Crème de Cacao
Crème de cacao is a sweet chocolate liqueur made by macerating cacao beans in a neutral spirit base, available in both clear (white) and dark brown versions with essentially the same flavour. It offers rich, sweet chocolate character without the bitterness of unsweetened cocoa. It is a staple in dessert-style cocktails.
Common uses
- adds chocolate flavour to dessert-style shaken cocktails
Buying & storage
Keeps more or less indefinitely: Alcohol is preserving it. An open bottle keeps for a very long time, though aromatics do fade slowly.
Buying: white (clear) and dark crème de cacao taste almost identical — choose based on the colour you want in the finished drink
Storage: keeps well once opened, store upright away from light
In depth
Understanding crème de cacao
How it is made, where it comes from, what it pairs with, and how it behaves in an alcohol-free drink.
Origin
A cacao-macerated liqueur style with roots in 19th-century France.
Recipes
Cocktails containing this ingredient
Swap it
Possible substitutions
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