25 Classic Amaretto Cocktails

These 25 amaretto cocktails will surely tantalize your tastebuds.

Whether you’re new to the world of mixology or just want to reacquaint yourself with cocktail recipes, you’ve come to the right place.

Amaretto is an Italian liqueur with sweet vanilla & nutty almond flavors.

This versatile aperitif goes well with dark spirits such as brandy & whiskey and white spirits like gin & vodka.

It’s used in hot & cold cocktails alike and tastes great with both fruits & coffee too.

Basically, there’s nothing amaretto can’t do! And this collection of amaretto recipes will bring out the cocktail connoisseur in you. 

Get your cocktail glasses, shakers, and jiggers ready, and let’s make your bartending dreams come true. 

Amaretto Cocktails & Drink Recipes

1. Classic Amaretto Sour

The amaretto sour is arguably the most popular amaretto-based cocktail.

It’s a simple, 3-ingredient blend that combines amaretto, sweet & sour mix, and lemon-lime soda.

It produces a crisp, bright, and sour drink with hints of nutty almonds and citrus. 

As popular as it is today, the amaretto sour actually goes way back to the 1970s. Sadly, no one knows who to thank for this delicious drink.

Ingredients: Amaretto liqueur, sweet & sour mix, Sprite, cherries & orange slices

2. Amaretto Sidecar

The Sidecar is a classic cocktail made with cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. 

It’s an undeniably strong drink, and since I no longer have the same high alcohol tolerance as I did when I was younger, this version has become my go-to recipe. 

Here, amaretto is swapped out for cognac, giving the Sidecar some nuttiness and a milder punch.

I’m thinking this will also be perfect for moms and dads. Party responsibly, am I right?

Ingredients: amaretto, orange liqueur, lemon juice, orange slices

3. Blood Orange Amaretto Cocktails

If you like cocktail recipes that aren’t overly sweet, this one might just become your new favorite.

This cocktail is a blend of vodka, amaretto, blood orange juice, and lemon syrup.

Think amaretto sour with a citrus twist – a bloody good one!

The blood oranges give the cocktail hints of citrus sweetness that only complement, not overpower.

In short, this cocktail is still very amaretto sour, just leveled up with oranges.

Ingredients: amaretto, vodka, lemon syrup, blood orange juice, sparkling water

4. Amaretto Coffee

Coffee and amaretto will go down in history as one of the best flavor pairings ever. Let this amaretto coffee be Exhibit A.

In this recipe, you’ll give your everyday coffee an exciting spin with a shot of amaretto.

It’s my favorite way of transforming a regular cup of joe into a cozy holiday drink,

If you want to be extra about it, finish it off with some whipped cream on top. That’s the stuff.

Ingredients: amaretto, coffee, whipped cream, cinnamon

5. Amaretto Aloha Cocktail

Sail through Hawaii and feel the ocean breeze with the amaretto aloha. One sip of this cocktail will make you go ooh la la! 

A mix of pineapple juice, cranberry juice, and amaretto, this light and refreshing cocktail will whisk you away to the tropics in an instant. 

This is the kind of drink that goes down easy, so don’t be surprised if you have a few too many. Honestly, though, it’s worth the hangover.

Ingredients: amaretto, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, ice

6. Coconut Amaretto Cocktail

If you like anything that has coconut in it, well, then, this drink will get you hooked.

Coconut cream, coconut rum, and coconut water team up with amaretto to create an undeniably coconut-forward cocktail.

Just a disclaimer, though: there are several little-known ingredients on this list, including orgeat syrup and tangelo. 

You can find these at specialty stores, but don’t worry, you can easily swap them out for more common pantry ingredients.

Ingredients: Amaretto liqueur, orgeat syrup, coconut cream, coconut rum, coconut water, ice, tangelo slice

7. Sweet and Sour Amaretto Orange Cocktail

Sweet and sour flavors combine to produce a taste bud-tingling experience. This recipe is a fun, citrus twist on the classic amaretto sour!

Just like a traditional amaretto sour, this drink uses amaretto and sweet & sour mix. But instead of lemon-lime soda, orange juice is added to the mix.

The resulting cocktail is a bright and sour treat that’s just as tasty as you imagine it to be. 

It’s a super quick and easy recipe, to boot. Simply shake it up, pour it down, and sip away.

Ingredients: Amaretto liqueur, orange juice, sweet & sour mix, ice, orange slice

8. Amaretto Julep

This amaretto julep is the love child of a Godfather and mint julep. It’s just as easy to make as both cocktail recipes, but so much more enjoyable, in my opinion.

