Apricot Brandy substitute

Best substitute

Apricot preserves thinned with brandy

2 tbsp sieved warm preserves plus 1 tbsp brandy replaces 3 tbsp apricot brandy

Best for cake glazes

Different texture

This is the closest thing to real apricot you can get, and in a glaze it is often better than the bottle because the pectin in the jam helps it set to a shine.

Other apricot brandy substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Peach schnapps
Different taste
Use the same amount
Peach reads as apricot's rounder, softer cousin, and peach schnapps has a similar sugar level and a similar stone-fruit aroma.
What changes
Best for
cocktails, tiki drinks, punches, cake soaks, fruit salads
Noticeably candy-sweet and less tart than apricot, so a drink comes out a little flabby. A squeeze of lemon juice, about a quarter teaspoon per ounce, restores the sharpness apricot naturally has.
3Cointreau or triple sec
Different taste
Use the same amount
Orange rather than stone fruit, but the same job: bright sweetness, a fruit aroma and enough alcohol to lift the other flavours.
What changes
Best for
tiki drinks, cocktails with citrus, cake soaks, cream fillings
The drink or dessert will taste clearly of orange peel instead of apricot. In a Fogcutter or a Pendennis Club style drink that already has lemon and gin in it, most people would not flag it. In an apricot tart glaze it is the wrong flavour.
4Brandy plus apricot nectar and a little sugar
Close match
1 tbsp brandy plus 1 tbsp apricot nectar plus ½ tsp sugar replaces 2 tbsp apricot brandy
A straight rebuild: spirit for the warmth, nectar for the fruit, sugar for the body a liqueur has and a spirit does not.
What changes
Best for
cocktails, baking, poaching liquids, marinades, sauces
The closest match on flavour of any option here, and it works in clear drinks as long as the nectar is a clear one. Dissolve the sugar into the nectar first or you will get grit at the bottom of the glass.
5Amaretto
Different taste
Use about ¾ the amount
Amaretto's almond-and-marzipan flavour overlaps with apricot because apricot kernels carry the same bitter-almond note.
What changes
Best for
baking, almond and apricot tarts, whipped cream, glazes on dark cake
Much sweeter and much more almond-forward, hence the reduced measure. It works surprisingly well anywhere apricot and almond already appear together, such as a frangipane tart, and badly in a savoury glaze.
6Reduced apricot nectar (non-alcoholic)
Close match
Use the same amount
Simmer apricot nectar or thinned apricot preserves until it has reduced by about half, so it is concentrated and slightly syrupy.
What changes
Best for
alcohol-free baking, glazes, mocktails, sauces, cooking for children
Fruit flavour is excellent and it glazes well. What is missing is the alcohol, which normally carries aroma and keeps a glaze from tasting purely of jam. Add a quarter teaspoon of lemon juice per quarter cup to keep it from tasting flat and cloying.

What is Apricot Brandy?

Apricot Brandy is Apricot brandy is a sweet amber apricot liqueur, usually made by flavouring a brandy or neutral spirit base rather than by distilling apricots, so it is sugary rather than dry.

Cooking tips

In a glaze, the sugar is doing the work, not the alcohol. That is why sieved apricot preserves are the strongest substitute for apricot brandy in baking and why a straight spirit like plain brandy on its own will not set or shine.
In older cocktail recipes, apricot brandy is usually there for body as well as flavour. It is thick and sweet, and if you replace it with a dry spirit the drink will feel thin even if the flavour is right. Add a bar spoon of simple syrup to compensate.
Bottles labelled apricot flavoured brandy are liqueurs at roughly 20 to 35 per cent alcohol. A genuine apricot eau-de-vie is dry and around 40 per cent. If you are handed the dry version, add about a teaspoon of sugar per tablespoon to make it behave like the liqueur a recipe expects.
For a savoury dish such as a lamb tagine or a glazed ham, skip the liqueur substitutes and use chopped dried apricots plus a spoonful of honey and a splash of stock. The liqueur would push the dish toward dessert.
Apricot glaze goes on warm and thin, and it goes on before any icing. Brush it while the cake is still slightly warm so it soaks in a little and gives the icing something to grip.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave apricot brandy out?

In baking, usually yes, with a small loss. If the recipe uses a tablespoon or two to brush a cake or flavour a filling, replace it with the same volume of apricot nectar or water so the crumb stays moist. In a cocktail it is normally a main flavour and one of only three or four ingredients, so leaving it out gives you an unbalanced drink; substitute instead.

Is apricot brandy the same as apricot liqueur?

In practice, yes. Almost everything sold as apricot brandy is legally and technically a liqueur: a sweetened spirit with apricot flavour, often with a brandy base. Apricot liqueur, apricot flavoured brandy and creme d'abricot are all the same category and can be swapped 1:1. The exception is apricot eau-de-vie, which is a dry distilled spirit and needs sugar added to stand in.

What should I use for a Sachertorte-style apricot layer?

Apricot preserves warmed and sieved, no substitute needed. The apricot layer in that style of cake is jam, not liqueur, and the liqueur only appears in some versions as a splash to loosen the jam. A tablespoon of hot water or plain brandy does the loosening perfectly well.

Can I use fresh apricots instead?

Not directly, because fresh apricots are mostly water and much less sweet, so they will not glaze and they will not carry flavour the way the liqueur does. If fresh apricots are what you have, cook them down with sugar into a quick jam first, then sieve it. That gives you something that behaves like the liqueur in a glaze or filling.

How long does an open bottle last?

Years. High sugar and moderate alcohol make it stable, so a bottle bought for one recipe will still be good next time. The aroma dulls slowly over several years, which matters for sipping but rarely for baking. Keep it upright in a cool cupboard rather than on top of the stove.

Related substitutes

More liquor substitutes

Apricot Brandy substitute

Other apricot brandy substitutes

2Peach schnapps

3Cointreau or triple sec

4Brandy plus apricot nectar and a little sugar

5Amaretto

6Reduced apricot nectar (non-alcoholic)