Homemade Black Forest Chocolate Liqueur is the ultimate winter tipple. It is very easy to make and tastes decadent, rich, creamy & chocolatey, with a hint of cherries to boot. It makes a great edible gift for the holidays!
Where to start. Well, it’s certainly cold outside. Suddenly cold. And its Bonfire Night in just a few days time. These things combined tell me that it’s time to dig out the gloves and forego any notion that winter is far away. It really is not. In this scenario, there’s only one way to go for me: embrace the upcoming chilly season and all the glitz it has to offer and go full throttle on the comfort food. Or in today’s case, comfort drink.
I am partial to a glass of cream liqueur around this time of year through to around, oh um… February 28th. It’s a classic winter treat for me. I blame my Dad, he got me into it (thanks Dad). Today I’ve got a sneaky little libation that plays on the classic chocolate and cherry flavour pairing. Please say a big friendly hello to my Black Forest Chocolate Liqueur.
Within each sip, you’ll find a deeply satisfying chocolate flavour enhanced by a hint of cherry. The base liqueurs are brandy and cherry brandy, so expect a mellow, well rounded, but decidedly boozy hit. I recommend seeking out a quality brandy rather than the cheapest one the supermarket has to offer. Your efforts really will make a noticeable difference and the result will be a much more pleasant, well-rounded drink.
I’ve incorporated a small amount of milk into the recipe to thin the drink slightly. However, if you prefer a thicker liqueur you can omit the milk and keep it ultra thick – you’ll need a spoon to scrape the glass if you do.
This Black Forest Chocolate Liqueur is very simple to prepare, it keeps well for a month (at least) and, most importantly, it is all of the following:
- rich
- chocolatey
- sweet
- boozy
- decadent
- addictive
- comforting
This Black Forest Chocolate Liqueur is also rather disarming on the looks front. Packaged into pretty bottles it makes a charming foodie gift. That’s if you can bear to part with it. My recipe makes around 450ml, but if you do intend to gift it, or serve it in miniature bottles as favours for dinner guests, it’s easy to scale up the recipe.
All good drinks require a garnish and this Black Forest Chocolate Liqueur is no exception. Grab a nostalgic red and juicy cocktail cherry or go all suave and sophisticated with a Luxardo Maraschino Cherry or two. They are alluringly dark & sticky, making them the perfect partner for a glass of Black Forest Chocolate Liqueur.
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. SHOULD YOU MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH THESE LINKS LITTLESUGARSNAPS EARNS A SMALL COMMISSION, HOWEVER, YOU PAY THE SAME PRICE FOR THE ITEM (IT DOES NOT INCREASE). THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING LITTLESUGARSNAPS. I ONLY PROMOTE AND LINK TO PRODUCTS I RATE HIGHLY MYSELF.
Black Forest Chocolate Liqueur
Ingredients
- 50 g/ 1/3 cup Dark chocolate (finely chopped)
- 3 tbsp Condensed Milk (sweetened)
- 175 ml/ 3/4 cup Single cream (US equivalent: light cream)
- 75 ml/ 1/3 cup Cherry Brandy
- 100 ml/ 1/3 cup + 5 tsp Brandy
- 1 tbsp Whole (full fat) milk optional
Instructions
- Warm half of the cream in a saucepan until hot but not boiling
- Meanwhile, place the finely chopped chocolate into a heatproof jug
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for 30 seconds to allow it to melt, then beat with a mini balloon whisk until smooth
- Mix in the condensed milk, followed by the remaining cream
- Add the cherry brandy and brandy, stir well
- Optional step: to thin the drink stir in the milk
- Strain through a piece of muslin or a nut bag to ensure the final drink is smooth
- Decant into a sealable bottle and store in the fridge for up to 1 month
- Shake the bottle vigorously before pouring to re-blend any chocolate that has settled back into the drink
In the mood for more creamy liqueurs? Try these:
Pin this Black Forest Chocolate Liqueur:
Anna
Oh Jane, I love this!!! The idea of black forest liqueur makes my mouth salivate! Such a great drink to get you into festive period , and you have styled it so beautifully, love that little bottle!
Jane Saunders
Ah thankyou Anna. Just add a flaming fire and a pair of comfy slippers 😉
Mandy
I love the idea of making this for Christmas gifts. I’m so over all the pointless rubbish people buy and get given – homemade is surely the way forwards!
Jane Saunders
Oh I hear you on that note. You can’t go wrong with a good food gift.
Nickki
Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely gorgeous! I love cherry brandy so it’s right up my street! I’m definitely going to try this for Christmas – pinned and will share on my Facebook page!
Jane Saunders
That’s so very kind of you, Nikki – Thankyou.
Angela Roberts
This is great stuff to have around the holidays. I love chocolate and I’ll pin to my cocktails board.
Jane Saunders
Thankyou Angela – much appreciated.
Cat | Curly’s Cooking
This looks absolutely delicious. Such a fantastic Christmas treat and perfect to give as presents. I love the flavours and your photos are beautiful.
Jane Saunders
Thanks so much Cat
Sara
This looks amazing! In the US would light cream be regular whipping cream or half and half? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen light cream. If you’re not sure do you know the fat percentage of the cream you use? I’d be able to compare using that. Thank you!!
Jane Saunders
Hi Sara, I’m pleased you like the recipe. I used 18% fat single cream, so slightly richer than half and half. Sorry for the confusion – I was researching equivalent products and light cream was mentioned, so I assumed it was a common ingredient. It will probably work fine with half and half, but I’d definitely omit the optional milk. Let me know how you get along if you give it a go.
Sara
I ended up using the half and half with a little bit of heavy cream to make it richer and Omitted the milk. It was absolutely delicious! I made enough for 7 bottles and gave them away as holiday presents. Everyone loved it. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe and help!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou so so much for letting me know how you got along. I’m thrilled everybody enjoyed it. Have a wonderful 2019.
Barb
Love the pairing of chocolate with cherry brandy! And such a special gift! Where did you find the beautiful glass bottles?
Thank you so much for sharing such a lovely recipe.
Jane Saunders
Thankyou so much Barb. I’m pretty sure I got the bottle from The Drink Shop.