How to Make a Cozy Starbucks Eggnog Latte at Home

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy

Watch the recipe

Cooking With Anadi

12K subscribers · strong espresso or coffee meets steamed eggnog and milk

Subscribe

What’s more iconic to the holidays than eggnog? A latte with eggnog of course! You get a wonderful combination of eggnog and coffee and it really warms you up in the cold!

If you weren’t aware, the eggnog latte had a rough run at Starbucks. It first turned up back in 1986, then disappeared from the menu after 2021 and stayed gone for four years while fans campaigned to get it back. I had it once quite a few years ago and really enjoyed it, and I was genuinely sad when it vanished. The good news is that it finally returned in December 2025, along with an iced version and an eggnog cream cold foam. The catch is that it comes back as a limited holiday drop, while supplies last — so if you want one in March, or you simply want it without the queue, you are still better off making it yourself.

Fear not, though! If you want to bring this cup of holiday joy to your home then this recipe has got you covered! This Starbucks recipe at home will only take a few ingredients and a couple of minutes and it’ll be ready in no time! I always say that going out can inspire you to get creative in the kitchen, but to prevent any scares when your favorite fast food or restaurant item gets chucked off the menu, then that’s where knowing how to recreate them at home is very empowering! Learn more about this in my Make Cooking Fun! free guide, where I give my top 5 tips to get you motivated in the kitchen! If eggnog is nostalgic and near and dear to you, then put your heart in a cup with this recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can download my free guides by signing up to my email newsletter!

See for yourself how easy our cozy holiday latte comes together by checking out the video! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and hit the bell button so you receive notifications for when the recipe videos go live! I love sharing video recipes as a complement to the written recipes so you’re set up for success! Let’s get brewing!

What Is a Latte, Exactly?

A latte is an espresso drink built on steamed milk. One or two shots of espresso go into the cup first, steamed milk is poured over them, and the surface is finished with a thin layer of microfoam, usually no thicker than a centimetre. The name is short for caffe latte, Italian for milk coffee. What separates it from the drinks either side of it on a coffee shop menu is the ratio and the foam. A cappuccino is roughly equal parts espresso, steamed milk and thick foam, so it drinks far stronger. A flat white uses less milk and a thinner, glossier foam. A macchiato is mostly espresso with just a spoonful of foam marking the top. And a cafe au lait drops the espresso altogether in favour of brewed coffee.

That last one is the useful comparison here, because this recipe leans that way. It builds two servings from a cup and a half of strong brewed coffee, with half a cup of milk and half a cup of eggnog heated gently together in a saucepan, or in the microwave, until steaming and never boiling, because boiled eggnog curdles. If you do own an espresso machine, the card's own substitution is two shots diluted to a cup and a half, and instant espresso powder works at two to three teaspoons in the same volume of hot water. But there is no espresso machine in the equipment list here, no Nespresso machine, no Aeroccino, no milk frother, no steaming wand and no steaming pitcher. A saucepan, a spatula, measuring cups, a coffee mug and a French press is the whole kit. Warming the milk and eggnog together in the pan is what does the job a steaming wand would normally do.

What Is an Eggnog Latte?

According to Starbucks, here’s the definition of an eggnog latte:

Every year we applaud the return of this holiday favorite made with richly steamed eggnog and our signature espresso, and then topped with a dusting of nutmeg—the perfect, long-awaited companion.

source: Starbucks.com

But essentially, the name speaks for itself. A latte is traditionally made with espresso and steamed milk. We just add the eggnog goodness to the milk for this special holiday latte!

What You’ll Love About Homemade Eggnog Latte

• Easy: You just need to brew some coffee and steam milk and eggnog together. Combine and voila!
• Quick: This can be ready in about 15 minutes or less!
• Minimal ingredients: This Eggnog Latte is only made with FIVE ingredients! I’m sure you’ve got everything already!
• Holiday favorite: If you have extra eggnog and you’re not sure what to do with it, this is such an easy recipe to make! You can make it every morning if you want or enjoy it for a holiday breakfast or dessert!

Tips for a Fantastic Eggnog Latte

• Make sure you don't bring the eggnog-milk mixture to a boil or heat for too long in the microwave. This will result in the eggnog becoming curdled.
• The best alternative to a freshly made espresso is to prepare coffee using a french press. This results in a richer, stronger coffee since the coffee has the chance to steep and release more flavor, when compared to coffee made from a filtered method.
• If you want the pretty whipped cream swirls, then you need to serve this immediately after topping or let the drink cool slightly. The heat would cause the whipped cream to start to melt.

Equipment for Eggnog Latte From Scratch

• Saucepan: To steam the milk and eggnog.
• Coffee mug: For serving, of course!
• Ramekin: Optional to have your cinnamon in for dusting on top of the whipped cream!
• French press: Because I don’t have an espresso machine, this is how I’ll brew my ground coffee.
• Measuring cups: To divide your milk and eggnog and make sure you have the right quantities.
• Spatula: To gently stir your milk and eggnog mixture while it simmers in the saucepan.

Starbucks Eggnog Latte Ingredients

Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD or press the “Jump to Recipe” button to get all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe instructions for later.

