Incorporating alcohol is a great way to give your sweet treats a kick.
Boozy baked goods and desserts are great additions to your repertoire, especially when you’re feeling uninspired with your baking.
This Christmas season, why not experiment with your baked goods and booze them up? Rather than bringing a bottle of your favourite wine to your next gathering, a boozed up treat will be a refreshing hit amongst your friends. (Consume and drink responsibly, of course!)
Alcohol works best in baked goods and desserts that don’t require heat. Alcohol will evaporate when heated, which reduces its strength.
Add some alcohol to your frosting, whipped cream, or glaze. The alcohol will shine through, turning your innocent sweet treats into fun, boozy ones!
Simply replace the amount of extract called for, or gradually add your alcohol of choice in small amounts and adjust the consistency later.
Here are 8 different types of alcohols to add to your baked goods, along with some recipes that you can play around with. They’ll surely bring more fun to your parties this holiday season!
Image source: Paneco
This almond liqueur blends well in many types of baked goods. Its sweet, nutty flavour helps to add extra dimension and flavour to your sweet treats.
Try adding two tablespoons of amaretto to your Crème Brûlée to turn it into an extraordinarily rich, decadent dessert. It’s an instant level-up with almost zero effort!
Or, if you do not have an oven, you can also spike the coffee dipping liquid for this No-Bake Coffee Tiramisu with 2–3 tablespoons of amaretto.
Image source: The Liquor Shop
Add some warmth to your pies, brownies, and cakes with bourbon. Its caramel, vanilla, and toasted marshmallow notes pair beautifully with fruits and nuts.
Bourbon also goes really well with chocolate. Try adding a couple of tablespoons to the brownie layer of this Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake, or add 2–4 tablespoons of your favourite Bourbon to the caramelised banana layer of this Caramelised Banana Upside-Down Cake.
Image source: Flickr
If you’re thinking of a boozy dessert that’s on the lighter side, champagne is the way to go. The delicate flavour of this bubbly liqueur goes great with tangy, fruity flavour notes in baked goods and desserts.
Try substituting the water in your No-Bake Passion Fruit Tiramisu with champagne. Since this is a no-bake dessert, the bright taste of champagne will shine through and not dissipate!
Image source: MHBP Singapore
Cream liqueurs are thick boozy liquids containing cream, milk, or some other dairy, and are very often used to elevate the taste of baked goods. A popular cream liqueur is the Baileys Irish Cream, made with cream, cocoa, and Irish whiskey.
Baileys is a common addition to tiramisu desserts. Try mixing 1/2 cup of Irish Cream with the coffee in your No-Bake Coffee Tiramisu.
Often paired with a neutral tonic, the refreshing citrusy, botanical flavors of gin truly belongs in baked goods with fruity elements.
Add a twist to these Citrus Twist Cupcakes by adding some Gin into the cream cheese frosting. Add small amounts at a time until it tastes intense enough, and thicken with some confectioners’ sugar until the right consistency is achieved.
Red wine and chocolate is a classic flavour pairing. The berry notes of red wine are more pronounced when combined with chocolate, bringing your chocolate desserts to another level!
Try substituting some of the liquid called for in a cake recipe with red wine, and pair it with a red wine chocolate ganache or glaze.
You can also mix some red wine into your brownie batter to make it ultra-rich and decadent.
You don’t need the most expensive red wine at the store, but quality ingredients always yield better baked goods and desserts.
Rum imparts pleasant notes of vanilla and toasted sugar when added into desserts and baked goods. For baking purposes, use a darker and richer rum for its flavour to shine through.
Booze up your crème brûlée with 1 to 2 tablespoons of dark rum, or spike these fudge brownies with a quarter cup of your favourite rum. If you love rum and raisin, soak raisins in the rum and add the mixture to your chocolate-butter mixture for a boozy brownie.
A base for many types of mixed drinks, vodka is also an all-rounder in baked goods and desserts.
Combine vodka with vanilla in your buttercream for added richness. Make sure that you’re using high-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean for an extraordinary flavour.
Adding vodka—or any other alcohol to your frostings—is the fastest and easiest way to booze up your treats as they will not get cooked off. This results in a more prominent flavour.
If you’re not confident in tweaking recipes to accommodate the addition of booze, adding 1 to 2 tbsp of booze as a substitute for the liquid in frosting recipes is the best bet to booze up your treats!
Turn any sweet treat into its boozy version by spiking it with some alcohol. Your baked goods will be as good as ever—even better than you’ve ever imagined!
Try boozing up these sweet treats to bring more fun to your Christmas celebration:
For more baking tips & content sent straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter here!
Comments will be approved before showing up.
