Best Christmas Eggnog Bread with Rum Glaze

Hey there, holiday lovers!

Are you in the mood for some festive baking? I’ve got something special for you!

Today, I’m sharing my Christmas eggnog bread with a delicious rum glaze.

It’s warm, spiced, and tastes just like the holidays.

Plus, that glaze? Pure magic!

Get ready to fill your kitchen with yummy scents and impress everyone this season! Let’s dive in!

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	30-55 minutes
Total Time	45-75 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Ingredients

For the bread:

• 1 cup regular sugar
• 2.5 tsp rum (or bourbon for deeper flavor)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2.25 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose)
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 2.25 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1.5 cups eggnog (cold, for best texture)
• 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
• 0.75 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated preferred)

For the rum glaze:

• 2.5 tsp eggnog
• 0.125 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)
• 1 cup confectioners sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• 2.5 tbsp rum

Step 1: Prepare Your Pan and Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray your loaf pan (or mini loaf pans) with baking spray, making sure to coat the bottom and sides evenly.

This prevents sticking and ensures your bread releases cleanly after baking.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

• 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
• 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2.25 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.75 tsp nutmeg

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant vanilla pudding mix, baking powder, salt, and freshly grated nutmeg.

Whisk for about 30 seconds to combine and aerate the dry ingredients—this helps distribute the leavening agents evenly for a more uniform crumb.

Step 3: Cream Together the Wet Ingredients

• 0.5 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup regular sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2.5 tsp rum
• 1.5 cups eggnog

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate and create a stable emulsion.

This creaming process adds air to the batter, which helps the bread rise.

Then add the vanilla extract, rum, and eggnog, mixing until just combined.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

• wet ingredient mixture from Step 3
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2

Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 to the wet ingredients from Step 3, folding gently with a spatula until just combined.

Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour—overmixing develops gluten and results in a tough, dense crumb.

I like to do this by hand rather than with a mixer to have more control and avoid overworking the batter.

Step 5: Bake the Bread

• batter from Step 4

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 30 minutes if making mini loaves, or 45-55 minutes for a standard loaf, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

The bread is done when it’s golden brown on top and springs back slightly when touched.

Step 6: Prepare the Rum Glaze While Bread Bakes

• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2.5 tsp eggnog
• 2.5 tbsp rum
• 0.125 tsp nutmeg

While the bread is baking, whisk together the sifted confectioners sugar, eggnog, rum, and freshly grated nutmeg in a small bowl until smooth and pourable.

The glaze should be thick enough to coat the bread but thin enough to drip slightly down the sides.

I find that sifting the confectioners sugar first prevents lumpy glaze—it makes a huge difference in the final appearance.

Step 7: Cool the Bread and Add the Glaze

• baked bread from Step 5
• rum glaze from Step 6

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the bread reaches room temperature, pour the rum glaze from Step 6 over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides naturally.

Let the glaze set for about 15-20 minutes before serving.