Advocaat Recipe (Authentic Dutch Eggnog)

Homemade Dutch Advocaat

Back in the day, when I was young, and my grandma was throwing a party, little glasses came out of her cupboard. She poured a splash of Advocaat into them and then topped them off with whipped cream. To spoon the Advocaat out of the glasses, tiny mini spoons were served (and they were beautifully decorated).

All those elderly ladies enjoyed their 'advocaatje', that delicious, real Dutch liqueur. And when I got a little older, I also got my own glass. Delicious. The rich, velvety texture is wonderfully sweet. It became my favorite holiday drink.

Made from egg yolks, sugar, and brandy with a hint of vanilla, it becomes a creamy liqueur. But did you know that you can also make it yourself very quickly? And that turns out to be even more delicious. I can recommend it!

Is Advocaat the Same as Eggnog?

Not really and that trips people up every year.

American eggnog is thin and frothy, made with milk or cream and usually served cold in a glass. Dutch advocaat is a completely different drink: thick enough to eat with a small spoon, made with just egg yolks, sugar, brandy and no milk at all.

If you're expecting something you can sip through a straw, this will surprise you. If you've ever had a good crème anglaise, that's closer to the texture you're aiming for here.

What do you need for Homemade Advocaat Egg Liqueur?

You require the following ingredients to prepare this Advocaat (Dutch Eggnog). You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:

• Brandy (or Brandewijn):In the Netherlands, advocaat is traditionally made with brandewijn, a Dutch grape spirit, but it's genuinely hard to find outside the Netherlands, so I use a smooth, mid-range brandy or cognac instead. Either works; just skip anything overly smoky or cheap, since the spirit's flavor stays front and center in the finished drink.
• Egg yolks: Give the eggnog its creamy texture.
• Sugar: For the sweet taste.
• Salt: Balances the sweet taste.
• Vanilla Extract: For a hint of vanilla flavor. If you can get it, use natural vanilla extract, which has a slightly deeper flavor than artificial vanilla extract. With this recipe, you can make a homemade vanilla extract (and, if you bake a lot, it is highly recommended because you can use this for a reasonable amount of time).

How to prepare Homemade Dutch Advocaat Liqueur

You can find a printable recipe with a detailed description at the bottom of this blog.

1. Place the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract in a bowl.
2. Stir so that it is mixed.
3. Bring a pan with a small layer of water to a boil. Hang the bowl above (the bottom must not touch the water, which is called Au Bain-Marie heating). Add the brandy and keep stirring as you deplete). Continue until you reach a temperature of 144 °F (ca. 62 °C) as measured by a thermometer.
4. Remove the bowl from the pan and place it in an ice water bath. Keep stirring until the eggnog is about 100 °F (ca. 38 °C). Then pour it into a jar and put it in the fridge to cool down further.

Serve the eggnog with a dessert of whipped cream and a spoon. Mmmm. Also delicious in the No Bake Eggnog Cheesecake or the Tiramisu with Advocaat or just over a scoop of ice cream.

Why this works

When preparing Advocaat you're using the Au Bain-Marie heating: And while heating the recipe insists on stirring, not whisking or beating. Egg yolk proteins start to bond and thicken gently as they warm, stir them slowly and they form a smooth, even custard. Beat air into them and you break up that structure, which is why a beaten advocaat turns out thin and foamy instead of rich and spoonable.

One reader, Marina, said it best after trying it for the first time: "a fantastic drink... absolutely delicious" and it's currently rated 5 out of 9 votes on the recipe card below.

My grandma always said: 'Eat well, never too much. The only "too much" that's allowed is being too happy at the table' and honestly, a small glass of advocaat makes that easy.