This homemade vanilla bean espresso martini is the perfect nightcap or after dinner cocktail. It only has 4 ingredients, well 7 if you’re making your own vanilla bean simple syrup, but you’ll be thankful that you did. Plus you won’t spend $15 a martini when you make your own at home.
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Tips for making:
- Make a homemade vanilla bean simple syrup. It has the word simple in it, because it’s really that simple. Slice open a vanilla bean and remove all of the seeds. Bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil. Stir to dissolve. Add the vanilla bean seeds and turn to a low boil for 10 minutes. Once the simple syrup is cooled you can strain through a cheesecloth and store this in the fridge up to a week. I like the look of the vanilla bean seeds so I only strain if there are large clumps. **I buy my Madagascar vanilla beans from Costco, but you could also get them from any grocery store.
- Use a double espresso to compliment the other flavors. I brew my own espresso at home with my Breville Barista Touch. I cannot recommend this machine enough. If you don’t have your own espresso machine, you could also use cold brew or extremely concentrated brewed coffee.
- The key to get a frothy espresso martini is to fill the cocktail shaker up with ice and shake the ingredients vigorously. You’ll end up with a nice frothy top like pictured below.
- Garnish with 3 coffee beans and shakeable chocolate topping. I always thought this meant good luck, but after doing proper research I found out that each bean has a meaning. Tradition holds that these three beans represent health, wealth and happiness.So I guess it’s still good luck, right? Did you already know this about the coffee beans?
- Serve this cocktail in a coupe glass. These are the glasses I used!
What coffee do you use to make espresso:
The easiest way is to use an espresso machine using whole bean coffee. I use my Breville Barista Touch which has a built-in coffee grinder. I have been buying an Organic Peru Blend (Medium Roast) from Costco. Let me know if you have any whole bean coffee suggestions that you think I should try.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. They’re certainly a trendy cocktail right now, but I can guarantee this will remain my drink of choice forever. CHEERS!
Coco’s Homemade Vanilla Bean Espresso Martini
Ingredients
Homemade Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Madagascar Vanilla Bean seeded
Coco's Espresso Martini
- 1 oz coffee liqueur
- 1.5 oz vanilla vodka
- 1 oz homemade vanilla bean simple syrup
- Double Espresso
Instructions
- First make the Homemade Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup. Cut the vanilla bean in half, remove the seeds and set aside. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add in vanilla bean seeds and boil on low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. [Optional: strain syrup mixture in cheesecloth to remove any vanilla bean clumps]. Pour into a glass container and store in the fridge up to a week.
- To make the espresso martini, add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker full of ice. Shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with shakeable chocolate topping. Enjoy!
I’d love to hear from you once you get the chance to make this recipe. Leave a comment below with your review or any modifications you made! And don’t forget to tag @rightbackspatula on Instagram if you take any pictures!
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