This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Our eggnog snickerdoodles are rolled in a nutmeg mixture and topped with an eggnog glaze – a favorite holiday drink turned cookie!
A holiday twist on a classic
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 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!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
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.
Holiday Cookies
More Like This
Eggnog Recipes
Collections
Eggnog Snickerdoodles
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.
For more amazing recipes by her, head over to The Baker Upstairs.
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!