Eierlikör is German egg liqueur, which is similar to eggnog, but so much better! Thick, creamy, and perfect for Christmas or Easter.
After taking a year and a half break from his little Even He Can Do It series, Mr. Texanerin is back with a recipe from his homeland – the former East Germany! This Eierlikör isn’t healthy in any way but he thought it’d be fun to share something German before Christmas. I originally posted this recipe right after I started blogging (meaning nobody saw it), so if some of you are wondering why it sounds familiar, that’s why!
Hi everyone! Today I have something simple but yet very delicious to share with you. Eierlikör, to you probably known as Advocaat, is a rich, creamy liqueur with a custard-like flavor. In Germany, it is mostly consumed during Easter and Christmas, but available year-round. Eierlikör is supposedly derived from “Abacate”, a drink that European explorers discovered from the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest in the 17th century.
Eierlikör can be made with different types of alcohol. My version is rum-based and almost as thick as pudding. It is so creamy that you might need a bit of shaking and possibly a sip of rum – for the bottle, not the shaking person – to coax it out of a full bottle. You can drink it pure, enjoy it on top of ice cream or use it as ingredient for a variety of baked goods, cocktails and longdrinks. Eierlikör tastes best right out of the fridge and when kept there, stays good for months. I doubt that it’ll last so long, though. ;)
Please make sure to get good-quality eggs as the egg yolk gives this beverage its flavor and thus should be free from any off taste. Unlike most recipes, this one involves a cooking step. So all of you who do not like raw eggs: don’t worry! This Eierlikör is the ideal homemade present: you can make it in no time with only a handful ingredients and it is so good that some recipients, like my mother, might just remind you the following year of how much they enjoyed it. One less present to worry about! :)
And if you don’t know what to do with all the leftover egg whites, try this 6 egg white cake.
Enjoy and happy holidays!
Eierlikör – German Egg Liqueur (a.k.a. Advocaat)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 5 cups or 1.2 liters
Ingredients
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 8-gram packet vanilla sugar OR 2 teaspoons granulated sugar1
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (250 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (375 milliliters) evaporated milk2
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (250 ml) dark rum with at least 37%
Directions
- With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and vanilla sugar until foamy. I did mine for about 2 – 3 minutes. You can kind of see the texture here.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar. It’ll look like this. Make sure there aren’t clumps of powdered sugar like I have below!
- Then add the evaporated milk and then the rum. Mix slowly until well combined.
- Put it in a pot, but don't fill it all the way to the top. Leave at least 1" at the top of the pot. If you have to do it in two batches, then do it in two batches. If you fill it almost to the top of the pot, it will likely come out badly. Then put that pot in a larger pot, which has been filled slightly less than halfway with water. How far you’ll need to fill it depends on the size of the pots. Heat it over medium heat slowly until it reaches 160 °F (71 °C), stirring occasionally. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot every now and then. It normally takes 15 – 20 minutes. Do not let the water or liqueur simmer. If you let it go above 185 °F (85 °C) it’ll become scrambled eggs. So be really careful and stop cooking at 160 °F (71 °C). Add your vanilla now if you didn't use vanilla sugar. The liqueur should be quite thick now. Remove the pot from the heat.
- To ensure your bottles don't crack, run some hot water over the outside of your bottles and then dry them off.
- Use a funnel to pour the liqueur into the bottles, filling all the way up to about 1" from the top.
- Let the bottles cool completely and then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If you use plain granulated sugar, stir in maybe one or two teaspoons vanilla to the mixture before pouring the liqueur in the glasses.
- Mine was 10% fat, but I don’t know if it comes in percentages like that everywhere. If you have the option, get 10% and not the lower fat versions.
Source: Egg Liqueur – GDR recipe
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104 comments on “Eierlikör – German Egg Liqueur (a.k.a. Advocaat)” — Add one!
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Mr. Texanerin has a great recipe! A rum base sounds really good. Thanks for reposting!
Thanks, Ginny!
That is sooo gorgeous!! I love your bottle!
And, Advokat, in Macedonian, means Lawyer! :))
Same in German! :) (and lots (or even most?) of the other Germanic languages!) Interesting that it’s the same for Slavic languages. :)
Looks so thick and creamy almost like a custard!
It is indeed! Definitely almost pudding like. :)
OK, I have to admit: I’m ALWAYS grossed out by the bottles of Eierlikör when we go shopping in Germany. It just looks so wrong. But this one. This one looks great! Like a thick and delicious custard – I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t last long in our fridge :)
That’s because the ones at the store probably have yellow dye and chemicals and junk in there! Ours is much better. ;) And hey, do you all have Lindt Eierlikoer? You have to try it! It’s the best Lindt bar out there. :)
Hi, are you sure evaporated milk is correct? The German recipes all call for condensed milk.
Thanks!
It’s correct. :) The German recipes call for Kondensmilch, which is evaporated milk. Condensed milk would be gezuckerte Kondensmilch.
Hi Eggliqueur-geeks,
I just returned from Germany visiting my parents and had a delicious sundae of vanilla ice cream and Eierlikoer.
