It’s fun to make your own low carb sugar-free coffee liqueur. Better than Kahlua and you can use it so many cocktail recipes, like a healthy sugar-free Mexican Coffee. See just how easy it is with a new instructional video and updated recipe. And it makes a great keto-friendly holiday gift.
Apparently my kitchen has turned into a distillery, with the slow drip of alcohol through a filter, as it drains out of a silty, cloudy mixture. Not to worry, I am not brewing up moonshine from corn cobs or anything illegal like that. But I am making my own sugar-free homemade coffee liqueur and getting quite a kick out of myself in the process. Really, this whole thing was remarkably fun and astonishingly easy, and now I have many ideas for other sugar-free liqueurs. It’s going to be homemade liqueur madness here, so that I can indulge in some fun cocktails, like a low carb Mexican Coffee, without worrying about the added sugars. And homemade liqueurs make wonderful gifts for friends and family. I suspect that this will become the gift de jour in my house. I should probably buy stock in one or two vodka distributors, since I will be using so much of it.
How To Make Sugar-Free Kahlua
I really am on something of a homemade everything kick. I’ve already amazed and astonished my friends (and myself!) with homemade butter, homemade yogurt and homemade cream cheese. I have been saying to my husband for ages that I want to try making my own sausages and he finally took me seriously enough to get the meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachments for my stand mixer. When you grow up in our modern society with our modern conveniences, you tend to forget that people ever did make all these things on the homestead, as it were. You believe that they simply can’t be made at home. Or at least that they can’t be made easily at home. I honestly credit blogging with opening my eyes to the wonders of the experimental homemade kitchen. One of my very first blog posts was for homemade yogurt made in a crockpot…the idea coming, naturally, from someone else’s blog.
The idea of making homemade sugar-free kahlua admittedly also came from someone else’s blog. Or blogs. I kept seeing it pop up in various places and thinking I needed to try it with some sort of alternative sweetener. My only hesitation was that my favourite, Swerve, doesn’t always stay in solution in liquids. But I found myself craving hot drinks made with yummy sweet liqueurs and decided it was worth a try. And I used a combination of erythritol and monk fruit extract, to see if I could counteract the re-crystallization.
I chose to follow a recipe I found on Creative Culinary, but I did change a few things. I only made a half batch and I cut down on the amount of sweetener a little. I didn’t want to add chocolate liqueur, but knowing that a little chocolate intensifies the flavour of coffee, I added a touch of cocoa powder to the mix. I also took the whole distilling process a step further and strained it through a coffee filter to get all the little particles out and create a clear liquid. This actually took several days and several changes of coffee filters because the silty particles were so fine, hence the feeling that I was operating a distillery out of my kitchen. But the final product was more than worth it! The perfect addition to an afternoon cocktail.
And this wonderful sugar-free liqueur makes a fabulous keto friendly Mexican Coffee!
Sugar Free Coffee Liqueur
Ingredients
Coffee Liqueur
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ⅛ teaspoon monk fruit extract or another ½ cup Swerve
- ¼ cup ground coffee I used decaf
- 1 ½ cup vodka
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mexican Coffee:
- 1 oz coffee liqueur
- ½ oz tequila if you’re feeling bold. If not, feel free to add a touch more coffee liqueur or vodka
- 1 cup freshly brewed coffee
- 3 tablespoons whipped cream
- sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
- For the liqueur: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, erythritol, monk fruit extract, and coffee grounds.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Transfer mixture to a glass jar and add vodka, cocoa powder and vanilla extract
- Seal jar and place in a dark, cool spot and wait...and wait...and wait. At least 3 weeks, shaking the jar every few days.
- Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Then strain again through a coffee filter (this will take several day and changes of coffee filter, but it's worth it to get all the coffee "silt" out of the mixture).
- For the Mexican Coffee, mix liqueur, tequila and coffee in a large coffee mug. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon.
Cathi G. says
Have you ever thought about trying to make Bailey’s and Creme before?
Carolyn says
Can I confess that I am not that much of a Bailey’s fan? But if a reader were to request it… 😉
Cathi G. says
Ok, I am requesting. 🙂 My husband and I love Bailey’s & Creme. It has been sad not to be able to set around a warm fire enjoying a glass this time of year. So Yes, please I am requesting. Thank you 🙂 Please Please Please. . . AND . . .Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Years!!!!
Limda says
Yes! I was reading this recipe and think the same thing. Don’t forget Amaretto too
elaina says
Does the brand of vodka make any difference? r they all carb free. Do you have a preference in brands??
linda says
How about Cointreau? Then we could have my favorite cocktail: a Sidecar w/o the sugared rim. A real margarita would also be possible 🙂 I love your website.
Carolyn says
Thanks. I will certainly try it at some point!
Michele says
For margaritas, I add a few drops of orange essential oil. HTH! – Michele from Texas
Deborah says
After a few weeks of steeping, I am straining this now. Tip – if you don’t have coffee filters, kitchen paper placed in a funnel works just as well. Delicious!
Carolyn says
Great tip!
