Eierlikör (German Egg Liqueur) is a classic creamy drink to sip on, and it’s especially popular around the holidays. Eric and I have often enjoyed a small glass of Eierlikör (sometimes poured into chocolate-lined waffle cones) at family gatherings in Germany.
In English, Eierlikör translates to “egg liqueur” and there’s definitely no shortage of egg in this recipe. Our version is made with egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, cream and rum and has a rich and sweet taste.
You can enjoy Eierlikör on its own, as a topping for ice cream or other desserts, or in other drinks such as German Eierpunsch (a warm alcoholic holiday punch). It’s also used to bake Eierlikörkuchen (egg liqueur cake), which my grandma often made.
Egg liqueur is actually originally from the Netherlands, where it’s called advocaat. It became popular in Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries under the name Eierlikör.
In the US and Canada, you might be able to find the brand “Bols Advocaat” at the store. We’ve found it at a liquor store in Canada, but it can still be hard to track down, which is why we’ve started to make our own at home (it’s easier than you might think).
Bring German Christmas magic to your kitchen
33 authentic German Christmas recipes, 14 of them exclusive to this eBook. These are the treats, meals, and traditions I grew up with in Germany.
Ingredient Notes
- Egg yolks – Use egg yolks from very fresh eggs.
- Powdered sugar – Also called icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Try to use good quality real vanilla extract; avoid artificial vanilla extract if possible.
- Heavy cream – Alternatively you can use whipping cream with approximately 35% fat.
- Rum – Use your preferred rum, just keep in mind that the sweetness of the rum will affect the final taste. We like to use Bacardi Gold. You can also use vodka if you prefer.
Recipe Tips
- Use very fresh eggs for this recipe and heat the mixture to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius), to reduce the risk of bacteria.
- The egg liqueur’s sweetness is impacted by which rum you choose. If you opt for a sweeter rum like Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum (instead of Bacardi Gold or White), you may want to reduce the powdered sugar slightly.
- The egg liqueur will be very thick. It is meant to be sipped slowly. If you want it slightly less thick, you can add a splash of milk or a little more rum (before heating the mixture).
Eierlikör vs Eggnog
Eierlikör is sometimes called “German Eggnog”. We see why people say it, but the comparison can be a bit misleading since these two are prepared differently. They have similar ingredients but they are not the same.
Usually, Eierlikör has quite a bit of rum (or vodka, or another spirit) and some cream (in the homemade versions; commercial versions usually don’t include any cream), while eggnog leans much more on the dairy and is generally spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon.
Eierlikör is an alcoholic liqueur you bottle and keep while eggnog is usually made fresh and can be made without alcohol.
Get a Taste of Europe
Join 3000+ readers and get European recipes and family favorites to your inbox every week.
You can unsubscribe anytime. No spam. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.
How to Make Eierlikör – Step-by-Step Instructions
First, separate your eggs and place the egg yolks into a medium heatproof bowl.
You can use the egg whites for other recipes, such as cinnamon stars or hazelnut cookies.
Then add the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract while mixing with your electric hand mixer or a whisk until you have a pale, creamy consistency.
Once you have a creamy mixture, slowly add the cream while continuing to mix with your hand mixer or whisk.
Then slowly add the rum and keep mixing/whisking vigorously.
Now put the bowl in a pot with hot (not boiling) water on the stove and keep whisking (with a whisk) until the mixture is thick and creamy, and heated to a temperature of about 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). Don’t exceed this temperature.
It can take about 10 minutes until the egg liqueur thickens noticeably (so don’t give up too early). When you notice that some of the egg liqueur sticks to the side of the bowl, you know that it’s almost done.
Once the egg liqueur is done, remove the bowl from the stove and pour the egg liqueur into glasses to enjoy right away or into small, sanitized bottles for storage.
You can enjoy it as is, served in waffle cones (this is what my mom likes to do), or use it as a topping for ice cream or other desserts. You can also use it to bake egg liqueur cake.
