If you love the classic almond liqueur Amaretto, then you will swoon over this Homemade Amaretto Recipe. It’s quick & easy to make & is a great holiday gift!
For many years I have shared recipes for homemade liqueur here. It’s something my mother-in-law used to do when the hubs was a kid, make homemade booze.
So to carry on her legacy we have been creating our own through the years & this space has been a wonderful place to share all those. I’m so honored that so many come to try them out & love them as much as we do.
Scroll to the bottom for the Printable Recipe
Because we are now into the holiday season I thought I would share with you the perfect seasonal recipe, homemade amaretto. This classic almond liqueur is a must in any home bar.
Homemade Amaretto
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You won’t believe how easy this is to make. Just a handful of ingredients & about 30 minutes (that includes cooling time) & you have the perfect gift for neighbors & friends.
I love making double batches so I have enough to not only give away to a bunch of people, but I can stock up my bar for the season. You know the holidays are when we go through this one the most. But it’s great for baking too. I can’t wait to share those recipes with you here soon.
Amaretto Recipe
Here are some commonly asked questions
Where can I find those bottles?
Here are some links to some similar bottles & some other really cool ones that I have picked up since then when I make this for gifts.
They are all still cute, interesting & unique, making them so great for gifts. 17 Oz Glass Bottle Set with Swing Top Stoppers – Glass Beer Bottles with Swing Top Cap – Swing Top Square Glass Bottles – 16 oz Kombucha/Beer Glass Bottles Clear Leak Proof.
What is the best way to store homemade amaretto?
Once you have transferred the final liquor into the bottles continue to store in a cool, dark place like a cabinet or pantry. This will help prolong the life of this recipe.
Homemade Amaretto- quick, easy & perfect for the holidays.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Homemade Amaretto?
- Combine the water & sugars in a medium saucepan & bring to a boil.
- Continue cooking until the sugars are completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat & allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Once cooled, stir in the vodka & extracts.
- Pour into desired gift bottles or mason jars & label with the date.
- Store in a cool dry place.
I need a gluten-free choice, because of my dietary restrictions. Could I use white rum instead?
From what I could find in my research, Yes, pure, distilled liquor, even if made from wheat, barley, or rye, is considered gluten-free. Most liquors are safe for people with celiac disease because of the distillation process.
However, look out for hidden gluten in liquors that add flavorings or other additives after distillation. There is also a risk for gluten cross-contamination in facilities that process products containing wheat, barley, or rye.
Gluten-free liquors (after distillation) include: Bourbon, Whiskey/Whisky, Tequila, Gin, Vodka, Rum, Cognac, Brandy, Absinthe, Mezcal, Scotch, Vermouth. To be safe – try New Amsterdam Gluten Free Vodka.
How long is the shelf life after it is completed, and does it need refrigerating.
No refrigerating needed. It should last up to 6 months if stored correctly.
I am a vendor at a farmers market. Could I sell this at the market?
You would have to check your local laws. From my understanding, it is still only legal for personal consumption even though you aren’t actually creating/fermenting alcohol, just flavoring it. However, each jurisdiction has its own rules for even that. I am not in a position to give legal advice.
To make Homemade Amaretto Recipe you will need…
- water
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- vodka
- almond extract
- vanilla extract
almond liqueur
Products I love when making Amaretto…
This Amaretto recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made homemade liquors before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this homemade liquor recipe.
If you love this Easy Homemade Amaretto Recipe, you’re going to love these other homemade liquors too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
How to Make Homemade Fruit Liquors
amaretto liqueur
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Homemade Amaretto Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 tbsp almond extract
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the water & sugars in a medium saucepan & bring to a boil.
- Continue cooking until the sugars are completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat & allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Once cooled, stir in the vodka & extracts.
- Pour into desired gift bottles or mason jars & label with the date.
- Store in a cool dry place.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Tamar says
A perfect holiday drink!
Sandra L Garth says
This would be a great addition to my bar, thanks for the recipe.
Lyuba @willcookforsmiles.com says
My husband would LOVE this! How long can it be stored for?