• Milk: The standard eggnog latte recipe at Starbucks uses non-fat milk. I’ll use 1% milk because that’s what was already in my fridge! You can use any milk of your choice, including a non-dairy milk if you want. The milk is to make the eggnog flavor less strong. I’ll use half eggnog and half milk here, but if you want a stronger eggnog taste, use less milk. Also, keep in mind that if you use milk with a higher milk fat content, your drink will be overall creamier.
• Eggnog: Any eggnog of your choice. You can make it at home or use a dairy-free eggnog.
• Whipped cream: It seems that by default in the Starbucks app the drink doesn’t come with whipped cream. I just love whipped cream, and I’ll never say not to it! You can of course make your own Homemade Whipped Cream, but I don’t have a whipped cream dispenser (yet!), so I can’t make it fluffy and airy. I just chose to use whipped cream from an aerosol can till I get my hands on a whipped cream dispenser! Again, if you want a dairy-free whipped cream, feel free to have it.
• Coffee: I’m just using the coffee I had on hand, which is by Tim Horton’s and it’s a medium roast. If you’re using ground coffee like me, you can use a French press to achieve a similar brew and taste to espresso. Use a good quality espresso if you do have it and an espresso machine!
• Ground cinnamon: The default recipe at Starbucks actually tops the eggnog latte with nutmeg, but I felt like cinnamon! Choose your favorite spice, or you could even top with Pumpkin Spice or Apple Pie Spice!

How to Make an Eggnog Latte Starbucks Style

On a stovetop or microwave, heat up equal parts of eggnog and milk. Mix often and make sure you don't bring the eggnog-milk mixture to a boil. Just heat gently until it is steaming.

In the meanwhile prepare the espresso in your coffee/espresso machine. If you don't have a machine, you can use a french press to prepare the coffee. If using a French press, add 4 Tbsp of your favorite coffee and then add a splash of water, heated to around 200 F.

Let the coffee bloom for 30 seconds and then add the rest of the water. Cover the french press with the included lid and let the coffee steep for 3-4 minutes. Then, push the plunger for the french press down halfway, before lift it back up, and then gently all the way back down.

Once the eggnog-milk mixture is heated through and the coffee/espresso is ready, pour the milk in your serving cup, filling it about halfway and then pour in the coffee to fill up the cup.

Top with the whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions for Eggnog Latte

This holiday latte is amazing on its own! However, you can pair this for breakfast or as a snack. Here are some ideas for how to enjoy your eggnog latte:

• With pancakes: This would be really awesome with my Pumpkin Spice Pancakes! You may also enjoy these with sweet crepes, particularly my Strawberry Banana Nutella Crepes with Homemade Nutella!
• Cupcakes: For pumpkin spice lovers, my Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes would be perfect with this drink!
• Cookies: You may want to dip Giant Oreo Stuffed Cookies or my HUGE NYC Black & White Cookies in your latte, or just sip on the side! In fact, don’t need to stop at baked cookies, try my Chocolate Chip Edible Cookie Dough!
• Muffins
• Brownies: This would really be awesome with my Chocolate Espresso Brownies with Peppermint Mocha Cream!
• Other treats: I’d love to have this with my Protein S’mores Dessert Pizzaor Pumpkin Protein Skillet Cookie!
• Oatmeal: Enjoy with overnight oats or stovetop oats.
• Savory breakfasts: Including my Chicken & Spinach Crepes, McDonald’s Breakfast Bagels, Tim Horton’s Farmer’s Wrap, or McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin.

Other Starbucks at Home Recipes!

• Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino
• Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew
• Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha
• Starbucks White Hot Chocolate
• Starbucks Cafe Mocha
• Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha
• Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
• Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

Swaps, Spikes and Making It Vegan

The ingredients are written loosely on purpose. Any milk works: the Starbucks version uses non-fat, this one was made with 1% because that is what was in the fridge, and whole milk or oat milk slot straight in. The same goes for the eggnog, where store-bought is perfectly fine and homemade is better if you have it. A dairy-free eggnog makes the whole drink vegan once you swap the topping for coconut whipped cream, chilled overnight first so it holds its shape. If you cannot find eggnog at all, the card lists whole milk with an egg yolk whisked in, one yolk per half cup, or heavy cream with a pinch of nutmeg for something richer.

Two more things worth knowing. Starbucks finishes theirs with ground nutmeg, while this one uses cinnamon simply because that was the preference on the day, and pumpkin spice works just as well, so use whichever you like. And there is no alcohol anywhere in this recipe, but eggnog has a long history with it, so if you want a grown-up version, a measure of brandy, bourbon or dark rum stirred in at the end is the traditional route. There is no simple syrup and no vanilla syrup in it either. The eggnog carries enough sweetness on its own that the drink does not need either one.

When to Make It, and When You Can Actually Buy Eggnog

The awkward thing about a holiday latte is that both halves of it are seasonal. Starbucks treats the eggnog latte as a limited drop rather than a fixture on the holiday menu. When it came back in 2025 after four years away, it arrived on December 2 and ran while supplies lasted. Cartons of eggnog follow much the same pattern in the grocery store, turning up some time in November and vanishing again in January. That is the real argument for a copycat: making your own at home means you are not waiting on a holiday menu, and you are not limited to the few weeks a coffee chain decides to run it.