Apricot liqueur made with the Thermomix® is ready in 25 minutes, with no weeks of steeping required. We cook 700 g of apricot nectar with 100 g of brown sugar, half a vanilla pod, two cloves and half a cinnamon stick for 17 minutes at Varoma on speed 2, leave everything to cool to 70 °C, and only then stir in 300 g of white rum and 50 g of amaretto on speed 3. This quantity makes around 1.15 litres, or about 25 small glasses of 40 ml each.
This recipe has a trick we missed the first time: the amaretto is no coincidence. The classic bitter almond flavour in amaretto originally comes from apricot kernels, the so-called persipan kernel. Adding 50 g of amaretto brings the whole fruit into the liqueur, the flesh through the nectar and the kernel through the amaretto. The result is rounder than a pure fruit liqueur, without tasting of almond.
Apricot Liqueur with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 7 ✓
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 700 g apricot nectar
- 100 g brown sugar
- 300 g white rum
- 50 g amaretto
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Scrape the vanilla pod.
Split the vanilla pod and add the seeds and the pod to the mixing bowl.
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2
Cook the ingredients.
Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, apricot nectar and sugar to the mixing bowl and cook for 17 min / Varoma / speed 2. Place the simmering basket on the lid as a splatter guard.
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3
Leave to cool.
Leave the contents of the mixing bowl to cool on speed 3 until the temperature reaches 70 °C.
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4
Add the alcohol and bottle.
Add the rum and amaretto to the mixing bowl and stir for 20 sec / reverse direction / speed 3. Pour through a sieve into the bottles and serve chilled.
Tip: If you use clean, sterilised bottles, the apricot liqueur keeps for up to 6 months when stored unopened in a cool, dry place.
Nutrition per serving
Why this liqueur turns out better in the Thermomix® than on the hob
The crucial step is reducing the mixture at Varoma temperature on speed 2 for 17 minutes. The sugar-rich nectar with its 100 g of brown sugar tends to stick to the bottom and caramelise on the hob the moment you stop stirring. The Thermomix® keeps the temperature constant, stirs continuously and prevents exactly that. We place the simmering basket as a splatter guard on the lid instead of the measuring cup, so that steam can escape and the liquid reduces slightly.
The second point where the machine makes a real difference is the controlled cooling on speed 3 down to exactly 70 °C. Only then do the rum and amaretto go into the mixing bowl. This is the most important rule when making liqueur and is left out in many recipes. Alcohol boils at around 78 °C. If you add it when the liquid is still too hot, some of it evaporates along with its aroma, and the liqueur ends up flatter and weaker. 20 seconds on reverse direction and speed 3 are enough to combine everything, then pour through a fine sieve into the bottles.
Apricot nectar instead of fresh fruit or juice: the difference
Most recipes online use fresh apricots with vodka or grain spirit that need to steep for four to six weeks. That works, but it has two drawbacks: fresh apricots only have a good window in June and July, and outside the season they are hard and low in flavour. And the wait is long. With apricot nectar we avoid both issues. The nectar is pressed from ripe fruit, has a concentrated, consistent sugar content and is available all year round.
One thing to note when shopping: buy nectar, not apricot juice. Fruit nectar contains at least 40 percent fruit content plus sugar according to fruit juice regulations, while juice is often thinner and too watery for a stable liqueur. We tested both versions against each other. The nectar version is more reliable because the water content does not vary and the liqueur is less likely to turn cloudy. In Austria, by the way, this is called Marillenlikör, and the recipe is identical.
Four common mistakes that cost you flavour and shelf life
Adding alcohol when the temperature is too high
The most common mistake. If you add the rum and amaretto directly after cooking, when the liquid is still above 80 °C, you lose a measurable amount of alcohol and aroma through evaporation. Our solution: be patient and let the mixture cool all the way down to 70 °C on speed 3. It is better to wait two extra minutes than to bottle a weak liqueur.
Using damp bottles
Residual water in the bottle is the main killer of shelf life. It locally dilutes the alcohol content and gives microbes a breeding ground. Our solution: either rinse the bottles with boiling water and leave them to dry completely, or wipe them out with high-proof alcohol. Only fill a truly dry bottle, otherwise shelf life drops from six months to four to six weeks.
Storing the liqueur in a bright, warm place
Light breaks down the fruit aromas in apricot products quickly, and after just a few weeks the liqueur tastes flat. Our solution: store in a dark, cool place, in a cellar or cupboard, not on a windowsill. Dark bottles help further.
Letting the liqueur turn cloudy
A slight haze is normal and comes from the fruit content. If the liqueur turns heavily cloudy, in our experience it was always down to watery juice instead of nectar, or cooling too quickly. Our solution: stick to nectar, let it cool slowly and at the end strain it through a fine sieve or a coffee filter. This keeps the liqueur clear.
How to adjust the apricot liqueur to your taste
More bitter almond: If you prefer a stronger marzipan note, increase the amaretto to 70 g and reduce the rum to 280 g. The alcohol content stays almost the same, but the persipan note becomes more pronounced.
Less sweet and drier: Reduce the brown sugar to 70 g and add 30 g more nectar instead. This suits people who prefer fruity liqueurs over sweet ones.
Warmer in winter: Use a whole cinnamon stick instead of half, and add a star anise while cooking. This gives the liqueur a festive character and goes well with our other winter liqueurs.
Alcohol-free version: Leave out the rum and amaretto, and add 1/2 tsp of bitter almond extract and 50 g of extra nectar instead. This makes an apricot syrup that, when bottled hot, also keeps for several weeks and is great for children or drivers.
What goes best with apricot liqueur
Served straight and well chilled at 8 to 10 °C, the fruit flavour comes through most clearly. We also like to pour it over Prosecco or sparkling wine for a summery aperitif, about 2 cl of liqueur to a glass. Spooned over vanilla ice cream or into a fruit salad it becomes a dessert, and a dash in natural yoghurt with a little honey makes a quick summer breakfast for adults.
Once you get the hang of it, making liqueur becomes a regular thing. Our Egg Liqueur with the Thermomix® is the classic for Christmas, and the Coconut Liqueur works all year round. If you want to see all the variations at once, our 17 best liqueur recipes with the Thermomix® are sorted by difficulty.
Keeps for six months, as long as the bottle is right
In clean, sterilised and completely dry bottles, the apricot liqueur keeps for up to six months when stored unopened in a cool, dark place. With residual moisture in the bottle, it is only four to six weeks. After opening it still tastes good for a few weeks, but the aroma gradually fades, which is why we prefer to bottle into several small bottles rather than one large one.
As a gift, it can be prepared two to three months in advance. During that time it becomes a little darker and rounder in flavour, which is more of an advantage. With a label and a small tag on the bottle it makes a popular present that you can prepare a few weeks ahead without any trouble.
Frequently asked questions about apricot liqueur with the Thermomix®
Also pairs well with: Tiramisu, vanilla ice cream and panna cotta.
