This Eggnog Cream Pie is a festive holiday pie featuring a silky-smooth eggnog pudding filling and a crunchy gingersnap cookie crust, all topped off with a brown sugar and (optional) bourbon whipped cream.
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Pie, but make it festive! Discover a new holiday favorite with this Eggnog Cream Pie, featuring creamy eggnog pudding nestled into a sweet, crumbly gingersnap crust, crowned with an amazing brown sugar bourbon whipped cream. The bourbon is totally optional, though, and can be left out to make this alcohol-free.
While making this pie involves assembling three components – the crust, the pudding, and the whipped cream – the effort is worth it for a stunning centerpiece for your holiday table with undeniable seasonal flair.
So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below is jam-packed full of useful information. You can jump around using the menu below, or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.
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Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe (with quantities) is listed below this article in the recipe card.
- store-bought eggnog (use a good-quality brand that you like the taste of)
- gingersnap cookies (the crunchy kind!)
- eggs
- butter
- cornstarch
- cream cheese (this is used to stabilize the whipped cream)
- sugar: granulated and dark brown
- fresh ground nutmeg + cinnamon
- salt
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract
- bourbon (this is entirely optional! Please note that this alcohol will not be cooked, making it unsuitable for people who should avoid alcohol consumption and kids, of course)
Making the Pie Crust
The recipe calls for an easy gingersnap cookie crust (similar to this gingersnap pecan pie crust recipe, but slightly modified).
Step 1: Finely pulverize the gingersnap cookies.
Step 2: Mix them together with sugar, melted butter, and salt.
Step 3: Press the crumb mixture up the sides of the pie plate, then work them down towards the middle.
Step 4: Bake the crust for stability and a toasty flavor, or freeze for a no-bake option.
Crumb Crust Troubleshooting
Not all store-bought gingersnaps are created equal. For that reason, check the consistency of your crumb crust mix—it should resemble wet sand. If it's too dry, add more melted butter one tablespoon at a time. If it's too wet, incorporate more gingersnap crumbs until it's pliable. The perfect mixture holds together when squeezed in your hand without being excessively moist.
Alternative Pie Crust Options
My first choice for this pie is the gingersnap crust, but there are plenty of other options as well:
- Graham Cracker Crumb Crust (It's classic, simple to make, and tastes great with this cream pie filling)
- Biscoff Cookie Crust (another great choice given the strong cinnamon vibes that pair well with eggnog)
- Vanilla Wafer and Nut Crumb Crust (less of a contrast to the eggnog flavor if you want to let that shine)
- Pâte Sucrée (this sweet pie crust is very stable, but does require making the pastry in a food processor and blind baking it)
Need this to be gluten-free? Choose a gluten-free gingersnap cookie, or any other gluten-free cookie to make the crumb crust. Or make this basic gluten-free butter pie crust. Just be sure to fully blind-bake the crust before adding the filling.
I would not suggest using a flaky pie crust for this pie, since it will be served cold. But if you really want to, you can use this Butter Pie Crust recipe.
Preparing the Pudding
If you’ve never tried making pudding from scratch before, don't worry—it's very simple to cook. And this recipe eliminates the hassle of tempering eggs! Though many similar pudding recipes suggest tempering, I believe it's unnecessary since the eggs heat gently along with the other ingredients in the pot, preventing the risk of scrambling. Additionally, the inclusion of cornstarch not only thickens the pudding but also introduces an extra layer of stability to the egg mixture.
Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients (this helps evenly disperse the cornstarch).
Step 2: Whisk in the eggs until combined.
Step 3: Pour in the eggnog.
Step 4: Whisk it all together.
Step 5: Cook, while stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and bubbles are forming throughout.
Step 6: Strain the pudding, then whisk in the butter until smooth.
As soon as the pudding is cooked, it should be placed in the gingersnap crumb crust to ensure it sets up properly and slices more neatly.
A few readers have previously asked whether putting hot pudding into a pie crust will make it soggy. The answer is that it won't, as long as the pie crust has been properly baked first.
