Eggnog: a rich holiday drink with a raw egg question

Eggnog is milk, sugar and egg, and in homemade versions the egg is often raw. Cooking the egg changes surprisingly little in what your muscles get from it. In a randomized trial with 45 resistance-trained young men, five boiled eggs gave 20 percent higher peak blood essential amino acids than five raw eggs, yet muscle protein synthesis after exercise did not differ, and the test food was whole eggs with no milk or sugar. What cooking does change is the infection risk. In Trinidad and Tobago, a case-control study of 46 patients and 92 matched controls tied Salmonella Enteritidis infection to raw or undercooked eggs and listed homemade eggnog among the main raw egg foods, though the abstract gives no odds ratio for eggnog itself. A meta-analysis of 35 case-control studies ranked eating raw eggs among the most important risk factors for sporadic salmonellosis, again with no pooled figure in the abstract.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• USDA lists commercial eggnog at 59 mg cholesterol, 0.45 mcg vitamin B12 and 0.19 mg riboflavin per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA FoodData Central record 171258, Eggnog, SR Legacy Evidence E source
  Cholesterol 59 mg (20% DV), vitamin B12 0.45 mcg (19% DV), riboflavin 0.19 mg (15% DV) per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• The UK food table lists homemade eggnog at 98 calories, 3.6 g alcohol and 6.2 g sucrose per 3.5 oz (100 g). — CoFID 2021 record 17-793, Egg nog, homemade Evidence E source
  Energy 98 calories, alcohol 3.6 g, sucrose 6.2 g, cholesterol 45.7 mg, protein 4.0 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• USDA survey portions put a cup of eggnog at 256 g and one alcoholic eggnog drink at 240 g. — US dietary survey portion weights, FNDDS food codes 11531000 and 93301550 Evidence E source
  Eggnog 1 cup 256 g, 1 fl oz 32 g; alcoholic eggnog 1 drink 240 g, 1 fl oz 30 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized trial with 45 young men, boiled eggs gave 20% higher peak blood essential amino acids than raw eggs, though muscle protein synthesis did not differ. — 45 healthy resistance-trained young men, 5 raw or 5 boiled eggs (about 30 g protein) or control breakfast after exercise (n = 45) Evidence B source
  Peak plasma essential amino acids 20% higher after boiled than raw eggs (P < 0.001), myofibrillar protein synthesis 0.067 raw vs 0.065 %/h boiled
• In 10 volunteers, 35% of raw egg protein escaped digestion in the small intestine, against 6% of cooked egg protein. — ten healthy volunteers, 25 g labeled egg protein eaten once cooked and once raw (n = 10) Evidence C source
  5.73% cooked vs 35.10% raw egg protein escaped small-intestinal digestion and absorption (P < 0.005)
• In a randomized crossover trial in 12 adults, custard raised the blood triglyceride response by up to 122.7% more than pudding or biscuit of similar composition. — twelve healthy subjects, model foods custard, pudding, sponge cake and biscuit (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Custard triglyceride response up to +122.7% vs pudding and biscuit (p < 0.0001)

What cooking and storage change

• The FDA advises using pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products in dishes served with raw or undercooked eggs. — US consumers, FDA egg safety page Evidence E source
  Pasteurized eggs or egg products recommended for raw-egg recipes

What it does to your health

• In six people with type 1 diabetes, an eggnog made with 28 g sucrose inside a mixed meal did not raise blood glucose more than one made with saccharin. — six insulin-dependent diabetes patients on an artificial pancreas, two isocaloric Italian meals in random order (n = 6) Evidence B source
  No significant difference in basal or peak glucose, peak time or area under the curve

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a Trinidad and Tobago case-control study, Salmonella Enteritidis infection was tied to raw or undercooked eggs, with homemade eggnog among the main raw-egg foods. — 46 case patients and 92 age- and neighborhood-matched controls, March 1998 to May 1999 (n = 138) Evidence C source
  Phage type 4 in 30 of 34 patient isolates and in 9 implicated egg or egg-containing food samples
• A meta-analysis of 35 case-control studies ranked eating raw eggs among the most important risk factors for sporadic salmonellosis. — 35 case-control studies of sporadic Salmonella infection (n = 35 studies) Evidence C source
  Raw eggs among top risk factors with travel and eating in restaurants, pooled OR not given in abstract

