We make Raffaello® liqueur with the Thermomix® mainly in Advent and before birthdays, when we need a quick gift that looks more impressive than something shop-bought. Using just 15 Raffaello® balls, some double cream and vodka, you get about 1 litre of creamy coconut liqueur in 25 minutes. Enough to fill two nice bottles.
We have refined this recipe over the years until the balance of coconut, creaminess and sweetness was just right. The biggest difference from most recipes you find online: we use no eggs at all. This keeps the liqueur fresh for longer and means it can be given as a gift to pregnant women and children too, as they can enjoy the alcohol-free version.
Raffaello® Liqueur with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 7 ✓
- 15 balls Raffaello®
- 400 g double cream
- 250 g milk
- 90 g sugar
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 300 g vodka
Instructions 0 / 3
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1
Chop the chocolates.
Add the Raffaello® balls to the mixing bowl and chop for 10 sec / speed 10.
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2
Heat the ingredients.
Add all the remaining ingredients, except the vodka, to the mixing bowl and heat for 6 min / 90°C / speed 1, then leave to cool slightly.
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3
Add the alcohol and mix.
Add the vodka, mix for 20 sec / speed 4, then strain through a sieve into sterilised bottles. Leave to cool and store in the fridge. Shake the bottle well before serving.
Tip: If you want to keep the liqueur for longer, place the filled bottles in a pot of water (the bottles should be covered three quarters of the way up) and leave them to simmer gently for 1 hour.
Nutrition per serving
What makes our Raffaello® liqueur creamy and clearly coconutty
Three key decisions determine whether the liqueur tastes of coconut or just of sweet milk:
- More cream than milk. We use 400 g of double cream to just 250 g of milk. This ratio makes the liqueur noticeably creamier than the usual recipes, which often use more milk than cream and end up thinner.
- A real vanilla pod instead of vanilla sugar. Half a scraped-out pod adds a warm depth that dried vanilla sugar simply cannot match. You can even see the little vanilla specks in the glass afterwards.
- A pinch of cinnamon. It sounds subtle, but it noticeably lifts the coconut note. This is the one trick that no other Raffaello® recipe online includes.
In the Thermomix® we first chop the 15 balls for 10 seconds at speed 10 to a fine powder. By hand, you would never get the desiccated coconut and the almond inside fine enough for everything to dissolve smoothly later. This is exactly the point where the machine really earns its place.
Why we add the vodka only after the mixture has cooled
We heat the cream and coconut mixture for 6 minutes at 90°C at speed 1. Only then do we add the 300 g of vodka, briefly mixing it in at speed 4. The reason: alcohol evaporates at around 78°C. If you pour the vodka into a still piping-hot mixture, you lose some of the alcohol and the liqueur ends up tasting more watery than expected.
- Leave the mixture to cool. After heating, leave the mixing bowl open for a moment until the mixture is hand-warm (around 30 to 35°C). This way the alcohol is preserved.
- Briefly mix in the vodka. 20 seconds at speed 4 is enough. Mixing for longer is unnecessary and will cause the cream to foam.
- Strain through a sieve. This removes any larger pieces of coconut so the liqueur pours smoothly from the bottle.
The two pitfalls with Raffaello® liqueur
The liqueur separates in the bottle
The cream and water content can settle after a day or two, with a creamy layer forming at the top. This is normal and not a sign of spoilage.
Our solution: Give the bottle a good shake before each serving. If you use bottles with a wide opening, you can even stir with a spoon.
The liqueur tastes too thin or too watery
This is usually because too much milk and too little cream was used, or because the vodka was added to the mixture while it was still hot and some of the alcohol evaporated.
Our solution: Stick to the ratio of 400 g cream to 250 g milk, and always add the vodka at hand temperature. If you prefer it even thicker, replace 50 g of the milk with extra cream.
Caramel, vegan or alcohol-free: three variations
- Alcohol-free for children and pregnant women. Simply leave out the vodka and replace it with 200 g of coconut milk. It tastes like a sweet, drinkable coconut cream and works just as well as a gift.
- Vegan version. Use oat cream or coconut cream instead of double cream, along with vegan coconut balls. Because our base recipe already contains no eggs, this is the only swap needed.
- Caramel coconut. Heat 50 g of caramel syrup along with the other ingredients. This adds a toffee note that works beautifully in the colder months.
Other liqueurs we love to give as gifts alongside this one
Filled into sterilised bottles with a simple label and a few small liqueur glasses, a handful of euros worth of ingredients becomes a gift that everyone appreciates. If you want to put together a whole liqueur set, combine it with our classic Advocaat (Eggnog Liqueur) with the Thermomix® and our fruity Cherry Liqueur with the Thermomix®.
On its own, the Raffaello® liqueur is wonderful served well chilled as a digestif in small 4 cl glasses. We also love to pour it over a scoop of vanilla ice cream made with the Thermomix®, or add a splash to coffee.
How long the Raffaello® liqueur keeps
Stored in a sterilised, well-sealed bottle in the fridge, the liqueur with alcohol keeps for about two weeks. Because we use no eggs, it stays fresh longer than most egg-based recipes, which often last barely a week. The alcohol-free version should be consumed within one week.
If you want to store it for considerably longer, place the filled bottles in a pot of water so they are covered three quarters of the way up, and leave them to simmer gently for one hour. We do not recommend freezing: it breaks the emulsion of cream and vodka and the liqueur becomes grainy when thawed.
Frequently asked questions about Raffaello® liqueur with the Thermomix®
Goes well with: Waffles.
