When it comes to holiday baking, we definitely think that Eggnog is an underrated flavor!
These eggnog snickerdoodles are soft and tender, just slightly crisp around the edges, and FULL of delicious flavor. Eggnog in the dough and a splash of rum extract give these cookies their perfect flavor!
Our favorite part (and what makes them extra unique) is that instead of rolling them in a cinnamon sugar mixture, like a regular Snickerdoodle, they’re rolled in a nutmeg and sugar mixture! That extra spice makes them extra nice!
The “icing on the cake” is the delicious eggnog glaze. The kids love to pipe the glaze into snowflakes, but to keep it simple do a simple drizzle. Either way, they’re totally delicious!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Classic holiday flavor. Rolled in nutmeg and filled with eggnog flavor, they’re the perfect Christmas cookie!
- A sweet glaze. The eggnog glaze adds an extra hint of sweetness and next-level cuteness!
- A new favorite. They’re simple to make, and perfect for holiday parties or serving with a big cup of Hot Cocoa!
Eggnog Snickerdoodles Ingredients and Substitutions
Dough
- ½ cup butter, softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg – Room temperature eggs incorporate better than cold ones.
- 1 teaspoon rum extract – rum flavor but no alcohol content
- ½ cup eggnog – store-bought or homemade Eggnog Recipe
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour – see How to Measure Flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Sugar Mixture for Rolling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar – sifted
- 1-2 tablespoons eggnog
How to Make Eggnog Snickerdoodles
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- COMBINE. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar, until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon rum extract, and ½ cup eggnog, and mix to combine.
- Add 2 ¾ cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and mix until a soft dough forms.
- DIP. In a small bowl, whisk the ½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg.
- Use a cookie scoop to form one-inch balls and roll the dough ball in the sugar mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
- If the dough is too sticky to work with, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Optional: cookies will be puffy, gently press down the cookie dough balls before baking for a flatter cookie.
- BAKE. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool.
- DECORATE. While the cookies are cooling, whisk together ¾ cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tablespoons eggnog to make an icing that is easy to drizzle but not too runny. Pipe snowflakes onto the cooled cookies, or drizzle with the icing.
- If you don’t have a piping set, then use a Ziploc bag with a small piece of the tip cut off.
Eggnog Snickerdoodles Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- ½ cup eggnog
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Sugar Mixture for Rolling
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons eggnog
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the egg, rum extract, and eggnog, and mix to combine. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg, and mix until a soft dough forms.
- In a small bowl, whisk the ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Scoop the dough into one-inch balls and roll in the sugar mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
Icing
- While the cookies are cooling, whisk the powdered sugar and enough eggnog to make an icing that is easy to drizzle but not too runny. Pipe snowflakes onto the cooled cookies, or drizzle with the icing.
Notes
- If the dough is sticky to work with, simply chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- This recipe makes a puffy snickerdoodle. If you wish, you can gently press down the cookie dough balls before baking them for a flatter cookie.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Cover and store the dough in the fridge for 1-2 days. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.
Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Store in a freezer bag, or air-tight container in the freezer for up to 4 months.
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This recipe was originally published October 2016.
For more amazing recipes by her, head over to The Baker Upstairs.
I found this recipe about 6 maybe 7 years ago, possibly longer! I make them every year as part of my holiday cookies and I just love them so I need d to let you know. Everyone loves them!
Something is missing, these were dry, tasteless and to bake 36, they were minute.
Can these be frozen baked or unbaked? Thanks!
Either one! If you do freeze after baking, just make sure they have fully cooked before freezing. There are instructions in the post that explain a little more how you can freeze the cookies.
How do these hold up in the freezer?
Great! If you freeze, just separate layers with parchment paper and store in an airtight freezer safe container for about a month. You can also freeze the dough balls before rolling in sugar/nutmeg.
