Store-bought eggnog is safe to drink straight from the carton. It’s pasteurized by law, which means the eggs and dairy have been heat-treated to kill harmful bacteria like salmonella before the product ever reaches shelves. Homemade eggnog is where the risk comes in, since traditional recipes call for raw eggs that haven’t been through that process.
Why Store-Bought Eggnog Is Low Risk
Federal regulations require that commercially sold eggnog be pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized before sale. The process heats the mixture enough to destroy bacteria while preserving the creamy texture. This applies to cartons sold in grocery store refrigerator and shelf-stable sections alike. Once opened, commercial eggnog stays safe in the refrigerator for three to five days.
The Real Risk With Homemade Eggnog
Traditional homemade eggnog uses raw egg yolks blended with cream, sugar, and spices. Raw eggs can carry salmonella, a bacteria that causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, usually starting 6 to 72 hours after exposure. Most healthy adults recover without treatment, but the infection can become serious for young children, older adults, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system.
The simplest way to make homemade eggnog safer is to cook the egg-and-milk base on the stovetop until it reaches 160°F (71°C), which is the temperature needed to kill salmonella in egg dishes. You’re essentially making a thin custard. Once it hits that temperature, you can chill it and add your cream, sugar, and spices as usual. The texture is slightly thicker than raw-egg versions, but the flavor holds up well.
Do Pasteurized Eggs Work Instead?
Yes. If you want the convenience of a no-cook recipe, pasteurized eggs sold in the shell are your best option. These eggs have already been heat-treated just enough to kill bacteria without cooking the egg itself, so they’re safe to use raw. Liquid pasteurized egg products (the kind sold in cartons) also work, though eggs pasteurized in the shell are slightly preferable since they’ve gone through less handling and have less opportunity for contamination after the pasteurization step.
Does Adding Alcohol Make It Safe?
Alcohol helps, but it’s not a guarantee. A microbiologist at Rockefeller University tested this directly by comparing store-bought eggnog (no alcohol) to a homemade batch spiked with rum and bourbon at roughly 20 percent alcohol by volume. After 24 hours at body temperature, the store-bought version was teeming with bacteria while the boozy homemade batch was completely sterile.
The catch: when the researchers deliberately added a heavy dose of salmonella to the spiked eggnog, the alcohol didn’t kill all of it within 24 hours. The researchers noted they used about 1,000 times more salmonella than you’d realistically find in a contaminated egg, so the real-world risk is likely lower. Still, alcohol alone isn’t a foolproof safety measure, especially at lower concentrations. A splash of bourbon in your eggnog isn’t the same as a 20 percent alcohol mixture.
Some traditional recipes call for aging raw-egg eggnog in the refrigerator for weeks with high-proof spirits, which does give the alcohol more time to work. But if you’re making eggnog for guests or anyone in a high-risk group, cooking the base or using pasteurized eggs is a more reliable approach.
Who Should Be Most Careful
The USDA specifically warns that pregnant women, young children, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems should avoid any eggnog made with raw, unpasteurized eggs. For these groups, salmonella isn’t just uncomfortable; it can lead to hospitalization. The safest options are store-bought pasteurized eggnog, homemade eggnog cooked to 160°F, or recipes made with pasteurized eggs.
Premade eggnog from grocery stores, including many restaurant and bakery versions, is nearly always made with pasteurized eggs. If you’re unsure, asking whether the eggs were pasteurized or cooked is a reasonable question at a holiday party or café.
Storing Eggnog Safely
Commercial eggnog should be refrigerated at all times and used within three to five days of opening. Homemade eggnog has a shorter window: two to four days in the refrigerator. If your eggnog has been sitting out at a holiday gathering for more than two hours, it’s best to toss it. Dairy-and-egg mixtures are an ideal environment for bacterial growth at room temperature, regardless of whether alcohol is in the mix.