The strangest thing happened the other day. My day was going along uneventfully until I suddenly found myself ravenous; it was between meal times so a little snack was in order. I went for one of my favorites, carrots + hummus. Normal enough, right? That little snack managed to somehow disgust – no, repulse – me. And I am shocked, shocked. (And a little horrified…I don’t want to give up hummus!)
I am now turned off by the mere thought of both carrots and hummus, and the worst part is I have no idea why (there was absolutely nothing wrong with either of them! And no, I don’t think I’m pregnant, lol). A sad day, my friends.
I’m not sure what’s going on, maybe it’s just my (adult!) taste buds being fickle. (Has this happened to anyone else?) In any event, I decided it’s high time I added a few new snacks to my repertoire. Eggnog is one of my favorite seasonal flavors and pudding is always a hit…so why not, right?
Note that there is no actual eggnog in this recipe – the combination of nutmeg, vanilla, and a touch of cinnamon give it its eggnog-like flavor.
A Note on the Protein Powder: You can absolutely omit this if you want. When I made this pudding, I wanted a recipe that’s more of a snack than a dessert, so I made a few tweaks to make it a bit less dessert-like than your average pudding; I used Stevia instead of sugar (see the note on this below), milk instead of cream (so I could use a bit of cream for topping, of course ;) ), and added protein powder.
Eggnog Pudding
Serves 3
2 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%), divided
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup vanilla-flavored protein powder
2 packets Stevia powder*
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more to sprinkle on top
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup softly whipped cream (optional; for topping)
Whisk together 1/2 cup milk, eggs, cornstarch, protein powder, Stevia, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Pour the remaining 2 cups of milk into a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until bubbles form around the outside and the milk starts to steam. Turn off the heat and very slowly whisk 1 cup of hot milk into the egg mixture, starting with just a couple drops at a time and gradually adding more until the whole cup is incorporated. Pour this into the pot and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Once boiling, turn off heat and stir in the vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps, then pour into small, individual-sized serving bowls or cups. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill. Before serving, top with whipped topping and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
*Or other sweetener of your choice; if you’re using sugar, I’d start with about 4 teaspoons, but of course this can be adjusted to taste.
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Just heavenly!
Cheers,
Rosa
Perfect snack :) and i like how you’ve made it a little lighter and i dunno the protein powder makes me think it’s healthier hahaha
it’s happened to me before! I’m a HUGE yoghurt fan and will have at least a little tub a day…but sometimes all of a sudden I’d feel sick if I have it :) so not to worry I’m sure you’ll enjoy your carrots and hummas again ~
I am loving eggnog this season – something I haven’t really like much in the past, so I think taste changes can go both ways! This pudding looks delicious! I’m sure your hummus taste will return.
Eggnog is delicious! And I’ve been good so far this season and haven’t had one glass. But I’d go for this lighter version in pudding form, Faith.
Never have had protein powder, but I wonder if that’s what the supplement from Quick Weight Loss is? If so, I have some and have been drinking it mixed with frozen strawberries for ages!
Mmmm! I love that it has the eggnog flavor but isnt super heavy! Yum!! I always forget how much i love nog. I had a couple tjs eggnog covered almonds yesterday-so good!
sometimes our taste buds change for no reason, which means it’s time to try something new, just as u did! :)
this eggnog looks much more friendly that the standard heavy version, and it’s really cute too!
I really like your tweaks in this delicious pudding. I love the eggnogg-y flavors and freshly grated nutmeg!
That pudding sounds amazing,Faith!What a delicious treat for the holidays!
This looks amazing…I’d keep everything exactly the same. Big fan of stevia and vanilla protein powder…and eggs :)
Both the dessert and the presentation looks super good..:))
Reva
Maybe you just OD’d on the carrots and hummus, and can’t stand to look at either, now? I predict that in a couple of months, you will crave that combo again. How could you not, as it’s sooooo delicious. ;)
I love eggnog so know this pudding would be a big hit with me! My husband doesn’t like eggnog so that would leave all the more for me!
That’s funny about the carrots and hummus! That happened to me with Subway. I used to love Subway but for the past year the thought of it makes me sick. Even now if we’re out and about and my husband asks what I’m in the mood for he follows it up with “besides Subway”!
Weird! That happened to me with bananas – lasted a few months and I am now just starting to eat them again. Eggnog is one of my favorite holiday flavors – the puddings are delectable!
I’ve had that happen to me a few times…I’ve been loving a snack for years and then suddenly, no more. This eggnog looks great though. I would love to try this out for our a pre-holiday feast. I love collecting recipes for my family and me to make! Thank you for sharing this with me and brightening my evening.
Oh no! If you’re like me, maybe you just needed something different for a while. I can be in love with something for months on end, even years and years, and then suddenly, I can’t eat it any more. This happened with peanut butter and I was horrified as well. I’m now able to eat it with relish again, but not every day like I used to. But since pb can be pretty high in calories if you don’t watch your servings, this might be for the best. Hopefully your love for hummus will return with time, but with your creativity, I’m sure you’ll come up with tons of healthy snacks like this wonderful eggnog pudding to satisfy you in the mean time!
This looks delicious…. yum
I loovveeee eggnog so this is a must try!!! Thanks for sharing.
Heck yes, this looks superb! I wonder if you could sub in egg nog for the milk for even more egg nog flavor? What do you think?
Amanda, I think that would be amazing! :)
I’m sorry to hear about your finicky tastebuds, especially because carrots and hummus can be such a nice snack. This pudding looks like a nice alternative though. The shot glasses are such a nice way to present it too, so cute!
Thanks, Jana! In case someone makes this pudding, I didn’t use shot glasses, I used three 8 oz juice glasses. I think you could probably fill up quite a few shots with this amount of pudding — and that would be so cute to serve at a holiday party!
i can’t stand store-bought eggnog, but the idea of making it at home with no actual eggnog is appealing! i do love the spices. :)
Whoops, sorry! Shot glasses would definitely be cute at a party. But I like the serving size you get with the juice glasses, I guess a shot glass wouldn’t make much of a snack!
My husband loves eggnog so I am definitely going to try the recipe. Can I omit the protein powder…or can I just sub it with vanilla essence
Neha, Yes, you can omit the protein powder…hope your husband enjoys the pudding! :)
Yum! Yum!! Yum!!! I love eggnog so this sounds great.
It’s probably just the holidays and your body telling you to switch it up and have some fun :) I love how you lightened this up…perfect snack :)
Hello again, Faith! Do you think the eggs are necessary for flavor or consistency? I have a son who is anaphylactic to eggs and I’d love to make a version he can have. Thanks!
Hi Adrienne, The eggs are basically just for texture (plus I wanted to up the protein a bit), but you can absolutely omit them. I’d increase the cornstarch to maybe 3 tablespoons or so. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to try it! :)
I’m not normally a fan of eggnog, but this recipe looks delicious. And your photography… simply amazing!