A Mint Julep contains whiskey, mint, sugar, and ice. A Godfather, on the other hand, is an old-fashioned mix of just whiskey and amaretto.

For this recipe, you’ll combine scotch whiskey, amaretto, bitters, and mint, creating a mash-up your taste buds won’t soon forget.

The sweetness and nuttiness from the amaretto pair beautifully with scotch whiskey.

The cardamom bitters offset the bitterness of the scotch whiskey and offer some spice and fragrant floral notes as well.

Ingredients: bourbon or blended scotch whiskey, amaretto, cardamom bitters, mint & almond biscotti

9. Eggnog Amaretto Cocktail

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way is there to get into the holiday spirit than with a glass of eggnog?

Spike your eggnog with a splash of amaretto to make it even more fun and festive.

Then, sprinkle some nutmeg on top and rim the glass with cinnamon sugar for extra holiday cheer.

These may be simple additions, but they make a big difference. Just be sure to keep this spiked version away from the kids!

Ingredients: Amaretto liqueur, eggnog, ice

10. Strawberry Amaretto Smash

Fresh strawberries and nutty roasted almonds unite to make this refreshing drink. This cocktail is what summer dreams are made of.

It may seem overwhelmingly sweet, but don’t be fooled.

With a perfect blend of simple syrup, lemon juice, amaretto, and rum, this cocktail has just the right balance of flavors. 

It’s wonderfully sweet, mildly sour, and bursting with a sweet strawberry aroma and taste.

It’s garnished with some mint sprigs, as well, to make it even more refreshing.

Ingredients: Amaretto liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, strawberries, aged rum, mint

11. Very Cherry Amaretto Sour

Cherry juice and grenadine add extra depth and flavor to the classic amaretto sour.

If you’re not too fond of the rather sour amaretto sour, give the very cherry amaretto sour a go.

We all know almonds and cherries are a tried and tested tandem, so it only makes sense to combine them in a cocktail.

The grenadine counterbalances the sharp sour flavor of the cherry syrup and sweet and sour mix.

Together, they’re a perfect combination.

Ingredients: amaretto, sweet & sour mix, grenadine, tart cherry juice, ice

12. Dirty Dr. Pepper Cocktail

The Dirty Dr. Pepper tastes like a delicious, booze-infused Dr. Pepper, only, it doesn’t contain Dr. Pepper. 

Surprised? Me too. 

The Dirty Dr. Pepper cocktail contains amaretto, cinnamon alcohol, and… wait for it… Coca-Cola. 

It’s an ironic name, for sure, but to be fair, the resulting cocktail does taste similar to Dr. Pepper.

But don’t take my word for it. Try it and let me know if you agree.

Ingredients: amaretto, cinnamon alcohol, Coke, beer

13. Italian Margarita

Give your Mexican margarita an Italian twist with just a splash of amaretto! Trust me, the flavor combination is out-of-this-world delightful.

In this version of the classic margarita, tequila and lime juice are mixed with orange juice (instead of triple sec) and amaretto to make the perfect blend.

It’s sweeter than regular margaritas, and also has a nice hint of roasted almond flavor. Italy and Mexico, for the win.

Ingredients: amaretto, tequila, orange juice, lime juice

14. Nilla Wafer Martini

The Nilla Wafer martini is exactly what you’d expect it to be: delicious Nilla wafers in cocktail form.

The cocktail has a wonderful combination of vanilla and amaretto, which it gets from vanilla vodka and amaretto.

There are no other components besides these two, so the flavors from both ingredients really shine through.

While considered a dessert cocktail, it’s not overpoweringly sweet. Rather, it’s a mild and delightful pre-dinner aperitif or a post-meal palate cleanser.

Ingredients: amaretto, vanilla vodka

15. Godfather Cocktail

The Godfather is a sweet and sophisticated cocktail you can’t refuse.

It’s a mix of scotch whisky and amaretto served on the rocks.

As simple as it is, it has a wonderful sweet almond and smoky whisky flavor combination that’s truly impossible to say no to.

Did you know how this cocktail got its name?

Apparently, it’s the favorite drink of Marlon Brando, who we all know played the role of Don Corleone in The Godfather films.

Ingredients: amaretto, scotch whisky

16. The Godmother

If you’re more of a vodka person, then try the Godmother instead. This spin-off to the classic Godfather uses a blend of vodka (instead of scotch whisky) and amaretto.

