Traditional Dutch Advocaat—Eggnog With a Twist

Written by
Karin Engelbrecht
Magazine editor, restaurant reviewer, and food writer who focuses on Dutch cuisine.
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Karin Engelbrecht
Updated 01/22/21
Traditional Dutch Advocaat liqueur recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Yields: 1 1/2 cups
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
457 Calories
9g Fat
45g Carbs
12g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 457
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 347mg 116%
Sodium 327mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Protein 12g
Calcium 53mg 4%
*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.)

Advocaat is a traditional Dutch custard made of egg yolks and brandy. Sometimes referred to as Dutch eggnog, advocaat is similar in flavor but richer and thicker than the eggnog you might be used to. It is so thick that you can—in fact, must—eat it with a spoon, sort of like a thick, eggnog-flavored malt.

This drink is often called ''advocaat of the devil'' because once you start nipping at the sweet nectar, you cannot resist the temptation to have more. While commercial advocaat can be difficult to find outside of Europe, it is easy to make from scratch from a few common ingredients.

Take a Dutch adventure right in your own home and enjoy advocaat as a thick, seasonal tipple during the winter holidays. Serve it in petite glasses with a little whipped cream or mix it with sparkling lemonade for a snowball cocktail. It's also delicious when poured over vanilla ice cream or used as a filling in desserts, pastries, and cakes. 

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Dutch advocaat

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Beat the egg yolks, salt, and sugar until the mixture is thickened.

    Beat egg yolks

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Slowly trickle in the brandy or cognac but keep beating until it is well blended.

    Slowly trickling in the liqueur and whisking

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and warm over low heat, continuously whisking. It is important to be patient. The advocaat is ready when it's nicely thickened and hot but not boiling. If it boils, the alcohol will evaporate, and you'll lose a lot of the flavor and half the fun.

    Mixture poured into a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. When the mix is thickened and very hot, remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.

    Whisking in the vanilla extract

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Allow the advocaat to cool and then place in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve in small glasses or espresso cups.

    Serve in glasses

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Top with whipped cream and a bit of cocoa powder to serve in the traditional manner or just serve with whipped cream or plain. Enjoy.

    Dutch advocaat with whipped cream and cocoa powder

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk of foodborne illness.

Tips

  • While not raw, the egg yolks in advocaat are only lightly cooked. The USDA recommends using in-shell pasteurized eggs in recipes that include raw and partially cooked eggs.
  • The advocaat will keep in the fridge for up to three days. 

Recipe Variations

  • If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a bit of cream.
  • Fold some whipped cream through the drink to create a decadent dessert called tokkelroom.
  • Replace the brandy with schelvispekel, a Dutch spiced brandy, for an interesting variation. 


What Foods Pair Well With Advocaat?

Advocaat, with its custard-like flavor, makes for an interesting holiday party drink as a twist on American eggnog. It's just about a dessert in itself, so stay on the light and small side with fudge, salted caramels, petits fours, a selection of nuts and dried fruits, nut bread, tiny cupcakes, or holiday cookies. Some richer options that pair well with advocaat are cream puffs and a creamy chocolate pie topped with whipped cream. Apple pie, cherry pie, or raisin pie with sour cream are especially good choices for wintertime.

How Strong Is Advocaat?

The alcohol content of commercial advocaat ranges from 14 percent to 20 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). While it's difficult to make accurate estimates with homemade versions, this recipe will produce an advocaat of about the same strength.

Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Shell Eggs From Farm to Table. Food Safety Education; USDA.gov. 2020.