Who this works differently for

• A meta-analysis of case-control studies found raw eggs were not a significant risk factor for acute toxoplasmosis, unlike raw or undercooked beef (OR 2.22). — case-control studies of acute Toxoplasma gondii infection Evidence C source
  Raw eggs non-significant, raw or undercooked beef OR 2.22 (1.57-3.12), sheep meat OR 3.85
• The FDA names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as those at greater risk of severe illness from Salmonella in eggs. — US consumers, FDA egg safety page Evidence E source
  Higher-risk groups named
• CDC says not drinking is the safest option while breastfeeding, and up to one standard drink a day is not known to harm the infant. To be safest, wait at least 2 hours after a single drink before nursing. Pumping and discarding milk does not clear alcohol from the milk any faster. The page does not name eggnog or any specific drink. — breastfeeding mothers and their infants Evidence E source
  Not drinking is safest; up to one standard drink a day not known to harm the infant; wait at least 2 hours after a single drink before nursing; pumping and discarding does not clear alcohol faster
• CDC states there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy and that all types of alcohol, including wine, beer and liquor, can be harmful, with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders as the possible lifelong outcome. This applies to eggnog made with spirits. — pregnant women Evidence E source
  No known safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy, risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

The bottom line

A cup of eggnog weighs 9 oz (256 g) in US survey portions, and one alcoholic eggnog drink 240 g. Per 100 g, the USDA record for commercial eggnog gives 59 mg of cholesterol, 0.45 mcg of vitamin B12 and 0.19 mg of riboflavin, from a single entry with no spread between samples. The UK table's homemade eggnog is a different drink. It has 98 calories, 3.6 g of alcohol and 6.2 g of sucrose per 3.5 oz (100 g), and its vitamin B12 figure of 0.9 mcg is double the American one, so compare the two with care. In six people with type 1 diabetes on an artificial pancreas, an eggnog made with sucrose did not raise blood glucose more than one made with saccharin, with the drink eaten as part of a full Italian meal. That tells you little about a glass on its own. In 10 volunteers, 35.10 percent of raw egg protein escaped digestion in the small intestine against 5.73 percent of cooked egg protein, in a non-randomized study of egg protein alone. Texture may also shape the fat response. In a randomized crossover trial in 12 healthy adults, custard raised the blood triglyceride response by up to 122.7 percent more than pudding or biscuit, and eggnog, which is thinner than custard, was not tested. The FDA names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as those at greater risk of severe illness from Salmonella in eggs. For recipes served with raw or undercooked eggs it advises pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products. Its examples are Caesar dressing and homemade ice cream, and homemade eggnog made with raw egg is the same kind of recipe, so the advice covers it too. Raw eggs were not a significant risk factor for acute toxoplasmosis in a meta-analysis of case-control studies, unlike raw or undercooked beef (OR 2.22), and that finding says nothing about Salmonella. The UK homemade recipe contains 3.6 g of alcohol per 3.5 oz (100 g), so that version is an alcoholic drink. We found no card on alcohol in eggnog for children or pregnancy, and that gap is not a sign it is safe for them. The drink is made with egg and milk, so people allergic to either should not drink it. We found no allergy card and no card on the nutmeg.

