Amaretto Coffee Recipe: The Ultimate Aromatic Cocktail
Want to turn your coffee up a notch? Liqueur is always a classy way to add flavour.
Amaretto and coffee is a delicious and sweet nutty treat, a sippable dessert that pairs perfectly with good company. But don’t settle for just putting Amaretto in hot coffee. Allow us to show you how to easily level it up with whipped cream topping and a cinnamon garnish.
Ready for the ultimate aromatic cocktail? Follow along with our recipe for Amaretto coffee.
What You Need
- 14 g whole bean coffee
- 3 tbsp of Amaretto almond liqueur
- Whipped cream, for topping
- Cinnamon to garnish
- Burr grinder
At A Glance
Time:
10 minutes
Yield:
One drink (355 ml)
Notes On Amaretto Coffee Ingredients
- There are several brands of Amaretto Italian liqueur, and which you choose is a matter of personal taste. The brand you pick affects the final flavour of your Amaretto coffee by giving it a fruity apricot note, drawing out a more pronounced taste of almonds, or warming it up with allspice or cardamom spices. Alcohol content varies between 21 and 28%.
- If you don’t want whipped cream, we suggest using a splash of milk, cream, or a plant-based milk alternative instead.
- We haven’t added sugar or syrup to this drink as Amaretto is already quite sweet, but you can add a teaspoon of white sugar or simple syrup to your Amaretto coffee.
- We recommend using a decaf roast for any coffee and alcohol drinks you plan to enjoy after dinner rather than as a morning brew.
How To Make Amaretto Coffee Recipe
The Italian word amaro means “bitter,” but don’t worry, this coffee and Amaretto recipe tastes sweet (1). We’ll show you how to make one at home in four steps and four ingredients.
If you want to try other alcoholic drinks with caffeinated kicks, check out our Old Fashioned with coffee and Carajillo recipe.
1. Prepare The Coffee
Grind 14 g of your favourite whole coffee beans with a quality burr grinder. Using your favourite coffee maker, prepare 240 ml of freshly brewed coffee. We recommend a darker roast to compliment Amaretto’s rich flavour, but it’s up to you.
Pro Tip: For a stronger coffee, we recommend double-brewing with a French press, using a Moka Pot, or measuring a higher coffee-to-water ratio for more of an espresso-like intensity. For an iced coffee version, replace the hot coffee with cold brew, just as in our espresso martini without espresso.
2. Combine Amaretto And Hot Coffee
Pour a 45 ml shot of Amaretto into a mug while your coffee brews (2). Add the black coffee once it’s finished brewing. Swirl the liqueur and coffee for a flavour infusion. Feel free to pour in a 30 ml shot or just 1 tbsp of Amaretto liqueur if you don’t fancy it too strong.
Pro Tip: Preheat your mug before pouring the Amaretto and coffee if you like piping hot coffee drinks. Leave your mug filled with boiling water for a few minutes before emptying and adding the ingredients. This prevents your mug from absorbing the heat from your brewed coffee.
3. Top It Up With Whipped Cream
Swirl on some homemade or store-bought whipped cream, or use sweetened whipped cream for an extra sugar kick. Replace the whipped cream with coconut milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to make it vegan-friendly.
Pro Tip: An easy way of making vegan whipped cream without coconut is using the liquid from a can of chickpeas, adding ⅛ tsp cream of tartar, and mixing them until stiff peaks form in the light foam. Add ½ cup of powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla extract and continue mixing until a smooth fluffiness is attained (3).
4. Garnish, Serve Immediately, And Enjoy!
Powder some ground cinnamon over your whipped cream, and you’re ready to sip this classic cocktail.
Pro Tip: There are plenty of creative ways to enjoy the remainder of your bottle of Amaretto. Get your oven mitts on and try baking tiramisu or Amaretti cookies. Enjoy your Amaretto-flavoured coffee with an Amaretto-flavoured treat!
Final Thoughts
Amaretto coffee is an easy-to-make after-dinner drink featuring fresh coffee and a signature Amaretto liqueur. A bit of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon spice goes a long way in making your alcoholic coffee experience memorable. Using creamer, sweetener, or syrup is optional as the taste of almonds in this coffee with Amaretto is already a sweet nutty surprise.
FAQs
No, Starbucks does not have Amaretto coffee for sale in its coffee houses. However, it has a recipe for Amaretto coffee on its website involving much more coffee, Amaretto liqueur, and sugar than we’ve detailed for you.
Amaretto alcohol is known for its characteristic toasted almond flavour despite containing no real almonds. The marzipan sweetness of real Amaretto comes from burnt or caramelized brown sugar balanced by the tartness of apricot pits, apricot kernels, and peach stones.
Other drinks made with Amaretto are the Amaretto Sour and the Toasted Almond Cocktail. The former is the most famous, containing bourbon, lemon juice, and syrup. The latter is another good option for coffee lovers, with vodka, Amaretto, and Kahlua.
References
- McNamee, G. L. (2022, October 31). Amaretto. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/amaretto
- Iseman, C. (2022, September 12). Everything You Need to Know About Amaretto. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.winemag.com/2022/09/12/amaretto-guide/
- Nora. (2021, August 9). Vegan Whipped Cream (NO coconut!). Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-whipped-cream/
