Every year I wait for eggnog to appear in the grocery stores. Not only does that mean that Christmas is on its way, it means that it’s time for eggnog bread!

This yummy, easy eggnog bread recipe is great for the holidays. It’s also wonderful for breakfast on chilly autumn or winter mornings.

In addition to eggnog, the recipe calls for another seasonal item, dried cranberries. You can substitute raisins for the cranberries if you’d like, but the cranberries give the bread a little zing.

Plus cranberries look really pretty in the finished product.

Here’s the loaf of eggnog bread after it came out of the bread machine . . .

And here’s how it looked when it was sliced . . .

See how pretty those cranberries are?

And how does it taste? It’s really, really good! The bread has a cake-like texture. There’s a slight nutmeg, eggnog flavor. The cranberries give it a little bit of contrast.

Let’s Talk About Eggnog

What the heck is in eggnog that makes it so darned good? It traditionally includes milk, cream, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and of course, eggs.

It’s thick, rich and typically served with a little bourbon, rum or cognac. Just to be clear, the bread recipe doesn’t include any of those.

Historically speaking, a drink called posset may have been the forerunner of eggnog. Posset is a medieval British drink. The punch was made from hot milk curdled with wine or ale. Sometimes eggs and figs were added too.

Cranberries, Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em

Cranberries are native to North America and filled with antioxidants. Great, right? However, for some people, the zingy, tart taste of cranberries is offputting.

There is a big divide about cranberries in my house. I love them and The Man of the House (TMOTH) does not enjoy them. Not even a little.

So while I think that this bread is better with cranberries, I make it with raisins. To be honest, eggnog bread is really good that way too.

French Toast Alert!

It’s a given that eggnog bread makes wonderful toast. A little cream cheese on top and I’m in heaven.

However, you might want to take it to the next level. The flavor, texture and existing egg content mean that this bread is a natural for French toast.

Don’t Want to Wait for the Holidays?

Don’t despair if it’s summer and you’d like some eggnog bread. I’ve got a recipe for Anytime Eggnog Bread. It captures the taste of this yummy bread, but without the eggnog.