Sources

1. egn-r3-11 · USDA FoodData Central, dataset
   Eggnog (FDC 171258, SR Legacy, Dairy and Egg Products): cholesterol 59 mg per 100 g = 20% DV; vitamin B12 0.45 µg = 19% DV; riboflavin 0.19 mg = 15% DV; Foundation samples 0, CoFID match Egg nog, homemade [17-793]
   USDA FoodData Central, FDC 171258, SR Legacy · checked 2026-09-28
2. egn-r3-12 · CoFID 2021, dataset
   Egg nog, homemade (CoFID 17-793, group QI): Energy 98 kcal; Alcohol 3.6 g; Sucrose 6.2 g; Cholesterol 45.7 mg; Protein 4.0 g; Fat 2.3 g per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 17-793 (OGL v3.0) · checked 2026-09-28
3. egn-r3-10 · FNDDS, dataset
   Eggnog (FNDDS 11531000, fdc_id 2705502): 1 cup 256 g; 1 fl oz 32 g; Eggnog, alcoholic (FNDDS 93301550, fdc_id 2710684): 1 drink 240 g; 1 fl oz 30 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food codes 11531000 (FDC 2705502) and 93301550 (FDC 2710684) · checked 2026-09-28
4. egn-r3-03 · RCT
   Ingestion of eggs significantly increased plasma essential amino acid (EAA) concentrations, with 20% higher peak concentrations following ingestion of boiled compared with raw eggs (time × group: P < 0.001). ... However, postexercise muscle protein synthesis rates do not differ after ingestion of 5 raw compared with 5 boiled eggs in healthy young men.
   J Nutr, 2022 · checked 2026-09-28
5. egn-r3-04 · clinical trial
   Ten healthy volunteers were studied once after ingestion of a cooked test meal, consisting of 25 g of (13)C-, (15)N-, and (2)H-labeled egg protein, and once after ingestion of the same but raw meal. Amounts of 5.73% and 35.10% (P < 0.005) of cooked and raw test meal, respectively, escaped digestion and absorption in the small intestine.
   Am J Physiol, 1999 · checked 2026-09-28
6. egn-r3-07 · RCT
   Twelve healthy subjects are enrolled in a randomized, open label, crossover postprandial trial. Four different model foods are tested: custard, pudding, sponge cake, and biscuit. ... Custard triglyceride response is higher than pudding and biscuit responses (up to +122.7%, p < 0.0001).
   Mol Nutr Food Res, 2020 · checked 2026-09-28
7. egn-r3-08 · agency guidance
   For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served — like Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream — use either shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method, or pasteurized egg products.
   US FDA, What You Need to Know About Egg Safety, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
8. egn-r3-05 · RCT
   On 2 consecutive days the patients were given, in random order, two Italian meals containing macaroni, bread, meat, vegetables, fruit, olive oil, and an eggnog made with sucrose (meal A) or saccharin (meal B). ... Plasma glucose levels and insulin infusion rates delivered by the artificial pancreas after the two test meals did not show any significant differences regarding basal and peak values, peak times, and areas under the curves.
   Diabetes Care, 1989 · checked 2026-09-28
9. egn-r3-01 · case-control
   SE infection in T&T was found to be associated with the consumption of shell eggs, and in particular raw or undercooked eggs. ... Homemade eggnog and ice cream, cake batter, and egg-containing beverages were the main raw egg-containing foods
   Clin Infect Dis, 2001 · checked 2026-09-28
10. egn-r3-02 · meta-analysis of case-control studies
    Results suggested that travel, predisposing factors, eating raw eggs, and eating in restaurants were the most important risk factors for salmonellosis.
    Epidemiol Infect, 2012 · checked 2026-09-28
11. egn-r3-06 · meta-analysis of case-control studies
    consumption of raw/undercooked meat, Odds Ratio (OR) 3.44 (1.29-9.16), consumption of raw/undercooked beef, OR 2.22 (1.57-3.12), and consumption of raw/undercooked sheep meat, OR 3.85 (1.85-8.00). Consumption of raw/undercooked pork, raw eggs, and unpasteurized milk proved to be non-significant risk factors.
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-28
12. egn-r3-09 · agency guidance
    Certain people are at greater risk for severe illness and include children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes).
    US FDA, What You Need to Know About Egg Safety, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
13. sf-albf-r6-3 · agency advice
    Not drinking alcohol is the safest option for breastfeeding mothers. However, moderate alcohol consumption, meaning up to one standard drink in a day, is not known to be harmful to the infant ... To be safest, the mother can wait at least 2 hours after a single drink before nursing ... Expressing or pumping then discarding milk after drinking alcohol does not reduce the amount of alcohol in the mother's milk more quickly.
    CDC, Breastfeeding Special Circumstances: Alcohol, last reviewed April 13, 2026 · checked 2026-10-08
14. sf-alcpreg-r6-eggnog-1 · agency advice
    There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy...All types of alcohol can be harmful, including red or white wine, beer, and liquor...Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause a range of lifelong behavioral, intellectual, and physical disabilities known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).
    CDC, About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy · checked 2026-10-08