Trail Hot Eggnog
A powdered eggnog drink for winter trips, made from actual ingredients instead of commercial gums and fake flavoring.
- calories
- 380
- weight
- 2.8 oz
- cal / oz
- 136
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 1 min
- cook
- 1 min
- total time
- 2 min
- water
- 240 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Drink
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Winter / snow
- Car camping
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- Real dishes
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Dry milk powder | 1/3 cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried egg powder | 1 Tbsp | |
| Brown sugar | 1 tsp | rounded and packed |
| Ground cinnamon | 1/8 tsp | |
| Ground nutmeg | a pinch |
Method
- Mix all dry ingredients together at home.
- Portion into single-serving bags for the trail.
- In camp, pour the mix into a mug and add 1 cup of boiled water.
- Stir well for about a minute until the milk powder dissolves completely.
- Drink while hot.
This is a return to what commercial eggnog packets should have been: real dry milk, real freeze-dried egg, and real spices instead of creamer and artificial flavoring. It won’t be thick like store-bought eggnog with stabilizing gums, but that trade is worth it for actual ingredients and cutting the weight.
The freeze-dried egg powder is the hesitation point—it is technically undercooked egg. If you are pregnant, immunocompromised, or simply uncomfortable with it, leave it out and you still have a good spiced hot milk drink. The bulk recipe makes five servings and splits into bags for choices between this and hot cocoa on longer trips.
Packing
Combine all five ingredients at home and divide into single-serving snack bags, one per planned drink. Stays shelf-stable indefinitely in a cool, dry place.
Variations
- Add 1 Tbsp cocoa powder to the dry mix for mocha eggnog.
- Stir a serving into hot oatmeal for an eggnog-spiced breakfast instead of a drink.
- A pinch of ground clove in the base mix adds warmth and complexity.
https://trailcooking.com/2023/11/22/trail-recipes-hot-eggnog