It’s easy to make homemade crème de menthe to use in baked goods, cocktails or other recipes. Learn how make this mint-flavored liqueur!
Have you ever made any homemade liqueurs before? A lot of people use them for flavoring several types of mixed cocktails. I use this mint-flavored liqueur, known as crème de menthe, to add extra flavor to some of my baked goods, including brownies or cakes.
Today I want to share a sweet little recipe for crème de menthe I found online a while ago. It is such a simple recipe to make and once it’s made, this liqueur lasts a long time in the pantry.
If you’re interested, here’s a way to make simple homemade crème de menthe from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
How To Make The Liqueur
The steps for making this “minty” liqueur are really quite simple and can be made in a short amount of time. Start by pouring 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan, put the pan on your stove and then add 2 cups of granulated sugar.
Heat the water and sugar mixture (stirring often) until it has reached the “almost boiling” point. Once all the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan OFF of the heat source, and let the liquid “syrup” cool COMPLETELY.
When the liquid has completely cooled, add ½ cup of vodka and 1 Tablespoon of real peppermint extract to the liquid. Stir until both ingredients have been fully combined with the water and sugar mixture.
Add Food Coloring Or Not?
At this point you will need to decide what color you want the liqueur to be. The addition of green food coloring is traditional yet completely OPTIONAL. I added 6 drops of food coloring here for the photos, so you can see how it looks as I show you the steps involved.
It’s important to know this choice is yours whether you want the liqueur to be green or remain clear. The crème de menthe will taste exactly the same with or without the green color, so I will leave this decision completely up to you!
Note: If you plan on gifting small bottles of the liqueur to family or friends (especially around Christmas time), it is quite lovely to see the nice green color!
Once you add the green food coloring (if using), be sure to stir the liqueur very well so the color is evenly distributed throughout the liquid.
Time To Bottle It Up
When I photographed this, I used several different sized bottles (large and small) to show you what they would look like with the liqueur inside.
You will need bottles that have tight-fitting lids or screwcaps. The amount of crème de menthe liqueur you will end up with is about 3 cups (or 24 ounces), so plan accordingly.
Okay… now let’s bottle the homemade crème de menthe up! Place a funnel (or a measuring cup with a spout) into the mouth of the bottle or bottles you will be using. TIP: You may find it helpful to place the empty bottle in the sink first, in case you spill any!
Carefully pour the cooled liqueur through the funnel and into the jar. Fill the jar to the top, then tightly cap the bottle. Repeat this using other bottles until all the crème de menthe is gone.
Be sure to wipe the jars clean with a wet dish cloth or paper towels so any drips don’t make the jars sticky! Be sure to label each jar (especially if the liqueur is CLEAR), so you’ll remember what’s in it!
You’ll see I used some handy dandy masking tape to label this little jar shown below… ha ha! Store the homemade creme de menthe liqueur in your pantry where it will be available for many different uses over time. TIP: Storing the liqueur in a “dark” pantry also helps prevent evaporation of the liquid in the bottles.
Ways To Use Homemade Crème de Menthe
There are many ways people enjoy using prepared crème de menthe liqueur. It is commonly used in cocktails such as a “Grasshopper” or in a “Peppermint Espresso Martini” but can also be used to give a minty flavor to hot chocolate or coffee.
It is also used in desserts like chocolate cake, mint chocolate truffles or it can be mixed into ice cream. I use it whenever I make Creme de Menthe Brownies, as shown in the next two photos below.
This liqueur adds such a delicate peppermint flavor to frostings for cakes, brownies and cupcakes, which we love! Shown below is when I used it to make delicious Crème de Menthe Brownies, and they taste really good!
I hope you have the opportunity to make this mint-flavored liqueur and find many different ways to enjoy its fresh flavor! It will keep a long time in the pantry, so once you’ve made it, you’re set!
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back soon for more recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.
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Original recipe source: contributed by Stef at TooMuchToDoSoLittleTime.com via Tasty Kitchen.
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
It's easy to make homemade creme de menthe to use in baked goods, cocktails or other recipes. Learn how make this mint-flavored liqueur!
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vodka
- 1 Tablespoon real peppermint extract
- 6 drops green food coloring (OPTIONAL)
Pour water into a medium saucepan and add 2 cups of granulated sugar. Heat the water and sugar mixture on the stovetop (stirring often) until it has reached the "almost boiling" point. Once all sugar has dissolved, remove the pan OFF the heat source. Let liquid cool COMPLETELY.
Once liquid is completely cool, add vodka and peppermint extract. **If using, add 6 drops of green food coloring, as well. The crème de menthe will taste exactly the same with or without the green color. Stir until these ingredients have been fully combined with the water and sugar mixture.
Place a funnel (or measuring cup with a spout) into the mouth of the bottle. TIP: It's helpful to place the empty bottle in the sink first, in case you spill any liqueur! Carefully pour the liqueur through the funnel and into the jar. Fill bottle to the top, then add a tight-fitting lid. Repeat with additional bottles, as needed.
Wipe jars clean with a wet cloth or paper towel, so any drips don't make the jars sticky! Label each jar (especially if the liqueur is CLEAR), so you'll remember what's in it! Store homemade creme de menthe in a dark pantry (to help prevent evaporation). Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!