Sous Vide Kahlua

Take weeks off your brew time with this homemade sous vide Kahlua recipe. It’s filled with strong coffee, sugar, rum and a vanilla bean, you’ll love it for mixing drinks, baking, and gift-giving!

The case is starting to look like a dog-eared book. Well worn, well-loved, and well used. I didn’t know that you could crack the spine on a DVD case but here we are.

My favourite DVD has seen better days. I don’t know how, or when, or even why, but for years my favourite movie has been The Big Lebowski.

Bad day? The Dude’s got your back.
Good Day? Walter Sobchak’s antics can only make it better.
Saturday night and nothing to watch? You’re out of your element Donny.

This sous vide kahlua recipe is dedicated to my inner dudeness.

Looking down at all the ingredients needed for sous vide kahlua. A bottle of white Bacardi rum, a mug of coffee, a bowl of sugar and a vanilla bean.
Jump to:

Homemade Coffee Liqueur Tips & Tricks

No. 1 –> New to sous vide? Check out my comprehensive Sous Vide 101 guide!

No. 2 –> Don’t have a sous vide? You should get one! But you can make this recipe without it, I’ve included directions for both methods.

No. 3 –> Sous vide takes a 3-week project and turns it into a 3-hour one. Infusions are one of the best uses for sous vide!

No. 4 –> use the vanilla bean. This recipe is not the same without it – that said, vanilla bean paste would also work!

Key ingredients:

The ingredient list is short and sweet:

  • strong coffee: When I know I’m running low on Kahlua and decided to make another batch, I’ll just make a little larger pot of coffee in the morning!
  • sugar: In this recipe, white sugar is used as it’s perfect for lending sweetness without adding flavor.
  • white rum: My mom likes Bacardi so I like to keep a bottle on hand for when she’s visiting, but any decent white rum will work!
  • vanilla bean: I love using whole vanilla beans when I’m cooking or baking. Whole beans are incredible when steeped, like in my sous vide vanilla extract!

And damn delicious!

Pouring sugar into the hot coffee.

How to make sous vide kahlua

  1. If your coffee is cold, heat it up in the microwave until hot. Mix the sugar into the hot coffee – set aside to cool. The sugar may not completely dissolve, that’s ok. Set the coffee aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare your sous vide water bath. I used a large pot, and fill with hot tap water. Set circulator to 135f.
  3. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and cut into enough sections for the number of jars you’re using. (I used 3 500ml jars). Place one section of the vanilla bean into each jar.
  4. Once the coffee has cooled, add the rum and mix well to combine. Divide the coffee, sugar, rum mixture between your jars. Leaving 1 inch of headspace in each jar.
  5. Place lids on jars and spin the lids on finger-tight. Air needs to escape the jars while in the sous vide bath so not too tight!
  6. Place jars into sous vide bath and cook at 135f for 3 hours.
  7. Remove jars from the water bath and place them on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before straining out the vanilla bean.
A mason jar with rich, deep brown homemade kahlua being back lit by the sun.

Storage information

A long time. Like pretty much indefinitely – if it lasts that long! To be on the safe side, I’d say around a year.

There’s no need to keep this homemade Kahlua in the fridge. This easy-going recipe can be stored in a cool, dark liquor cabinet. That said, you can keep it in the fridge, like I do – for those moments that a Dudette just needs a Caucasian, man.

Mid-preparation of the Kahlua. The ingredients have been mixed, just about to pour them into the mason jars.

Substitutions

RUM: You can certainly swap out the rum, but I have only tested it with white rum. Dark or amber rum would be a quick and easy substitution.

SUGAR: This recipe could also be made with brown sugar, it would add more caramel flavor to the Kahlua.

Mixed ingredients poured into jars with drips around the table.

What does homemade Kaluha taste like?

This easy to make coffee liqueur tastes like strong coffee with a sweet alcohol punch. It can be drunk straight, mixed into drinks, or even whipped up into other recipes!

How to Make Homemade Kahlua Without A Sous Vide

This recipe can definitely be made at home without a sous vide, but be warned, it takes MUCH longer. The beauty of the sous vide method is that it takes a formerly 3-week process down to 3 hours.

