Eggnog Ice Cream Floats

Let’s celebrate FRIYAY with some boozy and festive ice cream floats, shall we?

If that doesn’t sound like the best idea ever, well, then, we can’t be friends anymore. Juuuuust kidding! I still love ya. I may not understand ya, but I love ya.

For the rest of you, let’s get into this. These ice cream floats are not only DEEEE-FREAKING-LICIOUS but they’re also festive and fun and totally appropriate for your holiday shindigs. Heck, I could see myself sipping on (OK, fine, guzzling down) one of these on Christmas Eve after the baby is in bed, the stockings have been stuffed, the presents have all been wrapped and placed under the tree just so, and the fireplace is a-blazin’ . Sounds dreamy, right? Yeah, I might have to pencil these into my plans again.

These ice cream floats start with….wait for it…the ice cream! Bet you didn’t see that coming.

How do you guys feel about eggnog? I’ve always been a fan, but I admit, one or two small glasses is about all I need each year. It’s just so rich! But I do love that flavor. To me, eggnog ice cream sounded like a fantastic idea. And I am happy to say I was right.

Now, if you don’t feel like making ice cream from scratch, feel free to buy some! I have seen a few varieties of eggnog ice cream in the grocery store this time of year. Vanilla bean would also be an excellent substitute! BUT! I do have to say this: this ice cream is ridiculously easy to make. Why, you ask?

This is an egg-less ice cream! Meaning, you don’t have to make a custard base! It’s as simple as whisking together all the ingredients and running the mixture through your ice cream machine (I think you could even get away with a no-churn ice cream here if you don’t have an ice cream machine). There’s no cooking involved. I absolutely loved this recipe, and I plan on adapting it for other flavors in the future for sure. SO EASY.

Once you have your ice cream ready to go, you can make the floats! I like to add a splash of vodka to mine, but Dan prefers whiskey so I added a splash of bourbon to his. Dark rum is also a great option here, especially considering that eggnog and rum are often paired together.

(Side note: does eggnog remind anyone else of the classic Cousin Eddie scene in Christmas Vacation?! Between the reindeer head glasses and his ridiculous dicky-sweater combo, I die every time. And that is my first association with eggnog! Hah.)

Next up is another healthy glug of eggnog – just to drive home that once-a-year flavor even more. And then you just top if off with seltzer or club soda! That’s it!

As a final optional touch, you can add some whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg to the top of your floats, but I speak from experience when I say that these are so good, you don’t even need the whipped cream. Promise.

Ice cream floats make me feel like a kid again, and what better time of year than now to feel like that?!

(We’ll just pretend that the drowning my ice cream in vodka on Christmas Eve is a totally normal “kid” association.)

Eggnog Ice Cream Floats

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• Yield: 2 ice cream floats (with extra ice cream) 1x

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Ingredients

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For the Eggnog Ice Cream:

• 2 cups eggnog
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 (10-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon vodka, bourbon, or dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• ½ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

For Two Floats:

• 4 scoops of the ice cream
• ¼ cup bourbon, rum, or vodka
• ¼ cup eggnog
• 1½ cups club soda
• Whipped cream, for garnish
• Nutmeg, for garnish

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Instructions

For the Eggnog Ice Cream:

1. Mix eggnog, heavy cream, condensed milk, vodka/bourbon/rum, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
3. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

For Two Floats:

1. Scoop the ice cream into two tall glasses.
2. Pour the bourbon and eggnog over top and gently stir to mix. Top each glass off with the club soda.
3. Garnish with whipped cream and nutmeg and serve immediately – with straws!

NOTE:

1. In a pinch, you can use store-bought eggnog or vanilla bean ice cream here.

Eggnog Ice Cream adapted from here.

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