When I first started hiking a lot I’d order meals from Campmor’s catalog (and for all of us oldies…the hand drawn catalogs were the best). They carried packets of eggnog drink mix which I’d buy every order. I really liked not having just hot cocoa on trips back then. It was one of my first unusual things I bought for hiking.
These recipes came out of that – to try to replicate those packets. The recipes were originally published in Trail Cooking: Trail Food Made Gourmet.
Our recipes are made of actual ingredients however. The commercial mixes were a blend of non-dairy creamer, sugar, fake flavorings and a pinch of old dry non fat milk. Kind of sad when you think about it. The kind of packets you used to see sold in sketchy gas stations in the middle of nowhere, next to the “cappachino” mixes.
I got thinking about the recipes yesterday and felt like it needed to be on the website as well. Dry eggnog mixes are not a common recipe, so sharing is caring.
Two caveats:
Because we don’t use thickeners or gums, this will be more like hot cocoa for thickness. It’s not thick like commercial eggnog in the store, which is thickened with a wide variety of gums. It’s also not gaggingly sweet. You like sugar like a raccoon? Then up it to taste.
Yes, it calls for freeze-dried egg. How you feel about this is up to you. That is my disclaimer right here. If it makes you nervous to consume undercooked egg, then these recipes are not for you.
And a recipe concept for our readers:
Take this dry mix and add it to oatmeal (½ cup quick cooking (1 minute) oats + 1 cup water + this mix makes an amazing bowl of breakfast.
A pro-tip:
While I don’t blend it, if you prefer a smooth mix, run the dry ingredients through a blender quickly, to powder down the dry milk finely.
Hot Eggnog For One (page 24)
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup dry milk
- 1 Tbsp freeze-dried egg powder
- 1 tsp rounded packed brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Directions:
Combine ingredients and shake to combine. Store in a glass mason jar for longer-term storage, carry in a zip top snack bag.
Add 1 cup boiled water to dry ingredients in a mug, stir well to dissolve.
Serves 1.
Bulk Hot Eggnog Mix (Warm Egg Nog page 25)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dry milk
- ¼ cup freeze-dried egg powder
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
Mix ingredients together in a mixing bowl. For long-term storage use a glass mason jar, otherwise split into 5 zip top snack size bags. It will be about 1/3 cup dry mix.
Add 1 cup boiled water to each bag’s ingredients in a mug. Stir well.
Makes 5 servings.
PS: On page 25 is also a recipe for a mocha eggnog drink, for all the flavors!
FTC Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
~Sarah