If you are making it at home, you’ll follow all the same steps until you hit the sous vide part. Once it’s bottled up, place your jar(s) into a cool, dark cabinet. Once a week, give it a shake. And after 3 weeks, you’ll need to strain out the vanilla bean – save it for another baking project or add to your vanilla extract brew!

A stirred White RUssian cocktail in a short glass, with a jar of homemade kahlua in the background.

Looking for more great sous-vide recipes?

Instant Pot With Sous Vide Function

Follow all the same directions, BUT place your jar(s) on the trivet inside your Instant Pot. This keeps them off the hot base and allows water to circulate more freely around the jars during the infusion process.

If you love this recipe, please give it a star rating or leave a comment below! This helps me to create more content you enjoy!

📖 Printable Recipe

Pouring sous vide Kaluha into a glass with ice.

Sous Vide Kahlua Copycat

Allyson Letal
Got coffee? Got Rum? Try this homemade Kahlua recipe today! It's got a strong coffee flavour and sweet alcohol heat, you'll love it mixed in drinks, on the rocks, or as part of your baking.
4.34 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 20
Calories 210 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups strong brewed coffee
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups white rum
  • 1 vanilla bean

Instructions
 

  • If your 2 ½ cups strong brewed coffee is cold, heat it up in the microwave until hot. Mix t4 cups sugar into the hot coffee – set aside to cool. The sugar may not completely dissolve, that's ok. Set the coffee aside to cool.
  • Meanwhile, prepare your sous vide water bath. I used a large pot, and fill with hot tap water. Set circulator to 135f.
  • Slice t1 vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and cut into enough sections for the number of jars you're using. (I used 3 500ml jars). Place one section of the vanilla bean into each jar.
  • Once the coffee has cooled, add 2 cups white rum and mix well to combine. Divide the coffee, sugar, rum mixture between your jars. Leaving 1 inch of headspace in each jar.
  • Place lids on jars and spin the lids on finger-tight. Air needs to escape the jars while in the sous vide bath so not too tight!
  • Place jars into sous vide bath and cook at 135f for 3 hours.
  • Remove jars from the water bath and place them on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before straining out the vanilla bean.

Notes

Substitutions

RUM: You can certainly swap out the rum, but I have only tested it with white rum. Dark or amber rum would be a quick and easy substitution.
SUGAR: This recipe could also be made with brown sugar, it would add more caramel flavor to the Kahlua.

storage information

A long time. Like pretty much indefinitely – if it lasts that long! To be on the safe side, I’d say around a year
There’s no need to keep this homemade Kahlua in the fridge. This easy-going recipe can be stored in a cool, dark liquor cabinet.

instant pot with sous vide function

Follow all the same directions, BUT place your jar(s) on the trivet inside your Instant Pot. This keeps them off the hot base and allows water to circulate more freely around the jars during the infusion process.

Nutrition

Serving: 11/4 cupCalories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 0.04gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.001gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.001gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.004gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 16mgSugar: 40gCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.03mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Pin this copycat Kahlua recipe for later!

Super Easy Sous Vide Kahlua pinterest graphic.

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12 Comments

    1. @Ally,
      I just came here to ask the same question. I’m gonna try it. I can’t have the sugar but this recipe and a sous vide lemon jello recipe I found leaves me curious and wanting to try. 😊

  1. I am in the proc of making righ Now and the SUGAR is not MIXING all the way there is aloT of sugar in the BOTTOM of the Jar.

    1. Is your coffee warm or hot? it helps dissolve the sugar faster. It does take a little bit of whisking. If you find it’s not all the way mixed in, allow the coffee to cool then add the rum and whisk some more! If there is some sugar grit at the end, it’s ok, once heated in the SV it will dissolve

  2. This sounds delicious! I am enjoying trying tons of different types of recipes with my Sous Vide. Could this be made in a big ziplog bag and then poured into small bottles afterwards, or do you recommend only using the canning jars?

    1. I like canning jars because I’ve got tons of them here! They’re great for cooking in and storage. That said, you can totally use a ziplock bag! I’d make sure it’s a thick freezer style one, and maybe double bag it just in case.

      To get the air out, leave a small opening at the top of the bag and when you lower it into the water bath all the air will be pushed out. 🙂

  3. Hello – Can you transfer the contents to a more suitable jar for pouring and storing afterwards?