Toasted Almond Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/15/21
Tested by
Tom Macy
Photo of Tom Macy
Tested by Tom Macy
Tom wears many cocktail hats. He is a professional bartender, bar owner, recipe creator, and drink writer, though he prefers the title "obsessive cocktail nerd."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Toasted almond cocktail recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
524 Calories
22g Fat
35g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 524
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 14g 69%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 24mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 88mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Almond and coffee come together in perfect harmony in the popular cocktail known as the toasted almond. This incredibly easy drink is a delicious delight and, if you want to kick it up a notch, you can add a shot of vodka to create a roasted toasted almond.

Either of these delicious cocktails offers a great way to shake up your white Russian routine. The mix is very simple; it uses amaretto and coffee liqueurs against a creamy base. It's irresistible and ideal for those times when you want a quick and sweet, satisfying drink.

The gentler of the two mixed drinks, the toasted almond is a pleasant sipper for those times when you want a good drink that is light on the booze. It makes an excellent dessert drink as well, and you can serve it "up" in a cocktail glass for a gentle, creamy martini.

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Click Play to See This Simple Toasted Almond Cocktail Come Together

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"The toasted almond is essentially a white Russian, but with amaretto instead of vodka. So naturally, this makes for a much sweeter drink, but the drink overall is delicious. Almond is a natural pairing alongside coffee and cream, and the whole thing tastes like grown-up ice cream." —Tom Macy

Toasted Almond Cocktail Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces amaretto liqueur

  • 1 1/2 ounces coffee liqueur

  • 2 ounces cream, or milk

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for toasted almond cocktail
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Pour the liqueurs and cream into a cocktail shaker with ice.

    Shaker with ice and ingredients added
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Shake very well for at least 15 seconds to ensure everything's mixed and the cream becomes frothy.

    Cocktail shaker being shaken
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.

    Mixture strained into a glass with ice
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Serve and enjoy.

    Toasted almond cocktail
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck 

Tips

  • An equal pour of the two liqueurs is common, though the cream can vary from 1 to 2 ounces. Feel free to adjust the proportions of any ingredient to suit your taste.
  • Though you may be tempted to pour and stir this drink in the glass, shaking really does make a better cocktail. The agitation and dilution will soften the heaviness of the cream and give the drink a frothy lightness that's much more enjoyable.
  • Deciding between milk and cream will produce a slightly different drink. Milk will create a lighter drink than cream. However, it's best not to use milk lighter than 1 percent because of the dilution from shaking; you will lose some of the richness, and the drink will seem watered down.
  • There are a number of cream options as well. Heavy whipping cream is almost too thick. For a nice balance between the two extremes, half-and-half is a perfect option and a great cream for most cocktails.
  • Alternatively, nondairy milk choices (soy, almond, oat, etc.) should make an excellent toasted almond, albeit thinner. Using almond milk would be a natural choice because it will complement the amaretto.

Recipe Variations

  • The roasted toasted almond (or burnt almond) is "roasted" by adding vodka to the mix. To make this drink, build 1 ounce each of vodka, coffee liqueur, and amaretto in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Top with milk or cream. Shake by placing a mixing tin over the glass and give it one or two good shakes.
  • A flavored vodka such as espresso is a perfect choice and adds an extra coffee kick to the drink. It's also easy to make your own coffee-infused vodka—simply follow the steps in this coffee bourbon recipe. Other good options include chocolate and amaretto or any of the whipped cream or cake-flavored vodkas.

How Strong Is This Drink?

The roasted recipe is slightly stronger than the toasted almond, though both are relatively tame in the cocktail world. Using a 42-proof amaretto and 40-proof coffee liqueur, the alcohol content of the toasted almond averages out to 14 percent ABV (28 proof). Adding half a shot of 80-proof vodka creates a roasted toasted almond of about 18 percent ABV (36 proof). While the vodka doesn't make too big of a difference, it is a nice way to add an extra punch to the drink without getting out of control.