It was delicious. Then I found this recipe from dr. oetker how to make it and it really reved me up. I am researching which alcohol to use. What brands do you use and why? Which do you avoid? and why?
I am planning on preparing some over the weekend. Have you tasted a difference between organic eggs and conventional eggs? My recipe says the eggs need to be not more than 5 days old.
Thanks,
Brigitte
Hi there! I actually live in Germany so I’m afraid I can’t help you with which brands to use (I used Pott but it seems to be a German thing). I can say, though, that you definitely shouldn’t get the cheapest kind! We tried that this Christmas and you could definitely tell a difference between the kind made with the slightly more expensive kind. I haven’t tasted a difference between organic and conventional eggs and my eggs have always been a lot older than 5 days and we keep the drink in the fridge for half a year at a time. Haven’t had problems yet! ;) Good luck!
I use alcool brand clear spirits. I like Riis as it gives it no distinct flavour of the alcohol used.
Thank you very much for this recipe. I lived in Germany for 10 yrs and can’t wait to make this. I now live in Canada and its hard to find ingredients and so making things are my only choice. I would love to have a torte recipe that works with easily found ingredients though. In the meanwhile, I will make this and post again. One last thing, I’m told you have to let this mixture sit for days before serving is that true? Thank you again. Josie O.
I’ve never heard about letting it sit for days before serving! I don’t notice any difference in flavor between freshly made and days or even weeks later. Did you hear what the reasoning for that was? Interesting. :) And I’m happy you found the recipe! I hope you’ll love it as much as we do. :) Can’t wait to hear how it comes out!
I also am German and make egg liqueur, but mine is the raw egg version and that is the one that needs to “cure” for about a year before it should be consumed to denature the protein/thicken the mixture and make sure it’s safe for consumption. I don’t think the cooked version needs to set because the cooking process takes care of it.
Thanks for the info, Christine. :) Does the raw kind taste different than the cooked version? I’ve never tried it raw!
Hi Erin,
I have never tried it cooked – unless the original “commercial” type is cooked (which it probably is). The raw type, after a year of “curing” is very smooth and thick and all resemblance of raw eggs is gone – the only serious issue is waiting this long!!! I still have to try your version and then I can post another message and compare the two. It took me years to find a recipe – I am from the “before the internet” generation – but about 30 years ago found one in a book for homemade liqueurs and stuck with it over the years. Thanks for sharing your version – it sure seems like a time saver!
Yeah, I can’t believe having to wait for an entire year just to try it! I hope that you’ll find this version to be just as good. :)
Christine, I’m in Canada and first found a recipe for advocaat way back in 1982, but due to the full year it has to sit, I never made it. Erin, I’m glad I found this recipe of yours. I would imagine a candy thermometer would work for this.
I’m glad you found it, too! It’s much better not having to wait a year. ;) I hope you’ll enjoy it!
I am from Germany and love took cook German food. I miss it so much. Mmmhhh Eierlikoer on ice cream or in these little chocolate cups. Eierlikoertorte sounds good too. Now I have to get started to make some so I can use it :)
Keep the recipes coming.
Hallo, Andrea! :) I hope you like the Eierlikoer and an Eierlikoertorte sounds amazing! Definitely something I need to look into. And I feel with you on missing food from your home country. I miss American food so much (and yes, American food *does* exist! ;)) Thanks so much for stopping by!
Haha I know what you mean. I live in Texas and BBQ and crawfish boil are one of my favorites. But I can’t deny some good Mexican food here, too.
Aaah! I’m from Texas (if that wasn’t already clear ;)) and I am DYING for some good smoked meat! Brisket, smoked turkey, pulled pork… I want it all! That brisket doesn’t exist in Germany makes me want to cry.
How do I get it to be a little thinner? Do I add more evap milk? More booze? Mine came out very tasty, and it reminds me a lot of the eier liqueur that they put on ice cream and wafers in Germany, but I want the kind you can get at the Christmas Markets for drinking!!
Another reader has asked me about them putting amaretto into the Eierlikoer at the Christmas markets, but I’ve never had Eierlikoer there, so I’m not sure about that or the more liquid-y kind at the Christmas markets! And weirdly enough, neither does my German husband. We’ve only had the kind from the bottle (which is nice and thick like this recipe) I’ll go to a Christmas market soon and report back! But to answer your question, don’t add more milk now that it’s all cooked! Add more booze. :) Although, if you wanted to serve it immediately, you could add milk. You know what I mean? Mix some milk with the cooked Eierlikoer and then drink it. But don’t mix milk with the entire bottle and then store it in the fridge for a year. I don’t think that’d work. I hope that works! I’ll get back to you once I visit a Christmas market. :)
Wow, you reply fast! LOL. Okay, I think next time I’ll add a bit more milk to it before I cook it. I know better than to add it afterwards :) I think I’ll wait until it cools and if I can get it thin enough to drink with more rum I think I’ll do that. If not, this one can be for pudding and the next batch will be for drinking. And I assure you, this will not be in my house for a year. This recipe made less than I was expecting as it is, I may need to make a second batch later today.
