Crema de Vie (Cuban Eggnog Recipe)

Last updated on 7th October 2024

There is no better holiday drink than Crema de vie, a rich Cuban version of eggnog. You’ll only need condensed milk, egg yolks, sugar, aromatic spices and a good dose of light rum to make this sweet, punchy Christmassy drink for you to enjoy with family and friends.

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Festive traditions in Cuba mean making Crema de vie. This Cuban version of eggnog is a boozy, thick and sweet beverage that keeps family and friends going on Nochebuena (the Cuban Christmas Eve) and New Year’s Eve. It is a very easy recipe to make, with only a few ingredients. It makes a delicious, great-looking drink ideal for bottling and giving as a present on the holiday season.

Jump to:

What is Crema de Vie
Crema de Vie vs Eggnog
Why you are going to love this recipe
Ingredients to make Crema de Vie
How to make Crema de Vie
Top Tips and Fun Facts
Recipe card

What is Crema de vie

Crema de vie is a rich and creamy Cuban version of eggnog. The name crema de vie means “cream of life” in English. I totally agree with the name 😉

Crema de vie is meant to be served in small liqueur glasses or aperitif glasses. When you make it, you will see this is a very creamy and rich drink.

Crema de vie vs eggnog

Both crema de vie and eggnog are holiday drinks containing dairy, eggs, sugar and one or two base spirits.

Traditionally, eggnog is made with either brandy (or cognac), whiskey, rum or a combination of them. Crema de vie, being a Cuban drink, always has a good dose of a Spanish-style rum (Cuban rum, Puerto Rican rum, etc).

Crema de vie recipe usually calls for the yolk of the eggs only, while eggnog needs both yolks and egg whites. The dairy in crema de vie is sweetened condensed milk (sometimes evaporated milk too), so no double cream or fresh milk like in eggnog.

There are other Latin American and Caribbean versions of eggnog. Besides Cuban Crema de Vie, there is coquito (Puerto Rico), cremas (Haiti) and rompope (Mexico), to name a few.

Why you are going to love this recipe

Exiting holiday drink from Cuba. If you are not from Cuba or are not familiar with Cuban traditions, this is a perfect opportunity for you to try at home this delicious holiday drink.

Easy eggnog recipe with a few ingredients. This Cuban eggnog variation is ready in under 20 minutes, employs very few ingredients and requires little preparation. This makes it ideal for preparing ahead of big celebrations or family gatherings.

Ingredients to make Crema de vie

Egg yolks. You will need six egg yolks. It is important to temper and slightly cook the yolks to reduce the risk of salmonella present in eggs.

Salt and vanilla extract. The necessary pinch of salt and the little teaspoon of vanilla extract are perfect seasoning elements to bring the other flavours together.

Cinnamon, cloves, and star anise infused sugar syrup. Simple syrup infused with different aromatic spices. It is up to you which ones to use, but cinnamon can’t be left behind by tradition.

Sweetened condensed milk. It will add creaminess, smoothness, sweetness and all in all make crema de vie a delicious, dessert-like drink.

Rum. The usual rum in crema de vie is Spanish-style lightly aged rum (aka white rum). Some people will swap white rum for an aged, darker rum (or even spiced rum).

Nutmeg. Sprinkle freshly grated nutmeg on top of the drink. Optionally, you can sprinkle ground cinnamon.

How to make Crema de vie

Make the spices-infused syrup. Combine the water and the sugar in a pan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Add two cinnamon sticks, two whole cloves and two whole star anise pods. Lower the heat and simmer until you obtain a syrup with a fine thread consistency. Set the syrup aside and dispose the spices.

Mix the egg yolks. While the syrup is cooking, separate the yolk of six eggs. Empty the content of the yolks in a pan by pinching the yolk membrane with the tip of your fingers and pricking it with a paring knife. Add the salt and vanilla extract to the egg yolks and whisk them or mix with a fork.

Temper and cook the egg yolks. Once the syrup is ready and while still is hot, separate half of it and combine with three or four tablespoons of condensed milk. To the pan with the egg yolks, slowly add the hot syrup and milk mix while whisking the yolks. This step allows to temper the yolks and save them from being cooked as in scrambled eggs.

Place the pan over the hobs over low heat and stir constantly with circular movements. After 2-3 minutes, the mix of yolks, syrup and milk should be cooked. This will help reduce the risk posed by salmonella. Do not worry if you have some solid yolk bits: this always happens, and you will be able to sieve them later. Turn off the heat and set the mix aside.

Blend all the ingredients. To the jug of a high-speed blender, add the egg yolks mix. Use a sieve to catch the bits of egg that have been cooked. Add the rest of the condensed milk to the jug and turn on the blender to its lowest speed.

With the lid of the jug open and while the blender is on, slowly add the other half of the sugar syrup through a fine mesh sieve to catch any bits of spices left. Then add the rum and close the lid of the jug.

Continue blending for approximately 1 minute to obtain a smooth and frothy mix.

Chill, then serve. Empty the contents of the jug in a clear glass bottle of at least 700 ml volume. Drop a cinnamon stick inside the bottle and close it. The liquid will still be warm after the blending process.

When it cools down, place the bottle in the fridge. After at least two hours, your crema de vie will be ready for a delicious festivity toast. Serve in small liquor or aperitif glasses. Grate fresh nutmeg or cinnamon on top and enjoy!

Top tips and fun facts

Crema de vie is traditionally enjoyed in Nochebuena (the Christmas Eve of the Cubans). It is also a favourite for toasting in any celebrations such as Quinces (15^th Birthday party), weddings and of course, the New Year’s Eve.

Tempering the egg yolks is a step you don’t want to miss in this recipe. This is to constantly stir while adding the hot sugar syrup to the egg yolks. It will save the yolks becoming scrambled eggs.

Likewise, the 2-3 minutes you will gently cook the egg yolk mix is super important to minimise the risk of salmonella!

Some people may feel a “burn” on the throat when drinking the lightly aged or unaged “white” rums. If that’s your case, there is no harm to the crema de vie if you stir in a smoother, aged rum (dark rum) instead. The rum also plays a role in the prevention of the yolks and milk going off with time. Check out other two recipes with lightly aged rum (white rum): El Presidente and Cancha cocktails.

Even though the crema de vie recipe I show here is the most traditional I remember, I’ve been tempted to experiment with it. I would suggest to add to the ingredients more fluid dairy, and also a combination of lightly aged “white” rum, spiced rum and rye whiskey. But that’s a story for another post!

Always store your crema de vie in the fridge. It will last there for one week to ten days approximately. I bet it’ll be so irresistible that it won’t last that long any way 😉

Last but not least, enjoy your Cuban eggnog and drink with moderation.

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