Naturally, it has a similarly sweet, roasted almond flavor.

But instead of the smoky undertones from whisky, you’ll get subtle notes of citrus and spice from the vodka.

Ingredients: amaretto, vodka

17. Amaretto by Morning

Say hello to what could possibly be your newest favorite brunch companion!

If you’re getting bored with the usual mimosas and sangrias, the amaretto by morning is a must-try.

This cocktail is made of amaretto, apple juice, and frozen peaches. It may seem like an unusual combination, but the result is nothing short of perfection.

What an easy recipe it is, as well. Just pulse all three ingredients in a blender and get an incredibly fruity, nutty, and refreshing cocktail.

Ingredients: amaretto, apple juice, peaches

18. Amaretto Cranberry Kiss

If you enjoy the Cape Cod cocktail – a mix of vodka and cranberry juice, then you’ll definitely love the amaretto cranberry kiss.

Combining the flavors of amaretto, cranberry juice, and fresh orange juice, this cocktail couldn’t be more flavorful. 

You’ll get subtle notes of sweet roasted almond goodness from the amaretto, sour flavor from the cranberry, and a bright and citrusy taste from the orange juice.

Each element has something wonderful to offer, and together, they create a beautiful flavor harmony.

Ingredients: amaretto, cranberry juice, orange juice, ice, clementines

19. Amaretto Stinger

The amaretto stinger is a blend of white creme de menthe and amaretto. It’s a nutty spin on the classic stinger, which is a combination of creme de menthe and brandy.

The cocktail goes all the way back to the 1890s and remained widely known until the 1970s.

It was most popular during the American Prohibition since creme de menthe could greatly disguise the taste of low-quality brandies available during the period. 

Ingredients: amaretto, white creme de menthe, amaretto almond liqueur

20. Apricot Amaretto Cocktail

Did you know that certain amarettos derive their nutty taste from apricot pits? No wonder mixing the two together makes such fantastic flavor!

Don’t believe me? Let this cocktail be the proof. 

Made from a blend of fresh apricots, amaretto, lemon juice, sugar, and oregano, this cocktail is truly one of a kind. 

Pro-tip: Let the mixture sit for at least 2 hours for the flavors to marry.

Ingredients: amaretto, apricots, sugar, water, lemon juice, oregano

21. Amaretto Sunrise

I think we can all agree that this cocktail is almost too pretty to drink. Those ombre hues are such a sight to behold.

But don’t let that stop you from taking a sip… you know… once you’ve taken the pics.

The amaretto sunrise is a blend of amaretto, peach nectar, peach schnapps, and grenadine.

Think classic tequila sunrise, but with a peachy and nutty twist. That said, if peaches are your favorite, don’t pass up on this one.

Ingredients: amaretto, peach schnapps, peach nectar, grenadine ice

22. Snowball

Calling all dessert lovers: say hello to your new favorite cocktail.

How can anyone resist the charm of this stunning, snowy beverage? It looks so dainty and decadent in its all-white gloriousness.

A thick and creamy blend of amaretto, vanilla ice cream, and milk, this is the ultimate milkshake for adults.

While it may be for grown-ups, though, trust that one sip will bring out the kid in you.

Ingredients: amaretto, milk, vanilla ice cream

23. Banana Amaretto Cocktail

Bananas, coffee, booze, and almonds join forces to make a delicious frozen drink.

The banana and amaretto cocktail is a creamy drink made of Baileys, banana liqueur, amaretto, cream, and milk.

How incredibly decadent does that sound? I’m already drooling just thinking about it. It makes me want the weekend to come even sooner!

Ingredients: amaretto, banana liqueur, Baileys, double cream, milk

24. Amaretto Orange Margarita

Margarita, but make it orange. Mmm, I’ll have some of that!

Trust me, you’ll love the fun and festive spin the amaretto and orange juice combo adds to the classic margarita.

The sweet, nutty taste of the amaretto plus the bright, citrusy goodness of the orange juice adds a magical twist to your margarita.

Ingredients: amaretto, tequila, orange juice, lime juice, salt or sugar

25. Bocce Ball

With this bright and beautiful bocce ball, it’s happy hour, indeed.

Vodka, amaretto, orange juice, and soda water unite to create this refreshing summer drink. 

The combination of almonds and citrus creates playful flavors, while some soda water adds a nice, bubbly twist.

Together, they make the drink uniquely delicious.

Ingredients: amaretto, vodka, orange juice, soda water, orange slice