Nothing signals the start of the holiday season quite like that first sip of creamy, spiced eggnog latte. When Starbucks discontinued this beloved seasonal drink, coffee lovers everywhere were left longing for that perfect blend of rich eggnog, bold espresso, and warming spices. The good news? You can recreate this holiday magic right in your own kitchen with just a few simple ingredients and techniques. Recreate the coffee shop experience with a shot of espresso, a few simple ingredients and your favorite mug.
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What makes the Starbucks Eggnog Latte so good?
The Starbucks Eggnog Latte is popular due to its rich, creamy, and sweet flavor. It’s made by combining steamed milk, espresso, and eggnog. Combining the smooth and creamy eggnog with the bold and robust espresso creates a well-balanced and satisfying flavor. Finally, the addition of nutmeg as a topping adds a touch of warmth and an extra burst of flavor to the latte, making it a favorite among customers during the Christmas season, but you can recreate this any time of year in the comfort of your own home.
How do you make a Starbucks copycat eggnog latte when you can’t find any eggnog in the store?
Eggnog is sold in the store during the winter holiday season. If you want one of these drinks for the rest of the year, you’ll need to make homemade eggnog.
What does a Starbucks Eggnog Latte have in it?
For the Coffee Base
- Espresso – Provides the bold, concentrated coffee flavor that balances the sweet eggnog
- Strong coffee – Alternative to espresso for those without espresso makers
For the Creamy Base
- Whole milk – Creates the perfect texture and helps temper the richness of eggnog.
- Store-bought eggnog – The star ingredient that provides signature holiday flavor and creamy texture
- Homemade eggnog – Premium option for when store-bought isn’t available
For the Finishing Touch
- Fresh nutmeg – Adds warm, aromatic spice that enhances the eggnog’s natural flavors
- Whipped cream – Optional topping that adds extra indulgence and visual appeal
- Ground cinnamon – Alternative spice option for garnish
How to Make a Starbucks Eggnog Latte
- Prepare espresso or make robust coffee.
- Heat milk and eggnog together in the microwave for about a minute.
- Froth the heated milk mixture with a milk frother tool.
- Pour espresso into a coffee cup and top with milk and eggnog mixture.
- Top with whipped cream and nutmeg if desired.
How to Make Espresso Without an Espresso Maker
You may not have an expensive espresso machine when making coffee drinks at home, such as this eggnog latte. There are several ways to make robust coffee at home.
- You can use 1 1/2 to 2 times the coffee you would normally use when making coffee.
- If your coffee pot has a feature that allows it to steep for longer, steep your coffee for about 90 seconds if you are using a drip maker.
- If you have a home grinder, grind the coffee to a very fine consistency. Espresso is typically ground very fine to let the coffee flavor come through.
- Use instant espresso. Espresso is slightly different from coffee as the water is steamed through it, so it is a little stronger than traditional drip coffee. I recommend Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee, 2 Oz
.
- You may also want to consider using a Moka pot, a tool Italians use to make espresso on the stovetop. These coffee pots are inexpensive and make authentic Italian espresso. Bialetti Moka Express 3 Cup Espresso Maker 06799
is a great way to make a Starbucks version at home.
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is a great way to make a Starbucks version at home.How to froth milk without a milk frother
- Blend warm milk in a blender until it doubles in volume.
- Place warm milk into a glass jar, put the lid on it, and then shake until the volume increases. This should take about a minute.
Frequently asked questions
The famous eggnog latte was not returned as part of their 2022 holiday menu. You can make this latte at home!
You can’t order one; they are not stocking eggnog. This drink isn’t on their secret menu because they aren’t carrying eggnog.
The eggnog drink is an eggnog latte, so instead of using 2% milk to make their everyday lattes, they substituted eggnog.
Yes, you can. It is a great alternative to milk. You may want to try my spiked eggnog recipe.
Most eggnog does not contain any alcohol. Spiked eggnog may contain brandy, rum, or whiskey.
This popular coffee beverage was dropped from the menu in 2021 and 2022. They do have many other new seasonal coffees, like their iced sugar cookie latte.
I hope you give this recipe a try! You and your friends can turn into baristas with this easy recipe. You can make an eggnog latte at home, and it will taste just like it does at the coffeehouse.