Storage
Store the egg liqueur in sanitized bottles in the fridge. If you used fresh eggs and sanitized equipment, and heated the mixture to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius), the Eierlikör should last for up to 1-3 months.
Related Recipes
If you’re looking for more German holiday recipes, try these:
Eierlikör (German Egg Liqueur)
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream, or whipping cream (about 35% fat)
- ⅓ cup rum
Instructions
- Place the egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the powdered sugar as well as the vanilla extract. Mix with your electric hand mixer or a whisk until creamy and pale.4 egg yolks, 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the cream and keep whisking.½ cup heavy cream
- Now slowly pour in the the rum and keep whisking vigorously.⅓ cup rum
- Place the bowl over a pot with hot (not boiling) water on the stove. Keep whisking for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and creamy and reaches a temperature of about 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). Don't exceed this temperature or the egg liqueur may curdle.
- Pour the egg liqueur into glasses to sip right away or into sanitized bottles to keep for later.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups (12 fl oz / 350 ml). One serving is usually between 1-1.5 fl oz (30-45 ml).
- Use very fresh eggs for this recipe.
- The egg liqueur’s sweetness is impacted by which rum you choose. If you opt for a sweeter rum like Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum (instead of Bacardi Gold or White), you may want to reduce the powdered sugar slightly. Then again, some people like their Eierlikör quite sweet!
- Instead of rum, you can also use vodka.
- The egg liqueur will be very thick. It is meant to be sipped slowly.
- If you use clean equipment and fresh eggs, the egg liqueur should keep in the fridge for about 1-3 months.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
Can I use pasterized eggs instead of raw eggs to avoid doing the double boiler.
You can use the egg yolks from pasteurized eggs or liquid pasteurized egg yolks if you can find them. However, you’ll still need to heat the mixture, as that’s what helps it thicken. So you can’t really skip any steps, even if you’re using pasteurized eggs. Using pasteurized eggs can make sense if you’re concerned about raw eggs. /Lisa
do you have a recipe to make Eierpunsch with the Eier liquor?
Yes we do, you can find it here: https://www.recipesfromeurope.com/eierpunsch/
Made this for weihnachten this year. ( 5 servings) added a tiny bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to it . To give it more flavor. Sooo yummy!! Better than alcoholic egg nog!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Robert! /Lisa
This came out SO well! So excited, because I loved Eirlikor when I had it last month in Germany and have been unable to find in the US!
Thanks for the great recipe & happy holidays!
I’m so happy to hear that, Jordan. Happy holidays to you as well! /Lisa
Being German you forgot nutmeg!
Hi Laurie, neither I nor anyone in my family or German friend group uses nutmeg when making Eierlikör so I didn’t include it here either. But yes, some people in Germany do add it – so if you like the taste, it’s definitely an option to add a pinch of nutmeg!
No nutmeg in egg liquor
My husband is German and he likes to put it over ice cream and make tiramisu with it (in place of raw eggs)!
My mom also likes pouring Eierlikör over her ice cream, but I have never heard about using it to make tiramisu… how interesting! Thanks for sharing.
I used to bake Eier liquor Kuchen lecker
How much does this recipe make? I have a cheesecake recipe that calls for 200 ml, should I double this recipe?
This recipe makes close to 200ml I would say. However, unfortunately, I haven’t measured how much exactly – I’ll have to do that next time I make it. If you want to be on the safe side, you could always double the recipe and then store the leftovers in sanitized bottles/jars in the fridge. It’ll last for a few months.
Thank you for this recipe! After the eierlikör has cooled in the refrigerator, can it be reheated? Thanks!
Yes, you can gently reheat the Eierlikör. I would do it in a small pot on the stove, not in the microwave. Also make sure to only reheat it until it is warm, not hot – if it’s too hot, it might start losing its alcohol content. /Lisa