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Eggnog Pudding Shots are what happens when the eggnog bowl and the dessert table merge into 27 spoonable, boozy little cups, instant vanilla pudding whisked with real eggnog, bourbon, and a cinnamon kick of Fireball, chilled under swirls of whipped topping. I made them for our ugly sweater party and they vanished faster than the cookies and the cocktails combined. If my classic eggnog is your December signature, these are its party trick.
Ten minutes, one bowl, and the fridge handles everything else.
Eggnog Pudding Shots Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 27 shots
- ⚡ Calories: 62kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Creamy eggnog spice with a warm bourbon cinnamon kick
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a whisk and fold party dessert
Quick Answer
Whisk a 3.4 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding with 1 1/4 cups eggnog, a quarter cup bourbon, a quarter cup Fireball, cinnamon, and nutmeg for 2 minutes until it thickens. Fold in 8 ounces of whipped topping and chill 5 minutes. Spoon 3 tablespoons into each of 27 two ounce cups, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Pipe the remaining whipped topping on top and dust with cinnamon and nutmeg before serving.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Eggnog replaces the milk measure. Instant pudding sets with any dairy, swapping in eggnog loads the base with custard flavor before the spices even arrive.
- The booze math is deliberate. A half cup of spirits against the pudding and topping is the ceiling for a clean set, more alcohol and the shots never firm up.
- Two whiskeys, two jobs. Bourbon brings the warm vanilla barrel notes while Fireball delivers the cinnamon heat, together they taste like spiked holiday custard.
- Folded topping keeps it mousse light. Whipped topping folded, not stirred, aerates the pudding so each shot eats like a fluffy mini dessert instead of dense pudding.
- The hour chill locks the set. The pudding starch needs the cold rest to firm around the alcohol, straight from bowl to party means soupy cups.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One bowl, ten minutes, and 27 servings, the best effort to wow ratio of the season.
- They taste like spiked eggnog custard with a Fireball warmth on the finish.
- One bowl and a whisk make 27 party servings, easier math than any dessert this festive deserves, just like my cream cheese mints.
Key Ingredients
One pudding box and a quick raid of the holiday bar cart.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix: One 3.4 ounce box, the no cook base that sets everything.
- Eggnog: A cup and a quarter, standing in for the milk with full custard flavor.
- Bourbon and Fireball: A quarter cup each, warm barrel notes plus cinnamon heat.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: A quarter teaspoon each to double down on the eggnog spice.
- Whipped topping: Two 8 ounce containers, one folded in, one piped on top.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
The pudding shot formula flexes with the bar cart.
- Use spiced rum or brandy in place of the bourbon for a different classic eggnog lean.
- Swap the vanilla pudding for cheesecake or white chocolate flavor.
- Go double Fireball and skip the bourbon for maximum cinnamon.
- Zero proof crowd? My classic eggnog covers them while the shots stay adults only.
- Top with crushed gingersnaps or a tiny candy cane for garnish crunch.
How to Make Eggnog Pudding Shots
- In a large bowl, add the pudding mix, eggnog, bourbon, Fireball, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Whisk for 2 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
- Add one 8 ounce container of whipped topping.
- Fold it in until no streaks remain, then place the bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- Lay out 27 two ounce cups on a sheet tray and add 3 tablespoons of the pudding mixture to each. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Pipe the remaining whipped topping onto each shot, dust with extra cinnamon and nutmeg if you like, and keep chilled until serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Whisk the full 2 minutes. The pudding starch needs the agitation to activate before the fold.
- Do not exceed the half cup of total booze. Alcohol interferes with the set, this recipe sits right at the creamy limit.
- Use the sheet tray trick. Loading the cups on a tray means one trip to the fridge instead of 27.
- Fold the topping gently. Stirring deflates it and the shots lose their mousse texture.
- Pipe the topping just before serving. The swirls stay perky instead of weeping in the fridge overnight.
- Label them clearly at mixed parties. They taste innocent, they are not, keep them on the adults’ tray.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve the eggnog pudding shots on a tray dusted with extra nutmeg, spoons optional, they are engineered for standing room holiday parties.
Set them out next to a crock of my slow cooker wassail, one warm drink and one cold spoonable covers the whole crowd.
For a dessert shooter flight, line them up with squares of my chocolate fudge and let guests mix and match.
Store the filled, untopped eggnog pudding shots covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days ahead, then pipe the topping the day of the party. Keep them chilled until the moment they serve, and skip the freezer, the alcohol keeps them from freezing cleanly.
Eggnog Pudding Shots FAQs
Eggnog pudding shots are a boozy dessert shooter made by whisking instant vanilla pudding with eggnog instead of milk, plus bourbon and Fireball cinnamon whisky, then folding in whipped topping and chilling the mixture in 2 ounce cups. They are spoonable, make ahead, and built for holiday parties.
Almost always too much alcohol or too little whisking. Keep the spirits at a half cup total against one 3.4 ounce pudding box, whisk a full 2 minutes to activate the starch, and give the cups at least an hour in the refrigerator. If a batch stays loose, fold in more whipped topping to rescue the texture.
About half a teaspoon of spirits per shot, the half cup of bourbon and Fireball spreads across 27 servings. They taste noticeably spiked but land gentle, which is exactly why they disappear by the trayful. For a stronger batch, stay within the half cup limit and choose higher proof whiskey.
Absolutely, replace the bourbon and Fireball with another half cup of eggnog and add an extra quarter teaspoon of cinnamon. The virgin version sets even firmer and makes a great kids’ table dessert alongside the labeled adult tray.
The filled cups keep covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days, which makes them ideal party prep. Hold the whipped topping swirl until the day you serve so it stays tall and fresh. Do not freeze them, the alcohol prevents a clean freeze and the topping weeps on thawing.
Two ounce plastic souffle cups with lids, the same kind delis use for sauces, are perfect and come in sleeves of 50 with lids for stacking. Small disposable shot glasses work too. The lids matter for make ahead stacking, and a sheet tray underneath makes fridge transport painless.
Made these Eggnog Pudding Shots? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tell me how many trays your party went through!
Pair the shots with mugs of my kahlua hot chocolate for the full party bar.
If you love these flavors in dessert form, my frosted eggnog cake turns the whole carton into a 9×13 centerpiece.
Eggnog Pudding Shots
Ingredients
- 3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups eggnog
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup fireball cinnamon whiskey
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg plus more for garnish
- 16 ounces 2 16 ounce containers whipped topping, thawed, divided
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add together the pudding mix, eggnog, bourbon, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Whisk this together for 2 minutes until it starts to thicken.
- Add one of the 8-ounce containers of whipped topping and fold it in. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- Lay out 27 2-ounce plastic cups or something similar onto a sheet tray. Add 3 tablespoons of the pudding mixture to each cup. Cover with the tops or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Pipe on the remaining whipped topping to each shot. Sprinkle a little more cinnamon and nutmeg on top if using. Keep chilled and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you want a more robust vanilla flavor you can use French vanilla pudding.
- Make sure you are only using instant vanilla pudding.
- Swap out the spices for pumpkin pie spice for a nice twist.
- These can be made non-alcoholic, see above on how to do that.
- Use your favorite bourbon, we like to use Jim Beam.
- You can use any of your favorite store bought eggnog or make your own at home, both will work.
- Make you own homemade whipped topping instead of the containers, see above on how to do that.
- There will be leftover whipped topping, so do with it as you please.
- These can be froze, see above on how to freeze.
Nutrition
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