Koekie
The Dutch caramel liqueur created in a Nijmegen café that was only considered good enough after twenty-five recipes. Everything about the alcohol percentage, flavor and the glass it should be served in.
Twenty-five recipes before it was right
Koekie is a Dutch liqueur with the flavor of caramel, created at Café de Fuik in Nijmegen. It started as an experiment behind the bar, and it took twenty-five recipes before the result was considered good enough to bring to market. Since then, the bottle has appeared in more and more Dutch cafés, usually in the fridge alongside the other shots.
At 14.7%, Koekie is one of the lightest bottles on the shelf: lower than young jenever, lower than most shots and even lower than a cream liqueur like Baileys. That makes it approachable, but also dangerously sweet; it goes down like a dessert. The liqueur is made by FLS Company International in Capelle aan den IJssel.
In brief
Koekie and similar sweet liqueurs
There is only one bottle of Koekie. These liqueurs are in the same category: sweet, low in alcohol and meant to be served ice-cold.
Koekie
The caramel liqueur itself: sweet, creamy and with a slightly salty edge. The lowest alcohol percentage in this lineup.
Licor 43 Speculoos
Spanish liqueur with speculoos spices. Of all the bottles here, this one is closest to a real cookie.
Baileys Salted Caramel
Cream liqueur with salted caramel. Fuller and thicker than Koekie because it contains real cream.
Licor 43
The Spanish classic with vanilla and citrus, and more than twice the strength. Spicier and less sweet on the palate.
Koekie if you want to serve something light and sweet; Licor 43 if you want to mix with it.
Sweet caramel with a salty edge
Caramel & butter
Distinctly caramel, with a buttery, almost toffee-like note underneath. You can barely smell the alcohol.
Sweet and soft
Full and very sweet, with caramel and a hint of salt that keeps it from becoming too much. At 14.7%, there is no alcoholic bite.
Short and sticky
A short, sweet finish that lingers. Serving it ice-cold helps: the cold noticeably tempers the sweetness.
Koekie's flavor profile. Licor 43 scores higher on spice and strength; Baileys Salted Caramel is creamier and slightly less sweet.
Three ways to drink Koekie
Sweet liqueurs need to be chilled. Put the bottle in the refrigerator or freezer and never pour it at room temperature.
Ice-cold as a shot
3 cl straight from the freezer in a small shot glass. This is what the bottle was made for: the cold takes the edge off the sharpest sweetness and keeps it thick and creamy on the palate.
Glass: shot glass →With prosecco or champagne
1.5 cl in a flute, topped up with ice-cold prosecco. The bubbles cut through the sweetness, leaving you with a light, caramel-like aperitif.
Champagne cocktail →Over ice cream or in coffee
A splash over vanilla ice cream or in black coffee instead of sugar. The caramel dissolves beautifully, and you won't need dessert afterward.
Coffee cocktails →Cocktails with Koekie
A liqueur this sweet should be used sparingly: as a small part of a cocktail, not as the base.
Making shots
The complete collection of shot recipes, from layered to ice-cold straight from the freezer.
Dutch Apple Pie Shot
The best-known Dutch shot. Adding Koekie makes it even more dessert-like.
Espresso Martini
Vodka, espresso, and coffee liqueur. A splash of Koekie makes it sweeter and creamier.
Mudslide
Vodka, coffee liqueur and cream liqueur. Koekie fits right in.The right glass for Koekie
A small shot glass from the freezer, or a liqueur glass if you serve it at the table. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Koekie
Is your question not listed? View our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →