Eggnog Blondies With Nutmeg Glaze: Easy, Irresistible Christmas Bars

Eggnog blondies bring the flavor of a holiday drink to a buttery brown sugar bar, with nutmeg in the batter and a thin eggnog glaze on top. These bars have soft, chewy centers and lightly golden edges. A modest amount of eggnog adds flavor without turning the blondies into cake, and the batter comes together by hand with melted butter.

What keeps eggnog blondies chewy?

Eggnog adds liquid as well as sugar, fat, and egg solids. Pouring too much into blondie batter can produce a cakey texture or leave the middle gummy. This recipe uses just 3 tablespoons in the batter, then adds more eggnog flavor through the glaze.

Brown sugar contributes moisture and a light molasses flavor that suits the nutmeg. Melted butter makes mixing easy, while a small amount of baking powder gives the bars a little lift without making them fluffy.

Use a thick, dairy-based, nonalcoholic eggnog made with pasteurized ingredients. Reduced-fat and dairy-free products vary considerably in thickness and composition, so they may change the finished texture. Homemade eggnog should be cooked and chilled before use; save any raw-egg version for a different purpose.

Eggnog blondies with nutmeg glaze

These Christmas blondie bars bake in an 8-inch square pan and make 16 small dessert squares. A light-colored metal pan gives more predictable results than glass, which heats differently and may require an adjustment to the baking time.

Yield: 16 bars
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 23–29 minutes
Cooling and glazing time: About 1½ hours
Total time: About 2¼ hours
Course: Dessert

Equipment

– 8-inch square metal baking pan
– Parchment paper
– Large mixing bowl and small glaze bowl
– Whisk and flexible spatula
– Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

For the blondies

– ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
– ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
– 1 large egg, preferably at room temperature
– 3 tablespoons (45 ml) refrigerated eggnog
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 g) all-purpose flour
– ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
– ¼ teaspoon baking powder
– ¼ teaspoon fine salt

For the nutmeg glaze

– ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
– 1 tablespoon (15 ml) refrigerated eggnog, plus more as needed, up to about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) total
– ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
– ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus a light sprinkle for finishing if desired

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan and oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), with a rack in the center. Lightly grease the pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can lift out the cooled bars.

2. Combine the butter and sugar. Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until thoroughly blended. The butter should be warm, not hot, before you add the egg.

3. Add the remaining wet ingredients. Whisk in the egg, eggnog, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.

4. Fold in the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Add them to the wet mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to catch any flour pockets, but avoid prolonged mixing.

5. Bake. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, reaching into the corners. Bake for 23–29 minutes. Begin checking at 23 minutes: the edges should look set and lightly golden, and the center should no longer appear wet. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with moist crumbs, not raw batter.

6. Cool completely. Place the pan on a wire rack. Let the blondies cool completely before glazing, usually about 1 hour or longer depending on the room temperature.

7. Make the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of eggnog, vanilla, and nutmeg until smooth. Add more eggnog about ½ teaspoon at a time until the glaze falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon. It should spread easily without running like milk.

8. Glaze and slice. Lift the cooled slab out of the pan using the parchment. Spread the glaze over the top and add a very light sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired. Let the glaze settle for about 20–30 minutes, then cut into 16 squares. The glaze may remain slightly soft.

Getting clean slices and a tender center

Measure the flour by weight when possible. If using measuring cups, fluff the flour, spoon it into the cup, and level the top. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in extra flour and make these brown sugar blondies dry.

The baking cues are more useful than the clock alone. Ovens and pans vary, and a few extra minutes can noticeably firm up a small batch. A completely clean toothpick may mean the bars have baked longer than needed. Still, don’t remove them while the center is visibly liquid; cooling cannot correct raw batter.

Wait until the bars are fully cool before adding the nutmeg glaze. Warm blondies will thin the glaze and encourage it to soak into the surface. For neater edges, chill the glazed slab briefly before slicing, then wipe the knife between cuts.

Freshly grated nutmeg works well here, but use a light hand with the finishing sprinkle. The spice is already present in both the batter and glaze, and a heavy dusting can overwhelm the eggnog flavor.

Serving and storing the bars

Serve these glazed cookie bars in small squares alongside coffee, tea, or a holiday dessert assortment. Their sweet topping makes them a useful companion to less-sweet cookies, such as shortbread or ginger cookies.

Because the glaze contains uncooked eggnog, store the finished bars covered in the refrigerator and use them within 4 days. Keep their total time at room temperature under 2 hours, or 1 hour when temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C). For a softer bite, take out only the portion you plan to serve and let it stand briefly before eating.

For make-ahead baking, freeze the cooled, unglazed blondies tightly wrapped for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw them in the refrigerator, then add fresh glaze. Freezing before glazing also makes the bars easier to wrap without damaging their tops.