If you follow Manu’s Menu, you will remember that I decided to start a little series on home-made liqueurs in the weeks before the holiday season. The reason is simple: home-made liqueurs make the perfect Christmas gift, both on their own or as part of a Christmas hamper filled with different home-made goodies. On the site I already have a few recipes, like my Home-made Bailey’s Irish Cream or my more recent White Chocolate Liqueur. Today, I am sharing with all of you the recipe for my Salted Caramel Liqueur. This liqueur is creamy, slightly bitter and not very sweet. Just like salted caramel, of which I am a HUGE fan! The post also includes my favourite recipe for salted caramel, but you can use any salted caramel you fancy. So, are you ready to learn how to make this delicious drink and share it with your family and friends? Then, follow me. Cheers!
Home-made Salted Caramel Liqueur
How to make a deliciously creamy Salted Caramel Liqueur at home!
Ingredients
Salted Caramel
- 120 gms – 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
- 100 gms – 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 200 ml – ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 pinches of salt
Liqueur
- 320 gms – 11 oz. Salted caramel
- 250 ml – 1 cup cream
- 300 ml – 1 ¼ cup milk
- 65 ml – ¼ cup alcohol 95% or 151 proof grain alcohol or the strongest available
Instructions
Salted Caramel
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Put the sugar in a pan and let it melt on a medium fire.
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When all the sugar has melted, let it caramelise until it becomes a very dark amber colour.
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Remove from the fire and add the butter and salt. Stir well.
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Add the cream and stir (do not worry if the caramel hardens at this point, it will still melt during the next stage).
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Put the pan back on the fire and cook until the caramel reaches 108°C – 226°F on a candy thermometer (I have done this even without a thermometer… keep in mind that it will boil at 100°C – 212°F, so keep boiling it for a few minutes (see pictures below).
Liqueur
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Add the cream and milk to the caramel and cook on a low flame until the salted caramel has completely melted.
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Add the alcohol and mix well. Filter it through a sieve and bottle it.
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Keep it in the fridge for a couple of days and shake well before serving cold.
Recipe Notes
This liqueur should keep in the fridge for a couple of months, though mine never lasts that long.
Is there a substitute for the grain alcohol? It is not legal to buy anywhere around here and I would really like to try this liqueur! Thanks for your help!
You can use vodka. It will be a lighter liqueur, but the taste should not be affected. Let me know how it comes out if you try it. 🙂
I make a lot of liqueurs and actually prefer vodka but look for 100 proof if you can find it.
This would be so dangerous in our house! But I love the creativity of the salted caramel. Definitely making!
Thanks so much, Manu! I might even have the vodka already! 😉
I love this! What a great idea for Christmas giving (and drinking!)
I made something almost identical to this last year and I’ve received every single empty bottle back with a request for a refill. SO good.
Manu. How much does this recipe make exactly?
Lee
Hi Manuela
I missed where you added the salt, is it there and I just missed it? Please advise…
Also have you tried (or will you try if you haven’t already) this recipe without the addition of the cream?
Hi Vince!
Thank you so much for letting me know! How silly of me! You need to add the salt together with the butter when you make the caramel. I have updated the recipe. I haven’t tried the version without cream yet, but I would love to. It’s on my to do list. 🙂 Thanks again!
This looks really good and am thinking of making it for gifts, however it doesn’t seem to make very much as there’s only 1/4 cup alcohol (which makes it seem more only a slightly alcoholic punch). Just need to confirm that is is indeed only 1/4 c. And am wondering how much this makes altogether.
Hi Jenny
This recipe makes about 3 to 3.5 cups of liqueur. I use alcohol 95%, which is really strong, so 1/4 cup is enough. If you are planning to use Vodka, I’d add at least 1/3 cup though. 🙂
Hi there – thank you for the recipe! I’ve made this but since refridgerating it seems to have separated… will it be OK if just brought back to room temperature and shaken or would you suggest something has gone wrong? Thanks!
Hi Laura! It should still be good. Take it out of the fridge for a little while and shake it well. Let me know how it goes! Happy holidays!
Do you know the proof of the ended drink?
HI, instead of making the caramel, could you buy salted caramel candy and just melt it down? I know its cheating but some of us aren’t as talented or have as much time.
Thank you!
Hi Sarah
I am not sure if the melted caramel candy would melt completely (without lumps) when you heat it together with the milk and cream, as I haven’t tried it myself. However, you could try making half a batch and see if it works? Do let me know how it goes, please! 🙂