftover eggnog in the fridge, here are a few other ways to take advantage of the sweet Christmas drink:

• In cereal or oatmeal;
• In coffee or tea instead of a sweetened creamer;
• As a substitute for milk or cream in mashed sweet potatoes;
• For French toast;
• In pancake or waffle batter;
• Mixed with ice cream in a milkshake.

More Christmas Recipes You’ll Love

• Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
• Amish Friendship Bread and Starter Recipe
• Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Rum Cake
• Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
• Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
• Snickerdoodles

Glazed Eggnog Bread

5 from 3 votes

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 45 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 2 hours hours

Total: 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 250 kcal

Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a special holiday brunch! This easy glazed eggnog bread is a flavorful make-ahead Christmas treat that's ready for the oven in about 10 minutes.

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Ingredients

  

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• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¾ cup eggnog, at room temperature
• ½ cup salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon rum extract (or reduce to ½ teaspoon for a more subtle flavor)

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
• 2-3 tablespoons eggnog
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 ½ by 4 ½ -inch loaf pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, eggnog, melted butter, vanilla extract and rum extract. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Glaze:

• In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons of eggnog, nutmeg and salt until a thick, pourable glaze comes together. If the glaze seems too thick, add more eggnog, one teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If the glaze is too thin, gradually add more sugar.
• Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf of bread. Slice and serve.

Notes

Storage:

Always wrap your loaf in plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. The eggnog bread will stay fresh at room temperature on the counter for 1-2 days, and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freezer Instructions:

Allow the bread to cool completely, do not glaze, and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc freezer bag or wrap again with foil. The bread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread on the countertop. Add the glaze, let it set, then slice and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (1/12 of the loaf)Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 314IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg

Keyword: eggnog bread, eggnog cake

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Blair Lonergan

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