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This Soft Serve Eggnog Ice Cream is a dead ringer for the Thomas family’s traditional Christmas Eve frozen eggnog drink – only Trim Healthy Mama friendly, low carb, and refined sugar free!
I grew up enjoying an eggnog milkshake of sorts every Christmas Eve with my family and thought that was what all eggnog tasted like…until I tasted some “traditional” gloopy storebought eggnog somewhere. Blegh. I guess we humans tend to like what we’re accustomed to! Since my childhood I’ve learned that people have all kinds of eggnog traditions, and very few are the same as what I grew up on. My mom’s eggnog has ’em all beat: lots of vanilla ice cream + brown sugar + milk + raw eggs + a tiny bit of nutmeg (not enough to overpower) and no rum flavor.
OK, so basically a vanilla milkshake with raw eggs and added depth of flavor from the brown sugar. Suits me.
(and I made a THM friendly version)
But it sure ain’t healthy. Enter this Soft Serve Eggnog Ice Cream. It tastes like my mom’s eggnog, only more ice creamy. I like to serve it as a soft serve so a) it’s more like the milkshake I grew up on, and b) I don’t have to wait for it to firm up in the freezer. If you want to be ahead of the game you can make the base the day before and chill it overnight so it’s ready to churn and serve whenever you want some soft-serve eggnog ice cream.
This recipe actually has a leg up on the traditional Thomas family eggnog because the eggs and egg yolks in this ice cream base are cooked! I personally don’t mind a few raw eggs here and there, but I knew a lot of you would raise your collective eyebrow.
Do you prefer hot eggnog?
I have a classic eggnog recipe for you right here that can be enjoyed hot or cold!
Do I have to use vegetable glycerin?
I keep getting this question. 😛 The answer is that I highly, highly recommend it based on the info given in the notes section of the recipe below: it really improves the texture of the ice cream and keeps it from sticking to the sides of the ice cream churn. I started my homemade ice cream career without vegetable glycerin, but since I tried it a few years ago I don’t make ice cream without it. I usually buy it online: vegetable glycerin
Looking for a hot eggnog drink for one person? CLICK HERE!
Soft Serve Eggnog Ice Cream
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 12 half cup servings
Description
This Soft Serve Eggnog Ice Cream is a dead ringer for the Thomas family’s traditional Christmas Eve frozen eggnog drink – only Trim Healthy Mama friendly, low carb, and refined sugar free! See the notes section below for allergy information and answers to FAQs.
Check out the bottom of the instructions section for an alternative to cooking this on the stovetop.
Ingredients
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup THM Gentle Sweet with xylitol (or more, to taste)*
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (scant)
- 1/2 teaspoon glucomannan or xanthan gum
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon maple extract
- Dash rum extract (optional; I prefer it without)
Instructions
Blend the first set of ingredients together until smooth, adding the glucomannan right before blending so it doesn’t clump. (I blend with an immersion blender right in a saucepan.) Transfer to a saucepan on the stovetop and heat over medium to medium-low heat, whisking often. Cook to 160*F, and not above 185* as the mixture can curdle and get eggy. An instant read thermometer is the easiest way to get there, but if you don’t have one, pull the custard off the heat once it noticeably thickens and BEFORE it starts to bubble.
Add the second set of ingredients to the ice cream base and blend or whisk to incorporate. Taste and add more sweetener, nutmeg, or flavorings as desired. Let the ice cream base cool on the counter, then cover and refrigerate to chill completely before churning. (Chilling overnight works great.)
After the base is completely chilled, churn it in a 1.5 quart automatic countertop ice cream churn according to manufacturer’s directions. Because of the xylitol and vegetable glycerin the ice cream will probably only reach a soft-serve consistency in the churn. I like to eat it like this because it reminds me of my family’s tradition of vanilla ice cream milkshake-y eggnog on Christmas Eve, but if you want it to be firmer, transfer to a shallow airtight container and freeze for a few hours before eating.
I like to eat my eggnog ice cream at a soft serve consistency garnished with some Reddi-wip, a slight drizzle of molasses, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Or Reddi-wip and peanut butter.
UPDATE: I have also made this ice cream using the “no cook” technique in my Classic Eggnog recipe. Instead of cooking the ice cream base on the stove, heat the 2 cups of half and half and 2 cups of almond milk to a boil. Meanwhile, put all the other ingredients EXCEPT FOR the 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in a blender. (I like to add this at the end to start cooling down the mixture, and you don’t want too much cold liquid with the eggs or the temp won’t be high enough to cook them.) When the liquid is boiling, pour it into the blender with the eggs and other ingredients and blend on LOW in a VENTED blender (cover the vent with a rag to avoid splashing) very carefully. Add the 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and blend again. Taste and add more sweetener, nutmeg, and/or flavorings as needed. Chill completely before churning. The near-boiling liquid should be hot enough to cook the eggs, but you can temp it with an instant read thermometer to be sure. It should reach 160* before you cool it down with the cream. If it doesn’t and you’re concerned about raw eggs, you can still bring it up to temp in a pan on the stove. Just don’t overcook it!
I have also used 4 whole eggs instead of the 2 eggs + 4 egg yolks, just to make it easier. Might be a bit more eggy.
Notes
*The xylitol in the THM Gentle Sweet keeps the ice cream from freezing so hard, so keep in mind that using xylitol-free Gentle Sweet or another type of sweetener may not have the same effect. Feel free to add more sweetener to taste; some people like more than I do.
Up to 1/4 teaspoon molasses per serving is allowed on the THM plan for flavor. In this recipe it mimics a brown sugar flavor.
Vegetable glycerin improves the texture of the ice cream and keeps it from sticking to the sides of the ice cream maker.
I highly recommend this ice cream churn because it’s super easy to use, but if you don’t have one you could try freezing the ice cream base as ice cubes, then letting the ice cubes soften a bit before blending to a soft serve consistency in a high-powered blender.
Leftover ice cream will freeze hard when frozen for an extended period of time. Let it thaw on the counter for a bit to bring it to a nicely scoopable consistency.
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