The Whipped Cream
What would a cream pie be without a generous pile of whipped cream on top? But what's even better is that this version has a unique twist to it: it's flavored with brown sugar and bourbon. This adds a delicious flavor contrast to the eggnog filling. However, it's important to note that this is entirely optional and should be left out of the whipped cream if anybody consuming the pie cannot or does not want to consume this spirit.
This whipped cream recipe calls for adding cream cheese to the heavy cream, along with a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon. This addition introduces another dimension of flavor to the cream and also contributes to its stability. While whipped cream is always best served fresh, the stabilized whipped cream will hold up well on any leftover pie for about 2 days.
The easiest way to add the whipped cream to the chilled pie is to transfer it directly on top and then use an offset spatula to spread the cream into an even layer. Alternatively, you can pipe the cream onto the pie in a decorative pattern using a piping bag. For a fun twist I made this "sweater" piping pattern.
Serving + Storage
This pie can be made up to one day ahead of time. It's best consumed within two days of making the pudding.
Serve the pie cold!
More Cream Pie Recipes
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Full Recipe
Eggnog Cream Pie
This Eggnog Cream Pie is a festive holiday pie featuring a silky-smooth eggnog pudding filling and a crunchy gingersnap cookie crust, all topped off with a brown sugar and (optional) bourbon whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8-10
- Category: Sweet Pie
- Method: Bake and Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For Gingersnap Crust:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) gingersnap cookie crumbs (more as needed)
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted (more as needed)
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar
- Pinch coarse kosher salt
For Eggnog Pudding:
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 grams) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch coarse kosher salt
- 2 whole large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3 cups high-quality eggnog
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For Bourbon Brown Sugar Whipped Cream:
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cream cheese or mascarpone, softened
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-½ cups (340 grams) heavy cream
- 1-2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
Instructions
Make the Pie Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place an oven rack in the lower part of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. The crumb mixture should be like wet sand. If it feels too dry, add in more melted butter as needed. And conversely, if it’s too wet, add additional cookie crumbs.
- Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate and start pressing the ingredients up the sides of the pie plate to form the edges first. Once the edges are formed, work the crumbs down to evenly distribute them into the bottom of the pie plate, then stamp it down.
- Bake on the lower rack for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is fragrant and toasty. See notes for a no-bake option.
Make the Eggnog Pudding:
- In a heavy-bottomed medium pot, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk in the whole eggs, egg yolks, and eggnog.
- Turn on the heat to medium and cook the mixture, stirring frequently to scrape up any thickened pudding from the edges of the pan. Cook until the pudding has fully thickened and large bubbles are forming and popping, about 8 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and immediately pour the pudding through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, using the spatula to push all the pudding out. Whisk the butter into the pudding until fully combined.
- Pour the pudding into the prepared pie crust and smooth over the top. Let cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Assemble the Pie:
- Make the whipped cream: To the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the cream cheese, brown sugar and cinnamon. Beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through, for 1 minute, until smooth. Add the heavy cream and optional bourbon and beat on medium speed until the cream has reached soft stiff peaks, scraping down the bowl halfway through, about 2 minutes more.
- Place the whipped cream on top of the pie and use an offset spatula to spread the cream into an even layer. (Alternatively, you can pipe the cream onto the pie in a decorative pattern using a piping bag.)
- Serve immediately or keep chilled until ready to serve, up to 1 day.
Notes
Have a question or looking for tips? The article written above the recipe is always a great first place to start! This Eggnog Cream Pie was developed with love, and I strive to give as many explanations, tips, step-by-step photos and technical advice as necessary for success.
Adding bourbon is entirely optional! Please note that this alcohol will not be cooked, making it unsuitable for people who should avoid alcohol consumption and kids, of course.
Baking a crumb crust is best as it makes it more stable and introduces additional flavor. However, the pie crust can be frozen instead instead of baked. It won’t be as stable or crisp, but it will still work if need be. Freeze the shaped pie shell while making the pudding, then add the pudding to it.
This pie can be made up to one day ahead of time. It's best consumed within two days of making the pudding.
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