See our recommended coffee products to make coffee-house quality drinks at home.
Love Starbucks? Try these coffee beverages!
- Flat White
- Starbucks Mocha
- White Chocolate Mocha
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Maple Pecan Latte
- Butterscotch Latte
- Caramel Macchiato
- Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Starbucks Egg Bites Recipe
Favorite Eggnog Recipes
Check out my coffeehouse drink recipes and the best Starbucks copycat recipes.
Starbucks Eggnog Latte Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces espresso or very strong coffee
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup eggnog
- freshly ground nutmeg if desired
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream
Instructions
- Prepare espresso or make one very strong coffee.
- Heat together 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of eggnog for about 1 minute in the microwave. Froth mixture using a milk frother. The milk will froth up and almost double in size.
- If you don't have a frother, you can pour the heated milk and eggnog mixture into a blender for about 30 seconds.
- If you don't have a blender, you can put the heated milk and eggnog mixture in a jar or cocktail shaker and shake for about 1 minute.
- Pour espresso or coffee into a coffee cup, and top with 1/2 of the milk and eggnog.
- Top with whipped cream and grated nutmeg if desired.
This was delicious! So glad you have the recipe.
You saved me! The one time of the year I switch out my Chai tea for Lattes, and I kept waiting for it to show up on the menu—NADA. Now i know why! No worries, I can now make my own. At SBs I ordered it “Heavy Eggnog” Or “Full Eggnog”..no milk.
Love being able to make this all year long!
My daughter really loved it! Her new favorite drink!
I’ll be making this all.winter.long. So good!
This is such a treat! Delicious.
So much better than just eggnog.
Finally found a recipe that is exactly the same. I just made this and it was superb.
I love how simple this recipe is, and so good for the holidays!
What a beautiful way to enjoy eggnog this time of year, thanks for a great copykat recipe!
Perfect copycat- I can’t believe how easy it is!!!
This is simply addictive!!
Such a delicious way to start the day!! A new holiday tradition!
I have not had one yet this year. I am SO making this!
I can’t wait to go home and make this! I’m a HUGE latte fan so I’m all for it! Thanks for sharing. This will definitely save me some mula! 🙂
You can save a lot when it make it at home.
I would like to make this but were can I purchase the eggnog
Most American grocery stores have Egg Nog in the dairy section from Thanksgiving to New Years.
I buy quarts of the best tasting eggnog from the market, then I freeze up to four for later in the year! And, if you add about 2 Tablespoons of good store-bought eggnog to your strong morning coffee ( instead of milk) you will be addicted.. One more store bought eggnog treat: purchase Jello no bake cheesecake mix, substitute eggnog for the milk, you will have a delicious, festive dessert!! Serve in crystal glasses, or clear plastic 4oz cups. Do not forget to add fresh grated nutmeg to recipe. Enjoy all!
Oh, thank you for sharing your great ideas!
This looks absolutely great. I tried it and although it wasn’t quite as pretty as the image here, it tasted wonderful. I will perfect this in time I’m sure. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I bet yours tasted great 😉
Uh…YUM! I was really reluctant to try the eggnog latte. I had one 6 or 7 years ago at another company’s espresso drive through window. I was about 3 miles down the road, late for a meeting when i took my first sip. It was curdled and sour and grossed me out. I dumped it in the parking lot and have not tried one until my friend convinced me to try Starbuck’s this year. Oh, my….I am so hooked and now can make my own!
Maybe they didn’t cut the eggnog with half and half. I would like to think no one would serve spoiled milk. Although many years ago when I worked at Dairy Queen the soft serve mix could spoil. You would never know it because it was in these large bags. So there was more than once I served up a spoiled ice cream cone. Crazy.
Absolutely superb! Tastes exactly like my favorite egg nog Latte! I told my husband I just saved you 5 bucks! He was like good! Haha…thank you, thank you, thank you!! Delicious!
I bought an espresso maker a few years ago after spending way too much at Starbucks for years. I haven’t looked back! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Often really bad experiences turn us off of certain foods. I won’t hardly eat meatloaf! I completely understand.
super duper excited to make this!