At the Christmas markets we’ve been to (too many to count), only one or two of the little houses will ever have eier liqueur, the rest all have gluhwein, which is great, but I didn’t LOOOOVE it. Definitely try the eier liqueur at a Christmas market if you get a chance, it is to die for!! We would usually buy like 20 bottles of it and then make it last until the next batch of markets!
My husband and I were just discussing making more Eierlikoer so I could take better pictures to post when your comment came in, so it seemed fitting I answer immediately. ;) I did some research! Did you have Eierlikoer Punsch at the markets, like this? If that link doesn’t work, just Google Image “Eierlikör punsch.” Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Eierlikoer at the Christmas markets! I haven’t looked, though. I’ll definitely be on the lookout next time! Thanks so much for the tip. :) Good luck with the next batch! It turns out I didn’t have any evaporated milk so mine will have to wait until tomorrow. And 20 bottles?! Haha. Y’all are serious about your Eierlikoer! ;)
YES!! The pictures of eier liqueur punsch look like what we had! I shall try to see if I can find a recipe for that. Oh, and the bottles they sold there, only had about 4 of the Christmas mugs worth in each. YOu know the little mugs you get from all the markets around. So 20 bottles wasn’t much.
Yay! So happy to have found what you were looking for! :) I did some looking around. It just seems like it’s the Eierlikoer which you made + white wine and cinnamon and maybe some vanilla. Did you find a good recipe? There’s always this one from Dr. Oetker. ;) I might try it! Just to see what it’s like.
I’m German and I live in Los Angeles. I want to make a Eierlikoertorte but I had no Eierlikoer. Thanks to this recipe I have a big bottle now and it tastes great.
I’m so happy that this recipe now officially has the approval of a German! :D Thanks so much for the rating and I’m happy that you enjoyed it!
Made some and turned out great! – Just like grandpa used to make. :)
But it’s been a couple weeks and I’ve spotted a couple small bubbles in my bottle, does this mean it’s gone bad? Or is this natural? How do I know if/when my eierlikör has gone bad?
So happy it tasted like your grandpa’s! :) The small bubbles are completely okay. We keep our bottle for months and get those bubbles, too. In the comments for the original recipe, people say that they keep theirs for longer than a year in the fridge so I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it going bad. And I’m not sure but I think the only way to know if it’s gone bad is by the smell. Thanks for the feedback and the rating. :)
Hi! I’m just now finding this recipe after returning from my first trip to Germany to visit my husband’s family :) I kinda went on an everything-German-cooking-spree and of course had to see if a recipe existed for egg liqueur (my German husband swore you couldn’t buy it in the US, so what else is one to do?!).
So, I’m heating the mixture right now (probably not good safety practices to type and cook, ha). My question is if you need to stir the mixture as it heats?
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m super excited to try it :)
Hi Erin! So sorry for the probably way too late reply. I live in Germany so your comment came in the middle of the night for me. Sorry! :( I’ve just updated the recipe to say that you should stir occasionally. Sorry for the confusion and I hope that it came out well! Good luck with the rest of your German cooking spree. :)
To Beth – I have no idea where your comment went! I got an email saying you left one but for some reason, it's not here. The question was if you could use something else instead of rum to make it alcohol-free. I'm not positive about it but Mr. Texanerin (he's German) googled it and people were saying you could use some rum extract. The question is how long the drink would stay good for! I'd be worried about that. Let me know how it turns out if you try! Just add the extract at the very end. Happy holidays to you. :)
Hi Anja! We just finished making it for the third time. It's really good stuff. Let me know how it comes out if you make it! I hope you had a lovely Christmas. :)
I love Eierlikoer! I'm from Germany, living in the US now, can't find it anywhere here & yes, it's true, Eierlikoer tastes better than Eggnog, thank you so much for the recipe! ;-)
Hello. Yeah I just came across this recipe. I’m from east Germany and remember drinking it all the time. This is the best recipe yet, I’ve found. I don’t like that Eierlikör version we can buy here. :))
I didn’t even know you could buy Eierlikoer in the US! What brand do they have there? I’m very happy that you enjoyed the recipe. :) Sorry for just now seeing your comment and frohe Weihnachten. :)
Frohe Weihnacht. 🎄
Is it called “Advocaat”, it’s like Swedish or something. But it’s being sold as “German Eierlikör”.
Miryam – It really doesn't taste like eggnog. Promise!
I hope you like the cookies! I have to admit that I don't find them super exciting after all this fun holiday baking, but at least they're healthy. :)
Superb pictures :-)
I am not an egg nog person but your recipe looks really luxurious and yummy.
I got maple syrup the other day so I rembered the maple cookies you made a while back…..after Christmas and coming back from TN I will make them ;-) I will let you know how they turn out!
Whoa! This sounds insanely delicious. Can't wait to try!
Yeah! You've got to make it! It's not like eggnog. It's way way better. :) It really tastes like some kind of crazy delicious pudding, with a nice drinkable texture. Just put it in some old jelly jars! That's what we did.
OMG, OMG, OMG! I'm not an egg nog person ( I think I've maybe had it once in my life, and I can't remember what it tasted like), but I really really want this. It looks creamy and good and scrumptious! I'd just need to figure out what to put it in, haha.