The Boerenjongens recipe
for a 2-liter preserving jar
Rinse the raisins in a sieve under cold running water and let them drain.
Bring the water, rock sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon peel to a boil and let the sugar dissolve completely.
Add the raisins, simmer gently for 5 minutes until they swell, then let everything cool completely.
Spoon the raisins with the syrup and cinnamon stick into a 2-liter preserving jar rinsed with boiling water, leaving the lemon peel behind, and pour in the brandy.
Close the jar and store it in a cool, dark place for at least 6 weeks; during the first week, swirl the jar every few days so the sugar distributes evenly.
Spoon a tablespoon of raisins with some liquid into a liqueur glass per person and serve with a small spoon.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is all it takes. If you’d like to add something, we’ll read it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the Boerenjongens recipe to your own email so you’ll have it at hand when you’re ready to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code when you spend €50 or more, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Raisins steeped in brandy are associated with the north of the Netherlands. In Friesland and Groningen, they were served on special occasions in a silver brandy bowl, a shallow bowl with two handles. At the birth of a child or at a wedding, the bowl was passed around and each guest took a spoonful; in Friesland, that sip at a birth was called the poppeslok. Silver brandy bowls have existed since the seventeenth century, and you can tell where they come from by the handles: Frisian bowls have horizontal handles, while Groningen bowls have upright handles. Special wedding and birth spoons accompanied them. Besides the raisin version, there is also a variant with apricots, called boerenmeisjes. Nowadays, you can buy both ready-made in a jar, but preserving them yourself takes half an hour, and you can decide how sweet and how strong they will be.
The right glass
Serve Boerenjongens in a small stemmed glass, such as an 8 cl liqueur glass. It holds exactly one tablespoon of raisins with a splash of the liquid, and the stem makes a spoonful of raisins instantly feel festive. Choose a model with a bowl that is not too narrow, as you eat them with a small spoon, and place that spoon alongside it right away. In the past, a silver bowl was passed around; now everyone gets their own little glass. View our liqueur glasses.
RCR Adagio Liqueur Glass 8 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco America'20S Cordinal Liqueur Glass 8 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tools
For Boerenjongens, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, and a nutmeg grater. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 87,80.
What do you use to make Boerenjongens?
To make Boerenjongens, you need brandy. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Make boerenmeisjes the same way with 500 grams of dried apricots, cut into pieces. Use rum instead of brandy to make rum raisins, with the flavor of rum-raisin ice cream. Cognac makes them fuller and rounder. A vanilla pod or a star anise in the jar adds a festive note. The liquid itself is a liqueur: a splash of it in mulled wine or Bisschopswijn makes it warmer and sweeter.
Servingtip
Take the jar out of the cellar an hour before serving, so you can taste the cinnamon better. Delicious with coffee after Christmas dinner, or served warm over a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a dessert glass.
Good to know
Making boerenjongens: why you boil the raisins first
Raisins are dried and absorb liquid. If you briefly boil them in the sugar syrup first, they swell with water and sugar instead of pure brandy, and become soft and juicy. Sugar also dissolves much better in hot water than in cold alcohol. Let the raisins cool completely before adding the brandy: if you pour alcohol over warm raisins, some of it will evaporate. Rinse the raisins beforehand, because they often have a thin layer of oil on them that makes the liquid cloudy.
Which brandy do you use for boerenjongens?
Dutch brandy is a colorless, lightly spiced drink made from neutral alcohol, unlike cognac, which is distilled from wine. You can also find it as preserving brandy, specifically intended for boerenjongens and boerenmeisjes. Vieux, the Dutch counterpart to cognac, gives the liquid a darker color and a hint of caramel. Cognac or brandy makes them fuller, but is really an unnecessary extravagance. Whichever bottle you choose, do not add extra water, because the alcohol is what keeps the raisins preserved for months.
How long should boerenjongens steep?
At least six weeks. After two weeks, the raisins are already soft, but at that point you mainly taste separate brandy with sweet raisins. Between six weeks and three months, the sugar, cinnamon, and alcohol meld together, giving the liquid a rounded, almost liqueur-like flavor. After that, they only get better. Store the jar somewhere cool and dark, not in the refrigerator or on the windowsill. So if you want to serve them at Christmas, start them by mid-November at the latest; for Saint Nicholas, that means mid-October.
Storing boerenjongens
An unopened jar of boerenjongens keeps for years, as long as it is stored somewhere cool and dark. Once opened, it will last for months if you do two things: always use a clean spoon and make sure the raisins stay submerged. If they rise above the liquid, add a little brandy. Over time, sugar may crystallize on the bottom; this does not mean it has spoiled, just stir it back in. If you fill small jars to give away, put the preserving date on the label.
What do you use boerenjongens for?
Traditionally, you eat them with a small spoon from a liqueur glass, with the liquid alongside them. But they can do more. Spoon them warm over vanilla ice cream, stir them into yogurt or quark, or serve them alongside a board of mature and aged cheese. In many pancake restaurants, they are a standard topping. A Dutch classic is advocaat with whipped cream and a spoonful of boerenjongens on top. If you enjoy egg-based drinks, serve them alongside a glass of Eggnog. They also make a difference in a Christmas cake or bread pudding.
Boerenjongens without alcohol
Authentic alcohol-free boerenjongens do not exist, because the brandy is what keeps them good for months. However, you can soak raisins in the same way in a syrup made from apple juice and cinnamon tea with lemon peel. Let them infuse overnight and store them in the refrigerator; they should be eaten within a week. They taste sweet and spicy, but lack the warm glow. For children at a birthday party or with coffee, they are a great alternative. Find other alcohol-free drinks in our mocktails.
Frequently asked questions
What are boerenjongens?
Boerenjongens are raisins preserved in brandy with sugar and usually cinnamon. They are an old tradition from Friesland and Groningen, where they were passed around at births and weddings. You eat them with a small spoon from a little glass and drink the sweet liquid alongside them. The version made with apricots is called boerenmeisjes.
How do you make boerenjongens?
Cook 500 grams of rinsed raisins for 5 minutes in a syrup made from 25 cl water, 250 grams of rock sugar, one cinnamon stick, and a strip of lemon peel. Let everything cool completely, transfer it to a clean preserving jar, pour in 70 cl brandy, and leave the jar to infuse in a cool, dark place for at least six weeks.
How long do boerenjongens keep?
An unopened jar will keep for years when stored somewhere cool and dark; the flavor even becomes more rounded over time. An opened jar will keep for months, as long as you use a clean spoon and the raisins remain submerged in the brandy. If the liquid level drops, add some more brandy.
What do you serve boerenjongens in?
In a small stemmed glass, such as an 8 cl liqueur glass, with a small spoon. Add a tablespoon of raisins with a splash of the liquid. In the past, a silver brandy bowl was passed around for everyone to take a spoonful from; now everyone gets their own little glass. See our liqueur glasses.
Everything for your bar,
at one address
Glasses in hospitality quality, delivered per set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →