I compared Martha Stewart's eggnog to my mom's coquito. The best holiday drink is the one that doesn't take 2 days to make.

Maria NoyenJan 16, 2024, 10:41 IST

Martha Stewart makes the same eggnog recipe every year.Maria Noyen/Business Insider, Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

I made the eggnog recipe that Martha Stewart uses each year during the festive season.
I compared it to my mom's favorite holiday drink, a Puerto Rican staple called coquito.

Nothing says happy holidays like taking a sip of a delicious festive drink. I know that, and I suspect that food and TV icon Martha Stewart does, too.

Stewart, 82, says that she makes her classic eggnog recipe for the holidays each year. Meanwhile, my family's go-to festive beverage is coquito, a Puerto Rican Christmas staple. It's similar to eggnog in that the recipe calls for eggs and booze, but its Christmassy flavors are derived from cinnamon and cloves rather than nutmeg.

Since I've made my mom's coquito recipe in the past, I wanted to try something new this year, so I decided to attempt Stewart's eggnog recipe.

I had high hopes, but spoiler alert: Stewart's eggnog doesn't hold a candle to my mom's coquito. Read on to find out why.

Martha Stewart's eggnog recipe is a two-day process and calls for 6-8 ingredients, depending on how boozy you want it to be.

The ingredients used to make Martha Stewart's eggnog.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

The first step involved separating the egg yolks from the whites. I messed up the first time around, which became a problem down the line.

The tiniest bit of yolk in the whites can make it impossible to whip them.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

The next step was whipping the egg yolks until they were thick and pale, and adding in the sugar.

Add the sugar slowly and beat the mixture bit by bit.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

Afterward, I added the whole milk and gave the mixture another whisk.

Adding the whole milk.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

I also added two cups of the heavy cream, reserving the last to whip up at the end.

The heavy cream had a few lumps even though it was fresh.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

Finally, it was time to add a little booze to the eggnog.

Pouring a cup of Maker's Mark bourbon into the mixture.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

So far, Stewart's recipe was simple enough, but it lacked the Christmassy smells that I love when making coquito.

Giving the eggnog a final mix.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

The next day, after realizing the mistake with my original egg whites, I whipped up a new batch and added them to the rest of the chilled eggnog mixture.

Adding the whipped egg whites into the mixture.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

The egg whites also didn't "fold" into the mixture the way I expected them to.

Folding the egg whites into the mixture.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

I moved forward and whipped up the remaining cup of heavy cream until it resembled store-bought whipped cream.

The whipped heavy cream.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

Like the egg whites, the whipped cream didn't blend easily into the rest of the eggnog.

Adding the whipped cream.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

I was too far along to give up, though, so I pressed on. The final step involved pouring a glass of the eggnog, adding whipped cream to the top, and sprinkling it with nutmeg.

The finished eggnog.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

I was too far along to give up, though, so I pressed on. The final step involved pouring a glass of the eggnog, adding whipped cream to the top, and sprinkling it with nutmeg.

Unfortunately for Stewart, this eggnog doesn't hold a candle to my mom's coquito recipe for multiple reasons.

Coquito is richer in flavor and more consistent when it comes to texture.Maria Noyen/Business Insider

I tried 16 different Ina Garten recipes this year. These are the 5 I'll be making again in 2024.

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I compared Martha Stewart's eggnog to my mom's coquito. The best holiday drink is the one that doesn't take 2 days to make.

Martha Stewart's eggnog recipe is a two-day process and calls for 6-8 ingredients, depending on how boozy you want it to be.

The first step involved separating the egg yolks from the whites. I messed up the first time around, which became a problem down the line.

The next step was whipping the egg yolks until they were thick and pale, and adding in the sugar.

Afterward, I added the whole milk and gave the mixture another whisk.

I also added two cups of the heavy cream, reserving the last to whip up at the end.

Finally, it was time to add a little booze to the eggnog.

So far, Stewart's recipe was simple enough, but it lacked the Christmassy smells that I love when making coquito.

The next day, after realizing the mistake with my original egg whites, I whipped up a new batch and added them to the rest of the chilled eggnog mixture.

The egg whites also didn't "fold" into the mixture the way I expected them to.

I moved forward and whipped up the remaining cup of heavy cream until it resembled store-bought whipped cream.

Like the egg whites, the whipped cream didn't blend easily into the rest of the eggnog.

I was too far along to give up, though, so I pressed on. The final step involved pouring a glass of the eggnog, adding whipped cream to the top, and sprinkling it with nutmeg.

Unfortunately for Stewart, this eggnog doesn't hold a candle to my mom's coquito recipe for multiple reasons.