400 g raspberries, 1 vanilla pod, 250 g sugar, 250 g double cream and 250 g raspberry schnapps. 25 minutes in the Thermomix®, one pass through a sieve, then bottled. The result is a vivid pink cream liqueur with a real raspberry flavour that works as a hostess gift, a homemade present, or the centrepiece of a girls’ night in.
Unicorn Liqueur "Girls' Night" with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 5 ✓
- 400 g raspberries frozen or fresh
- 1 vanilla pod
- 250 g sugar
- 250 g double cream
- 250 g raspberry schnapps
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Add the raspberries.
Fresh raspberries: rinse and drain. Frozen raspberries can go straight in. Place the raspberries into the mixing bowl.
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2
Cook the syrup.
Split the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add the seeds together with the sugar to the mixing bowl. Cook for 5 minutes / 100°C / speed 1.
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3
Heat the liqueur.
Pass the raspberry syrup through a fine sieve (use a clean muslin cloth as well for best results), press firmly to extract all the liquid, then pour the liquid back into the mixing bowl. Add the double cream and the raspberry schnapps and heat for 8 minutes / 90°C / speed 1.
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4
Bottle.
Pour the liqueur into a sterilised bottle, seal and leave to cool.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why we cook and sieve the raspberries
The 400 g raspberries go into the mixing bowl together with the vanilla seeds and 250 g sugar: 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. The sugar dissolves completely and the raspberries release all their juice. Cooking extracts the colour and aroma far better than simply blending them raw.
Then comes the most important step: pass the raspberry syrup through a fine sieve. A clean muslin cloth on top helps, and pressing firmly is key. This filters out all the seeds and fruit pieces. Without sieving, the liqueur has a gritty texture that is noticeable when drinking. This step is what separates homemade from polished.
90°C in the second round: why the alcohol goes in last
Return the sieved syrup to the mixing bowl, add the 250 g double cream and the 250 g raspberry schnapps. Then heat for 8 minutes at 90°C on speed 1. The 90°C pasteurises the cream so the liqueur keeps longer. Going above 90°C would cause too much alcohol to evaporate.
The raspberry schnapps brings not only the alcohol but also intensifies the raspberry aroma. If you cannot find raspberry schnapps, vodka works as an alternative, though it gives a more neutral flavour.
Bottling and shelf life
Pour the hot liqueur straight into sterilised bottles and seal immediately. To sterilise: boil the bottles and lids in water for 10 minutes, or place them in the oven at 120°C for 10 minutes.
Stored in the fridge, the unicorn liqueur keeps for 2 to 3 weeks. Leaving it to rest overnight rounds out the flavour. Give it a good shake before serving, as the cream can settle slightly.
A sugared rim: how to make it a showstopper
For a wow moment when serving: use two shallow dishes. Pour a little raspberry syrup (or the liqueur itself) into the first dish, and fill the second with sugar. Dip the rim of the glass into the syrup, then roll it in the sugar. Give it a gentle shake to remove any loose crystals. For the unicorn look, use coloured sugar or edible glitter.
Alcohol-free and other variations
Without alcohol: Replace the raspberry schnapps with raspberry juice. The liqueur becomes a syrup, but works just as well at a children’s birthday party or as a topping on ice cream.
With other berries: Use 400 g frozen strawberries or blueberries instead of raspberries. The colour changes but the method stays the same. Strawberries give a lighter result, blueberries a deeper, darker one.
More liqueur recipes: our 17 best liqueurs with the Thermomix®, the classic advocaat, Toffifee liqueur, or our strawberry and mango Prosecco.
Fresh or frozen raspberries?
Both work equally well. Frozen raspberries can go straight into the mixing bowl, while fresh ones should be rinsed and drained briefly. There is no difference in flavour, as we cook and sieve the berries either way.
How long does the unicorn liqueur keep?
In sterilised bottles in the fridge, 2 to 3 weeks. Without sterilising, it is shorter, around 1 week. The cream is the limiting factor. If the liqueur smells sour or curdles, do not drink it.
Goes well with: panna cotta, vanilla ice cream and waffles.
You might also like: Easter liqueur with vanilla and apricot, Thermomix®.
