How to Make Coffee Liqueur at Home
You can make coffee liqueur at home for a fraction of the cost of Kahlua. It is a simple recipe that you’ll enjoy; and it makes a great gift too. When I gave mine out last Christmas I labeled it “Homesteader Hooch“, just to give my family a laugh. Well everyone loved the coffee liqueur and asking if they’ll be more this year!
This should store for more than a year if kept in a cool, dry, cabinet. Well that is assuming it lasts that long.
Make Coffee Liqueur – Ingredients
- 2.5 cups of pure cane sugar
- 3 Tablespoons of instant coffee
- 1 Tablespoon of pure vanilla extract (no imitation)
- 4 cups of water, preferably filtered
- 2.5 cups of a good quality vodka, but doesn’t need to be the most expensive
I have also heard that people make it with rum, which sounds good; but I haven’t tried this myself.
Make Coffee Liqueur – Steps
- Add water, sugar, and instant coffee to a pan
- Bring to a boil, stirring often
- Reduce to a low simmer for 1.5 hours (this will reduce by about half)
- After the 1.5 hour simmer allow the liquid to cool completely
- Once completely cooled add in vodka and vanilla
- Stir
- Bottle (make sure you sterilize your bottles and lids)
- Label and decorate to your liking
- Enjoy a little glass of the leftovers over ice with cream. 😉
This recipe will make about 45 oz of coffee liqueur. Super easy to double or triple, as needed, for gifts. To decorate my bottles I used circles cut from grocery store paper bags as a topper and tied that down with some natural raffia. My bottles were just regular mouth Ball Pint Jars but you could try easy cap bottles for a dressier look.
Looking for more homemade gift ideas? Give these a try!
Spice Rubs
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Thank you! Winter months are coming and this is just what I will need!
I’ve made this 30 yrs ago…. do you store this in a dark place ? My recipe years ago had us do that……
It is probably best but not has important with the instant coffee.
Sounds wonderful…I’ve never purchased instant coffee before…is there a brand you could recommend?
Any organic brand would be my recommendation. The pesticides on coffee make organic the best choice. Other than that, anything will do.
we need to make 24 8 oz regular mouth ball point Mason jars. trying to figure out how much of this we need to make?
maybe 5 batches…..192 oz. batch makes 45oz.
I can hardly wait to make this version of kahlua. Patty,” Thank you!
-Toni
Enjoy!
Can I do this with regular brewed coffee ??
And brew strong and have the same amount of liquid to start ??
If so do you have amounts to use …
Yes, regularly brewed is great.
Why the sugar?…also, seems like a LOT…
That’s how you make a liqueur. I’ve never made it with less but you certainly could try it.
Made thus- too sweet. How can i fix it?? more rum, water??
Sounds easy. How long before using it? Thank you in advance.
It is ready to drink immediately.
All I have is a Ball fermenting jar… will this work just as well? Or does it need to have a regular lid?
I don’t see why it wouldn’t! You really can use any jar with a lid.
But not pickle jars..
Definitely sub rum for vodka for real kahlua taste. I made it with about 1.75c of sugar and it was was very similar to Kahlua Especial. The full 2.5c sugar with rum was very close to Kahlúa
I really like both!
Is it possible to make this NON ALCOHOLIC? Do you just omit the Vodka \ Rum?
If there is, I am unaware. Sorry.
How long will this keep? Can you can it to make a seal?
I mean it is alcohol based so it should keep for several years. I have never canned it.