Traditionally, eggnog was made a month before Christmas and allowed to age. However, given the salmonella risk associated with consuming raw eggs, the preparation of eggnog has been updated.

Eggnog should be served cold—it should not sit at room temperature.

Replace raw eggs with either a pasteurized egg substitute or with eggs that have been pre-pasteurized. You can pasteurize eggs at home by heating them until they adhere to the surface of a spoon (slowly heat the eggs to 160°F, or 71°C). In some eggnog recipes, the entire batch is cooked to destroy bacteria.

In preparing eggless nog, French vanilla pudding makes a good egg substitute. If you’d like to make dairy-free eggnog, replace the milk with fresh or canned coconut milk.