Patricia says
Hello I would really like to make this for friends and family unfortunately some of them are diabetic can i use any other sugar
Gina Kleinworth says
Hi Patricia, most alcohol is made by fermenting sugar with a catalyst, which is usually yeast, but in this case, we are using flavors & other alcohols. As it ferments, the carbohydrates (starch and sugars) in the main source turn into carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol, which is the basis for all alcohol drinks. So I am not aware of a way to make homemade alcohols without using granulated sugar. There may be some large, mass-produced sugar-free alcohols out there, but I don’t know of a way to do it in a home setting without the sugar.
Denice says
Can you use a different extract rather than almond? We have a new almond allergy, but they love amaretto unfortunately.
Gina Kleinworth says
I understand the almond allergy, but without the distinct flavor of almond extract, this wouldn’t be or taste anything like amaretto. Fortunately, there is now imitation almond extracts available like this one here Imitation Almond Extract that will give you the flavor you need to make this recipe. Enjoy!
Lore says
I believe Amaretto originally is made from the almonds of peaches seeds extract not the nut almond. Perhaps you can use some kind of peach extract Also most of the extracts are not organic really, they are artificially flavored so I don’t think you would get a reaction from an almond extract unless is the real McCoy
Nancy says
His looks great, but I don’t tolerate vodka, can tequila or rum be used instead ?
Gina Kleinworth says
I understand. This can also be made with brandy or rum. I’m not sure about the tequila just yet. I still need to do more research on that.
Maia says
I love amaretto but don’t love almond extract. Do you know of a way to do this with actual almonds rather than the extract?? Thank you!
Gina Kleinworth says
Brands mass-produce amaretto using bitter almond oil, but I don’t know of a way to recreate that at home. I have read a lot of complaints with people trying to use bitter almond oil in recipes to replace the extract with disappointing results. I’m sorry, I don’t know of a way to make it at home without using almond extract since that is the defining flavor of amaretto.
Ilaria says
Hello do you know pretty much what’s the ABV and nutritional information? Thank you great recipe 😊
Gina Kleinworth says
I’m sorry – I don’t. You can try one of the free nutritional calculators available – there are plenty out there that are reputable both through your browser or apps.
Anna D says
I LOVE amaretto and put in margaritas, other drinks as well as cook with it in cookies, cakes…even in my banana pudding!! As soon as my last large bottle was empty I made a double batch of this. WOW!!! Smells and tastes wonderful. Had bought all the ingredients for the homemade Kahlua, but ran out of vanilla and mistakenly thought the homemade vanilla would do, but it isn’t totally processed yet, so will have to get some store bought vanilla for the Kahua and another batch of Amaretto. Thanks for the recipes.
Georgiann says
I have vanilla vodka, should I still use the vanilla flavoring?
Gina Kleinworth says
You can probably skip it if the vanilla vodka has a strong vanilla flavor
Summer says
How long after making is it ready? Immediately or should it be stored for awhile first?
Gina Kleinworth says
It is ready to use immediately.
Katie McMillan says
I made this for my Dad for Father’s Day and he LOVED it! I am making him more for Xmas 🙂
Gregory says
Made your recipe for Amaretto two days ago totally awesome, looks like I’ll be making more this weekend. Thank you. Better then store bought.
Sharon L Stuebi says
I live in a rural village in Peru. Its easy to get beer or checha but not flavored liquor. THANK YOU! It was a big hit
Danielle Kays says
I made this with vanilla vodka as that’s all I had in my cupboard and it was amazing! It was so smooth. Thank you for sharing!
Phyllis Nemchek says
This is fantastic! I’m on my second batch. I improvised by using 100 proof vodka as it was on sale. I’m a lightweight drinker so I would have to drink two glasses of store bought 40 proof to catch a buzz. With this, one drink is all it takes. And it tastes wonderful! As good as or better than store bought. I gave some away already and was asked how long it keeps. I didn’t see that addressed in the post. Can you provide please? Ty for an amazing and easy recipe, I love it!
Gina Kleinworth says
I’m so glad you like it. Because it is alcohol, as long as it is stored properly (clean container, out of the sun, in a cool dark place) it will keep indefinitely, like all your other liquors.
Charles P Foley St says
Made it, a doubled batch. Turned out very good! I think next time I will try 100 proof vodka in the mix.
Wendy says
I love this recipe! How long do you store it?
Gina Kleinworth says
Well, we usually give it away and use what we keep pretty quickly – within a few weeks. But I would say it should keep for several months at least as long as it is stored in a cool, dry place out of the sunlight and with a tight lid.