What Is Cointreau and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with cointreau? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it — with 16 recipes to put it to work.

Recipes using cointreau

There are 16 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Kiwi Sorbet

Kiwi sorbet made with puréed fresh kiwis, a vanilla bean simple syrup, and a squeeze of lemon. Optional Cointreau for grown-up flavor, plus a Champagne variation.

Cranberry Cosmos

A batch cranberry cosmopolitan you mix by the pitcher, vodka, cranberry, lime, and Cointreau with a fresh ginger kick. Shake to frosty, strain into a sugar-rimmed glass, and serve a crowd.

Apple Grape Berry Pie (Healthier Version)

Instead of store-bought pie crust, we made our own with most whole wheat flour and olive oil, which made the crust a lot healthier with flaky texture and delicious flavor. Now enjoy this juicy-fruity pie without feeling guilty at all.

Creole Christmas Cake

This very rich cake from the West Indies is ideal for those who prefer not to ice their Christmas cakes.

Orange, Grapefruit Marmalade

Orange, grapefruit, and lime marmalade: a bittersweet three-citrus preserve with fine ribbons of peel suspended in a glossy set, brightened with a splash of Cointreau. Homemade for the toast lovers.

My Light Cheesecake

A lighter cheesecake made with blended cottage cheese instead of cream cheese, finished with a tangy yogurt topping. Higher in protein, lower in fat, and easy to make sugar-free.

Torta Divina(Chocolate Mousse Cake with Liqueur)

Torta Divina is a rich Italian flourless chocolate cake laced with Cointreau, baked in a water bath, and finished with whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Gluten-free by nature.

Salt-Smothered Chicken

Salt-smothered chicken buried in a bed of red-hot rock salt with ginger, tangerine peel, and Szechuan peppercorn marinade sealed in the cavity. An ancient Cantonese technique that steams the bird to silken tenderness.

Josh's Margarita Liqueur

Homemade margarita liqueur infused with orange and lime zest spirals in silver tequila with Cointreau. Sip it straight, over ice, or use it as a pre-mixed cocktail base.

Orange Truffles

Chocolate orange truffles with semi-sweet chocolate, Cointreau, orange marmalade, and chopped almonds. A no-bake French-style candy rolled by hand, ideal for holiday gift boxes.

Fresh Strawberry Pie Glace

Fresh strawberry pie glace with whole berries macerated in Cointreau under a homemade strawberry glaze. Topped with sweetened whipped cream for a stunning no-bake filling.

Pineapple-Mint Sorbet

Pineapple mint sorbet blends fresh pineapple, orange juice, lime, and mint into a smooth, tangy frozen dessert. A light palate cleanser or refreshing warm-weather finish, no ice cream maker required.

Small Chickens Marinated in Tequila & Lime

Spatchcocked Cornish game hens marinated in tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and garlic then roasted until golden and crispy. A showstopper dinner with serious fiesta flair.

Orange Almond Cheesecake

Orange almond cheesecake with Amaretto, Cointreau, and fresh orange juice in a graham-almond crust, topped with a gelatin-set Cointreau whipped cream. Truly decadent.

Orange Almond Cheesecake

Orange almond cheesecake with Amaretto, Cointreau, and fresh orange juice in a graham-almond crust, topped with a gelatin-set Cointreau whipped cream. Truly decadent.

Sangria Serrano

Big-batch Spanish sangria built on red Burgundy, light rum, vodka, Cointreau and a fruit haul of pineapple, apples, oranges and limes. Party punch for 24.

All 16 recipes