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How to Make Your Own Kahlua Recipe

Caroline Stanko

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Bring a homemade touch to baked goods (or holiday gifts!) with our super-simple Kahlua recipe.

It’s easy to pick up a bottle or two at your local grocery store, but making your own Kahlua allows you to control the alcohol and sugar content. It’s also less syrupy and tastes even better than the name brand! Plus, homemade Kahlua makes the perfect gift for when the holidays roll around.

What Is Kahlua?

Kahlua is a brand of coffee-flavored liqueur that was founded in by four friends in Mexico in 1936. The liqueur is made by combining arabica coffee with sugar, vanilla and rum, and is used in classic cocktails like the White Russian, Espresso Martini and Mudslide.

Craving a White Russian? Here’s how to make one at home.

How Do You Make Kahlua?

The key to a truly delicious homemade Kahlua comes down to the quality of ingredients used. Be sure to use fresh-brewed coffee and a decent brand of alcohol for a rich liqueur that’s full of flavor. Here’s how our New York Field Editor, Sue Stetzel likes to make it.

What You Need:

4 cups strong brewed coffee
4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups good quality white rum (or vodka, if you prefer)

Step 1: Make Coffee Simple Syrup

In a saucepan, bring the coffee and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Step 2: Combine Ingredients

Stir the vanilla extract and alcohol of your choice into the cooled coffee simple syrup until combined.

Step 3: Store

Pour into clean bottles, cap tightly and store in a cool, dry place.

Step 4: Drink!

Use your homemade Kahlua as a base for cocktails, add it to a cup of coffee or even use it in desserts, like this Kahlua fudge cake.

Can Kahlua Go Bad?

If stored properly, your homemade Kahlua will maintain its flavor and potency for about three to four years. Kahlua that has gone bad will smell off and have a watered-down taste.

Use Your Homemade Kahlua to Make Dessert:

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Kahlua Fudge

This five-ingredient recipe makes serving up treats easy and scrumptious. —Laura Hanks, Harleysville, Pennsylvania

Frozen Mocha Torte

Frozen Mocha Torte

For an easy, make-ahead dessert that's elegant and luscious, try this recipe. The perfect blend of mocha and chocolate is in each cool, refreshing slice. —Aelita Kivirist, Glenview, Illinois

Coffee ‘n’ Cream Brownies

Coffee 'n' Cream Brownies

A friend gave me the recipe for these rich cakelike brownies topped with a creamy coffee-enhanced filling and a chocolate glaze. I like to garnish each square with a coffee bean. —Michelle Tiemstra, Lacombe, Alberta

Cappuccino Punch

Cappuccino Punch

When I tried this punch at a friend's wedding shower, I had to have the recipe. Guests will eagerly gather around the punch bowl when you ladle out this frothy mocha ice cream drink. —Rose Reich, Nampa, Idaho

Cappuccino Cheesecake

Cappuccino Cheesecake

Instead of pouring the decadent ganache over the top of this coffee-flavored cheesecake, I use most of it to cover the chocolate crust. —Linda Stemen, Monroeville, Indiana

Kahlua Dream Bars

Kahlua Dream Bars

I always double this recipe so everyone gets a piece. For a glaze with deeper flavor, use 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and 2 ounces semisweet.—Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario

Brownie Affogato Sundaes

Brownie Affogato Sundaes

We can’t resist brownie sundaes. I combined an affogato (coffee-based beverage) idea with a brownie to get this decadent sundae that mixes it all in there: warm, cold, sweet and salty. —Julie Merriman, Seattle, Washington

Croissant Pudding with Chocolate Kahlua Sauce

Croissant Pudding with Chocolate Kahlua Sauce

These custards puff up slightly while baking, creating beautiful, golden crowns. Kahlua brings a mild coffee flavor to the heavenly chocolate sauce.—Cheryl Tucker, Houston, Texas

Sweet Kahlua Coffee

Sweet Kahlua Coffee

I have this beverage brewing in my slow cooker at my annual Christmas open house. I set out the whipped cream and grated chocolate in festive dishes so guests can help themselves to as much Kahlua-flavored coffee as they'd like.—Ruth Gruchow, Yorba Linda, California

Creamy Coffee Pie

Creamy Coffee Pie

It’s easy to stir mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips and crushed sandwich cookies into coffee ice cream to create this irresistible frozen dessert. —Cherron Nagel, Columbus, Ohio

Kahlua Fudge Sheet Cake

Kahlua Fudge Sheet Cake

I make this cake for my grandsons. It's a quick and easy recipe that's perfect for chocolate and marshmallow cream lovers.—Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

Java Cream Puffs

Java Cream Puffs

These fun and fancy goodies have chopped pecans in the puffs and mouthwatering mocha cream filling. Guests will be impressed. —Iola Egle, Bella Vista, Arkansas

Toffee-Mocha Cream Torte

Toffee-Mocha Cream Torte

When you really want to impress someone, this scrumptious torte is just the thing to make! Instant coffee granules give the moist chocolate cake a mild mocha flavor, while the fluffy whipped cream layers, blended with brown sugar and crunchy toffee bits, are deliciously rich. —Lynn Rogers, Richfield, North Carolina

Frozen Mocha Marbled Loaf

Frozen Mocha Marbled Loaf

This showstopping marbled dessert seems fancy, but it's really simple to prepare ahead of time and pop in the freezer. Frosty slices have a creamy blend of chocolate and coffee that's delightful anytime of year. —Cheryl Martinetto, Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Mocha Java Pie with Kahlua Cream

Mocha Java Pie with Kahlua Cream

I'm a big coffee drinker and love the iced and frozen versions, too. This pie was my way of incorporating those flavors into a dessert. —Becky McClaflin, Blanchard, Oklahoma

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