Zalinda Nygård says
I think I’m in love with you. ???? LOL waiting on a batch now. My husband has his own little beer room that he brews in. So I told him now it’s a liquor room too. ????
Looked at your “Frangelico” recipe as well. Never heard of that here in Norway but sounds very good. Think I will try that as well. Thank you! Skål
Carolyn says
Enjoy!
Belenda says
Week 1 down…..tapping fingers…..waiting……only 2 more weeks
Arturo says
I love your blog, i check it every other day for the wonderful recipes, even though i don’t always try them all. But, as a Chemical engineer and home-distiller I was deeply disturbed by your use of the term distilling and distillery. 😛 You were merely filtering, not distilling. Distilling, simply put, is separating 2 miscible liquids with different boiling points by means of evaporation and then condensation. I just had to take this out of my chest, sorry. Have a great day!
Carolyn says
LOL, but it was far more fun to write up the post as if I was distilling moonshine in my kitchen! 😉
Debbie says
My friends teased me about being a moonshiner too, lol, but I am pretty sure they are very jealous right now. They’re waiting to hear how it turns out. Tonight mine is ready and I’m enjoying every delicious drop!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
How fun! I love all those homemade projects as well.
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
Looks fabulous Carolyn! Nice work!
Shellie says
Awesome recipe, I did use a vanilla bean in mine! Strained it through a french press and then used the filter. mmmmmmmm…..
Carolyn says
Glad it worked!
Ashley says
That sounds like a great idea did you just put the whole bean in? How was it?
365daysofbacon.wordpress.com says
You’re my hero! This looks awesome, thanks for posting 🙂
Katharine says
YUM!! I used to LOVE coffee with a little bit of bailey’s and a little frangelico…but this kahlua version sounds great!
Carolyn says
I am working on Frangelico right now and I want to make Chambord as well 😉
Renee says
Yes…Chambord…OMG.
Jeanette says
Do you think I could use my French press instead of the coffee filters to strain??
Thanks!
Carolyn says
Yes, but I think you will still get some of the cloudiness, the way you do with French Press coffee anyway.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
I too am a DIY’er in the kitchen and love repurposing to meet a different need. Love that you made this work to be sugar free!
Marta Brysha says
That’s very interesting about the recrystallisation problem with erythritol. I’m in australia and have been using Natvia – a sweetener that is a combination of erythritol and stevia. I used it to make some raspberry vinegar and was surprised when I got to the bottom of the bottle that there were sweetener crystals in the bottom. I thought that maybe I hadn’t dissolved it enough in the making process, but now I realise it is just a property of the sweetener. It didn’t seem to be a problem in the taste of the product. Thanks for the tip
Carolyn says
Yes, it is a common problem with erythritol, although I would still prefer to use it over any other. It’s the lowest on my blood sugar!
Renee says
Yes. I strain ice cream base as well. Will definately try this Kaluah recipe! I made Apricot Brandy once and it was excellent! Cant wait for more fun Carolyn. Keep up the great job. 🙂
Angela says
Can’t we use liquid sweetener? Or will that do the same thing?
Carolyn says
In this, you can totally use your favorite sweetener. Any kind will work.
claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
OH MY GOOOOOOODDD.
Donna says
How long does this keep? I am guessing you store it in the fridge.
Carolyn says
For ages and ages.
arlene says
I love the sound of your recipe! It looks much more authentic than some of the other recipes I’ve seen around. I can’t wait to see you make other liquors!!! I tried an ammeretto recipe and it was just…meh. I’d love a good one if you can figure out how to get that taste down.
Carolyn says
Arlene, Amaretto is definitely on my list. My next attempt, which is already in the dark cool place, doing its thang, is Frangelico. I have vodka and brandy steeping with chopped hazelnuts. We shall see! And in my opinion, this coffee liqueur was spot on for Kahlua. Sweet, intensely coffeeish, and with a kick of alcohol.
Linda says
Did you succeed at Frangelico? I have not had a chance to truly search your blog and see!
Carolyn says
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/homemade-hazelnut-liqueur-sugar-free/
AnneB says
Is it bad that I’m counting back the days to see if it’ll be ready by Christmas? ? 21 days… pushing it, I guess!!
tractor wife says
Oh how I miss my White Russians since changing to a low carb lifestyle. Question…my body cannot handle xylitol. Is there something else I could substitute? I really want to try this!!!
Carolyn says
You could go all erythritol. Your only problem here is that I suspect you will end up with some that recrystallizes out. But after it’s filtered, if it’s no longer sweet enough, you could add a bit of stevia to sweeten it more.
tractor wife says
Thank you! I willl definately give this a try.
RavieNomNoms says
UM yes please!!! This looks amazing!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says
I’m on a homemade kick myself, but the one thing I haven’t tackled is alcohol. I love the photo of the liqueur being poured into the shot glass–beautiful!
Deanna says
This is amazing. I never thought about a sugar free liqueur, but all I can say it’s 9:30 in the morning, and you’re making me want to drink hah!