I’m struggling. I’ve made these the last few years and they’ve been great, but now my dough is so sticky I cannot even touch it to roll in the sugar mixture. I kept adding small amounts of flour but no no avail. What am I doing wrong?
Sometimes if my cookie dough is sticky or hard to work with, I will chill the dough for a bit before rolling. Perhaps that will help?
Excellent! Perfect texture. We are not rum fans so replaced the rum extract with vanilla extract.
Also my favorite kind of Christmas cookie
These sound delicious – going to try today. Can I substitute ‘Rum’ for ‘rum extract’?
I personally have not tried, but I am sure you could.
just tried the recipe and my cookies did not spread at all. They stayed as little poofs, still tasty but they don’t really give that same spreading that normal snickerdoodles do. Any ideas what could have gone wrong? Mine also looked way darker with the 2 tbsp of cinnamon added for rolling.
I am sorry they didn’t spread. There are so many reasons that can affect the outcome of cookies, so it’s very hard to know & pin point. Did you add the other ingredients with the cinnamon for rolling?
Yes I added everything listed except i swapped the rum extract for vanilla. I was hoping for the spread that your regular snickerdoodle recipe does. They are super tasty and Everyone loves them though! =) They just give a more 2 bite cake look then a cookie.
WILL THE ICING HARDEN ENOUGH TO BE STACKED? I AM PLANNING TO MAKE THESE TO PACKAGE UP AS GIFTS FOR SOME FRIENDS.
It does harden, but doesn’t get too hard. I have put them on goodie plates & they seem to do ok. Hope that helps!
Made two batches of these last night and they are a hit at the office! the eggnog flavor is definitely subtle but I like it! Consistency of the cookie is perfect. I found the estimate of 3 dozen cookies per batch to be very accurate.
Yay, I am so happy they were a hit!! Thank you so much for sharing that & giving this recipe a try!
I suck at making cookies but these turned out great! Amazing texture. The only thing i would change if I make these again is Add a tiny bit more eggnog into the cookie dough. They do HAVE a nice eggnog undertone but i personally want a LITTLE more of a kick.
You could definitely add more, but thank you for trying them!! Glad you liked them!
I see that these are alled eggnog “snickerdoodLes”. Most snickerdoode recipes have cream of tarTar. Is there a Reason that is not iNcluded In this recipe? Could it be added for a cheWy taste or should i not mess with the recipe!!
It was just not needed & I haven’t tried, but you totally can. I am not sure of the outcome, though.
You say to add cinnamOn but cant find out how much
Sorry about that. I added it. It would be 2 Tablespoons 🙂 Enjoy!
These cookies are perfection! My family cant stop eating them! Thank you.
Love to hear that!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
I made these today and they are amazing!
Glad you thought so!
Going to make these for cookie exchange how many cookies does this recipe make?
You could get 2-3 dozen. Just depends on how big you make them 🙂 Have fun!!
The recipes says, “Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg, and mix until a soft dough forms,” but no nutmeg is listed in the ingredients for the cookie portion. How much nutmeg do we need to add, if any?
Recipe is fixed – there is a 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg in the flour too. Thanks for the heads up!! ;D
I’m with you about eggnog being an underrated flavor! We have just enough to give these cookies a try and I’m excited to see how they taste! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much! Let me know what you think!!
Hi! Would love to make these for an upcoming cookie exchange. Can they be frozen after they are made?
I don’t see why not, but this recipe is from Alicia from the Baker Upstairs, http://www.thebakerupstairs.com/. There is her info, if you’d like to ask her. Hope that helps!! Good luck!
These sound amazing! I will definitely be trying them out to see if they will make it into my cookie rotation. I did notice that, though you mentioned that the cookies are rolled in a nutmeg and cinnamon mixture, the recipe doesn’t call for cinnamon. Did you add some anyway? And if so how much?
This is a contributors recipe, but I did see that it’s just sugar in the recipe. Sorry for the type-o. Let us know what you think!!