Carrot Cake Shot

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 04/16/21
Carrot Cake Shots

S&C Design Studios
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 2 shots
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
216 Calories
3g Fat
26g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 216
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 35mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 58mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

You don't need a single carrot to make carrot cake shots. This simple recipe is one of those magical mixes that bartenders love to create out of common bar ingredients. Just like the chocolate cake shooter, this one-sip drink tastes like its namesake dessert thanks to the combination of liqueurs.

The recipe mixes cinnamon and butterscotch schnapps, Irish cream, and coffee liqueur in equal parts. It's incredibly easy and you'll be surprised at how closely it resembles a real carrot cake. To top off the experience, you can even add a cream cheese frosting and crushed walnut rim to the glasses.

Ingredients

  • Cream cheese frosting, for rimming

  • Crushed walnuts, for rimming

  • 1 ounce butterscotch schnapps

  • 1 ounce coffee liqueur

  • 1 ounce Irish cream

  • 1 ounce cinnamon schnapps

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for a Carrot Cake Shot
    S&C Design Studios

  2. Dip the rim of each shot glass in a mound of cream cheese frosting and twist it to get an even coat. Then, dip the rim into a pile of crushed walnuts. While still holding the glass upside down, shake off any excess nuts.

    Rimming Shot Glasses With Cream Cheese Frosting and Crushed Walnuts
    S&C Design Studios

  3. In a cocktail shaker, pour the liqueurs. Fill with ice.

    Mixing Carrot Cake Shots
    S&C Design Studios

  4. Shake very well.

    Shaking the Carrot Cake Shooter
    S&C Design Studios

  5. Strain into the prepared glasses. Serve and enjoy.

    Carrot Cake Shooters
    S&C Design Studios

Tips

  • The recipe makes two 2-ounce shots, so it's perfect for tall shot glasses. Smaller ones may hold just 1 ounce each, which means you can get four shooters out of one shaker.
  • Chopped and whole walnuts are easy to find in the baking section of most grocery stores. For rimming, you'll want to crush them into finer pieces. The easiest way is to add some walnuts to a plastic or cloth bag, then whack them with a muddler, rolling pin, or hammer. Some electric coffee grinders may work as well.
  • For the liqueurs, you have many brand options. The most popular choices are Kahlua for the coffee, Buttershots for the butterscotch schnapps, and Bailey's for the Irish cream.
  • Goldschläger, on the other hand, is one of the best options for the cinnamon schnapps. Many of the other options, such as Hot Damn and After Shock, will be too bold and sweet to pull off the desired cake-like taste.

Recipe Variations

  • If you or anyone who is going to drink this shot has an allergy to nuts, skip the walnuts! The cream cheese rim is delicious on its own.
  • The carrot cake shot is a popular bar drink, so the recipes can vary. One of the most common variations is to skip the coffee liqueur. If you do this, increase the volume of the other three liqueurs, keeping them equal. For instance, pour 1 1/3 ounces of each to get the same volume for the recipe's two tall shots.

How Strong Is the Carrot Cake Shot?

  • The carrot cake shooter is not the strongest shot you can mix up. Using the most popular brands of each liqueur, this drink has an alcohol content around 22 percent ABV (44 proof). That's about average for delicious liqueur-only shots.

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