Liqueurs

Crème de Cacao

Crème de cacao is a cacao liqueur sold clear (white) or brown (dark), usually at 20 to 25% ABV; our recipe units take 24%. The crème is a sugar minimum of 250g a litre under Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, and there is no cream in it. White suits the pale drinks, from the Grasshopper to the 20th Century; the IBA’s Brandy Alexander asks for dark.

Quick Facts

ABV24% ABVBottlings run about 20 to 25%.

Legal categoryLiqueurSold as a crème de under Regulation (EC) No 110/2008: at least 15% ABV and 250g of sugar a litre

OriginMade in many countries

Flavour Strengthlight medium

SeasonYear-round (commonly used in dessert-style and after-dinner cocktails)

Our keeping timeYears unopened, and a year or more once opened; the cocoa aroma softens slowly.

Storage

Room temperature, sealed, out of direct light; no fridge needed.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes vary by brand: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Crème de Cacao

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

CocoaDark chocolateSoft bitternessSweet sugar

Tasting Notes

Cocoa and vanilla, sweet; dark is a shade richer as well as browner.

Crème means sugar, by law

UK spirit drinks law reserves “crème de” for liqueurs with at least 250g of sugar a litre and 15% ABV, where an ordinary liqueur needs 100g. The word describes the thick texture that much sugar gives, not dairy. Crème de cacao, crème de menthe and crème de cassis contain no cream; cream liqueurs such as Irish cream are a different product.

White and dark differ more in colour than taste

White crème de cacao takes its flavour from distilled cacao, which comes through clear, and tastes a little more delicate. Dark keeps the natural colour of the beans and reads a shade richer. Most bottles sit between 20 and 25%; Giffard’s white, from France, is 25%.

White and dark crème de cacao against chocolate liqueur (sugar minimums from Regulation (EC) No 110/2008; strengths are typical figures, with Giffard’s white at 25%; the drinks are ours)

White crème de cacao

ABV: About 24%
Colour: Clear
Sugar: At least 250g a litre
Our recipes: Alexander, Grasshopper, Golden Cadillac, Silk Stocking, 20th and 21st Century

Dark crème de cacao

ABV: About 20 to 25%
Colour: Brown
Sugar: At least 250g a litre
Our recipes: Brandy Alexander

Chocolate liqueur

ABV: About 17%
Colour: Opaque brown
Sugar: At least 100g a litre
Our recipes: Chocolate Martini

Bottle	ABV	Colour	Sugar	Our recipes
White crème de cacao	About 24%	Clear	At least 250g a litre	Alexander, Grasshopper, Golden Cadillac, Silk Stocking, 20th and 21st Century
Dark crème de cacao	About 20 to 25%	Brown	At least 250g a litre	Brandy Alexander
Chocolate liqueur	About 17%	Opaque brown	At least 100g a litre	Chocolate Martini

Pale drinks call for white

The Grasshopper needs white to stay green, the Silk Stocking to stay pink and the Golden Cadillac to stay gold. The Alexander uses white with gin; the Brandy Alexander follows the IBA with dark, 30ml each of cognac, dark crème de cacao and cream, shaken very hard and double strained.

In a sour it rounds the lemon

The 20th Century puts 15ml of white crème de cacao with 45ml of gin, 22.5ml of Lillet Blanc and 22.5ml of lemon; the 21st Century swaps in blanco tequila and an absinthe rinse. In both the liqueur is the sweetener, so its sugar balances the lemon, and the chocolate stays in the background.

Using it

Using Crème de Cacao

Usage

Poured at 15 to 30ml: 30ml in the Alexander family, level with the spirit and cream; 20 to 22.5ml in the Grasshopper, Silk Stocking and 21st Century; 15ml in the 20th Century, where it rounds gin, Lillet and lemon. Use white unless the recipe names dark.

Pro Tip

In a sour such as the 20th Century, 15ml is enough. The cacao is there to round the lemon, and any more pushes the drink towards dessert.

Top Tips

Keep white if you keep one. It suits every pale drink and changes only the colour of a dark one.
Count it as sugar. At the 250g a litre that Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 sets as the floor, a 30ml pour carries 7.5g or more.
Shake its cream drinks very hard for 10 to 12 seconds and double strain them.
Store it at room temperature. Nothing in it needs the fridge.

Possible Substitutions

Chocolate Liqueur: Thicker and often milk-based: changes the texture
Chocolate Bitters: Aroma without sugar, in dashes: add syrup to compensate

Production Method

Cacao steeped in spirit and sweetened. White versions take their flavour from distilled cacao, which leaves them clear; dark versions keep the colour of the beans.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is the difference between white and dark crème de cacao?

Mostly colour. White is clear, made with distilled cacao, and tastes a little lighter; dark keeps the brown of the beans and is a shade richer. Use white in pale drinks such as the Grasshopper, Golden Cadillac and 20th Century. The IBA’s Brandy Alexander asks for dark.

Does crème de cacao contain cream?

No. Under Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, “crème de” in a liqueur’s name promises at least 250g of sugar a litre, against 100g for liqueurs in general, and it describes the thick texture that sugar gives. There is no dairy in it, and we keep it at room temperature once opened.

How strong is crème de cacao?

Usually 20 to 25% ABV; Giffard’s white is 25% on its maker’s site. Our recipes take 24%, so a 30ml pour in a Brandy Alexander adds about 0.7 UK units to the 1.2 from the cognac, about 1.9 in all.

Is crème de cacao the same as chocolate liqueur?

Not quite. Crème de cacao is a clear or brown cacao liqueur made for mixing, at 20 to 25%. Chocolate liqueur is usually thicker, often made with milk or cream, and around 17%. Our Chocolate Martini uses chocolate liqueur; the Alexander family uses crème de cacao.

Can I use dark crème de cacao instead of white?

In flavour, yes; in looks, no. Dark turns a Grasshopper muddy, a Silk Stocking brown and a 20th Century cloudy. If you keep only one bottle, keep white: it makes the pale drinks properly and a Brandy Alexander only a little paler.

Does crème de cacao go off once opened?

No. In our experience its sugar and alcohol preserve it, and it needs no fridge. Over a year or two the cocoa aroma softens, so a bottle open for years is worth tasting before it goes into an Alexander.

What drinks use crème de cacao?

In our recipes: the Brandy Alexander and the Alexander, the Golden Cadillac and the Grasshopper, the Silk Stocking, and two sours, the 20th Century and the 21st Century. Six of the seven use white.

Sources.

Correct as of 16 October 2026.

legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (retained)”.
Giffard, “Crème de Cacao (white)” (producer’s product page (25%)).

Make something

Made with Crème de Cacao

Featured In These Cocktails

Brandy Alexander 21st Century Golden Cadillac Grasshopper Alexander 20th Century

Show all 7 cocktails

Silk Stocking

Often Used With

Updated 16 October 2026

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