Homemade Creme de Cacao – Chocolate Liqueur for Your Happiest Hour

This homemade Creme de Cacao recipe is great for gift giving, but be sure to make an extra bottle of this chocolate liqueur for you!

For double the fun, pair it up with this homemade coffee liqueur, aka Kahlua.

Get a head start on gift making with this homemade chocolate liqueur

Homemade liqueurs are easy to make and satisfying to give. They take only a few minutes of hands on time, but they excel in wow-factor. This homemade crème de cacao is an exceptional chocolate liqueur that is useful for cocktails, but also good for flavoring coffee drinks, frosting, trifle, truffles, and other desserts.

This DIY creme de cacao recipe makes an amazing gift; present it in a fancy upcycled bottle wrapped in a cloth gift bag.

Depending on the cost of cacao nibs and vodka where you live, it may not be cheaper than just buying a bottle of Crème de Cacao at the store. The homemade version is more flavorful and contains fewer toxins than a store bought bottle, though

If you want to have crème de cacao ready for December gifting, it will be best if you can start this chocolate liqueur in September or October so the flavors can meld. You only need four ingredients; it’s very easy. Consider doubling the recipe and making two bottles; once you see how easy it is to make (and how good it tastes) you might decide to keep a bottle for yourself.

How to use homemade creme de cacao

Crème de cacao and its smooth, sweet taste is exceptional over ice or in beverages and cocktails. Consider this homemade chocolate liqueur a tasty addition to desserts, too. You can even use it in place of chocolate or vanilla extracts in baking recipes such as:

• Hot chocolate
• Coffee drinks
• Cocktails
• Trifle
• Coffee cakes
• Icing
• Cookies
• Cheese cake
• Ice cream topping
• Truffles
• Chocolate Mousse
• Pudding
• Meringue
• Egg nog

On second thought, maybe you’d like to make three bottles of this creme de cacao!

More DIY liqueurs

While you’re making liqueurs consider these other additions to your DiY liqueur repertoire:

• Meyer Limoncello
• Black Walnut Liqueur
• Irish Cream
• Crème de Cassis, a berry liqueur

★ Did you make this homemade creme de cacao recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★

5 from 5 votes

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Homemade Creme de Cacao Liqueur

This makes a dark chocolate liqueur, not the clear, colorless, liqueur of the popular brand of Crème de Cacao.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword gifts, vegan recipes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Resting time 30 days

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 32

Calories 116 kcal

Author Chris Dalziel

Ingredients

• 1 cup filtered water
• 2 cups granulated organic cane sugar
• ¾ cups organic cacao nibs
• 2 organic vanilla beans
• 3 cups vodka 80% alcohol

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan boil the water and sugar together until the sugar fully dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow the sugar syrup to come to room temperature.

2. Put the cacao nibs in a coffee grinder

   

3. Grind into a coarse powder.

   

4. Put them in the bottom of a mason jar. Add the vanilla beans and vodka to the mason jar along with the sugar syrup. Cap tightly. Write the date on the jar.

5. Put the jar in a cool, dark spot. The cacao will rise to the top in a visible layer. Shake the jar when you think of it.

   

6. After a month, strain the contents of the jar through a coffee filter. This takes a bit of time. Be patient.

7. Reserve the cacao nibs for baking with. They make an amazing addition to chocolate cookies or chocolate cake. Or try them in a chocolate zucchini cake.

8. Bottle the liquid in fancy bottles, but don’t taste it yet. Wait at least a month before sampling. (It’s even better after three months.)

Originally published in September 2016; this post has been updated.