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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Drinks

    This site contains affiliate links to various websites, including Amazon.com. read more

    Homemade Orange Liqueur An Essential for Your Bar

    Published: Mar 21, 2023 by Audrey Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Homemade Orange Liqueur is a simple to make cordial essential for a variety of cocktails or use it to enhance a variety of desserts.

    This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

    Homemade Orange Liqueur is easy to make and essential for a variety of cocktails and adds something special to special to recipes.

    Be sure to keep scrolling past the recipe to get some Spring Sweets Week deliciousness including more recipes and a giveaway.

    bottle of orange liqueur with ingredients

    Homemade liqueurs are simple to make with a few basic ingredients: alcohol (usually vodka, brandy or rum), sugar and flavoring (fruit, herbs, spices, coffee, chocolate, aromatics, etc.).

    To make them you infuse the alcohol with the flavoring for days or weeks. Then strain and add a simple syrup. The longer it sits the more water evaporates resulting in a sweeter, stronger, thicker drink.

    How to Use Homemade Orange Liqueur

    Homemade Orange Liqueur can be enjoyed straight, or chilled for an aperitif.

    It is essential to classic cocktails such as Margarita, Long Island Iced Tea, Mai Tai, Sidecar and Cosmopolitan even Sangria.

    You could also try it in a Citrus Martini, a Pink Flirtini, or this Blackberry Prosecco Punch.

    Or you can use it to enhance dessert recipes such as this Whipped Orange Butter and Crepes, the Blood Orange Dutch Baby (coming tomorrow), pour it over cake (like this orange cake) or vanilla ice cream.

    Variations of Orange Liqueur

    Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, CuraΓ§ao ... a rose by any other name tastes like oranges. Or something like that.

    There are many brands of orange liqueur with slightly different flavor profiles. You can adapt your homemade version to mimic one of those, or create your own flavor variation.

    Some are brandy based while others have a neutral grain alcohol base. For a homemade version:

    • vodka will give a purer orange taste
    • brandy will make it a bit mellower and sweeter with notes of vanilla
    • rum will be drier (less sweet) with notes of caramel

    The oranges can be bitter or sweet, or a combination of both. Blood orange peels will add a deeper slightly reddish color.

    You can add different spices or other aromatics such as:

    • cinnamon
    • star anise
    • vanilla bean
    • cloves
    • lemongrass

    Melissa's Produce and Selefina Spices

    This recipe was made extra special thanks to our sponsors Melissa's Produce and Selefina Spices. I highly recommend these companies and their products

    For this recipe I used some beautiful blood oranges from Melissa's Produce. I enjoyed the juicy flavorful oranges in another recipe and saved the peel for this.

    I also added cinnamon from Selefina Spices. The sticks would be best, but if all you have is ground you can use that and filter the mixture through a coffee filter.

    bottle of orange liqueur with ingredients

    Recipe

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients
     

    • 2-3 oranges (blood, navel, cara cara, etc.)
    • 1 stick cinnamon, broken (see notes for alternatives)
    • 2 cups vodka (or rum or brandy or combination)
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1Β½ cup water

    Instructions
     

    • Remove zest from oranges (orange part only, no white). Use oranges in another recipe.
    • Put orange zest, cinnamon stick and vodka in a sterilized quart sized mason jar or other glass container and cover.
    • Let sit in a cool dark place 3-4 weeks.
    • In a saucepan over medium heat, dissolve sugar in the water to make a simple syrup.
    • Strain the orange peels and cinnamon sticks from the vodka. Combine with the simple syrup and return to jar. Close lid and let sit another few days before enjoying.

    Notes

    You can omit the cinnamon stick or use one (or several) of these as a substitute:
    • 4-5 whole cloves
    • 2 star anise pods
    • 1 teaspoon bitter orange peel
    • Β½ vanilla beanΒ 
    • 2" stick lemongrass (smashed slightly)
    If using ground spices, strain the infusion through a coffee filter before adding simple syrup.

    Spring Sweets Week Recipes & Giveaway

    Welcome to #SpringSweetsWeek 2023 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks!

    The sun is shining, the weather is getting warmer, and we are celebrating the beginning of spring with plenty of spring sweets and a fun giveaway! 

    This year 20 food bloggers from around the country are sharing over 75 sweet recipes that are perfect for spring.  So get ready to enjoy amazing spring treats like cupcakes, cookies, pies, jams, and even a few beverages! 

    Tuesday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes
  • Blueberry Pear Muffins with Allspice by Blogghetti
  • Carrot Cinnamon Rolls by Magical Ingredients
  • Carrot Halwa (Gajar Halwa) by Palatable Pastime
  • Dried Orange Slices by Art of Natural Living
  • Key Lime Pistachio Cheesecake Bars by The Spiffy Cookie
  • Lemon Ginger Smoothie by Cookaholic Wife
  • Meyer Lemon Upside Down Cake by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
  • Orange Creamsicle Coffee Caramels by Sweet Beginnings
  • Orange Liqueur by That Recipe
  • Pear Ginger Bread by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
  • Slow Cooker Butterscotch Pears by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Yellow Dragon Fruit Refresher by Jen Around the World
  • We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.

    The Giveaway

    Thank you to our #SpringSweetsWeek sponsors that are helping us give away some great prizes.  Thank you to Melissa's Produce, Anolon, Taylor and Colledge, and Selefina Spices for your generosity and support.   We have an incredible giveaway with four amazing prizes and would love if you would take a moment to read about it and the prizes that you can win!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    This recipe is intended for individuals ages 21 & up. Please drink responsibly.

    Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Selefina Spices, Anolon, Melissa’s Produce, and Taylor and Colledge for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.

    The #SpringSweetsWeek giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.  All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning.

    Four (4) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

    This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christie

      March 25, 2023 at 3:10 pm

      I might have to try this with brandy. I had fruit flavored brandy in Bosnia that was delicious! This looks so good, too.

      Reply

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    audrey humaciu in kitchen

    Welcome, I'm Audrey, an avid "maker" that believes home made is better.

    Whether it's cooking, crafting, gardening, home dΓ©cor, even blog design, I love getting my hands dirty and trying new things... even if I make a mess in the process.

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