Homemade Baileys Irish Cream

This Homemade Baileys Irish Cream is rich, sweet, absolutely delicious and perfect for a DIY holiday gift that comes together in just a few minutes! Add it to your favorite cocktails, or add a splash into your coffee for a boozy kick.

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This Homemade Baileys Irish Cream combines Irish Whiskey, cream, and chocolate into a liqueur that really shines around the holidays. It's perfect in a hot chocolate or in a coffee sipped slowly after dessert. You can even use it in baked goods in place of milk or heavy cream, like brownies, cheesecake, or tiramisu.

This is also the perfect DIY gift to give to your friends who are cocktail enthusiasts, because it's easy to make, but super delicious!

If you're looking for some more holiday cocktails to enjoy, you can try our Christmas Old Fashioned, Mistletoe Margarita, or gift these DIY Cocktail Kits.

Jump to:

• Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Ingredients
• How to Make this Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Recipe
• Substitutions and Variations
• Storage
• Uses for Homemade Baileys
• Tips and FAQ
• Top tip
• More edible holiday gift recipes
• Reviews

Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Ingredients

• Heavy cream: This forms the base of the Irish cream. If you were to use only milk, it just wouldn't have enough creaminess.
• Whole milk: We use some whole milk because using 100% heavy cream would just be too thick.
• Irish whiskey: To make it authentic, we recommend using an Irish whiskey like Jameson.
• Maple syrup: This adds some sweetness and color.
• Granulated sugar: Adds additional sweetness and helps thicken the liqueur.
• Cocoa powder: You'll need this to add some chocolatey flavor to the homemade Baileys. To make it dissolve more quickly into the liquid, you can sift it or combine it with the sugar before adding to the warm milk and cream.
• Vanilla extract: Adds a hint of vanilla flavor.
• Espresso powder: This is optional, but it helps to bring out the chocolate flavor and makes the Homemade Baileys an even better accompaniment to coffee!

How to Make this Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Recipe

STEP 1: Add all ingredients except for the whiskey to a pot over medium-low heat. Heat the mixture, whisking until the sugar is dissolved and the cocoa powder is well incorporated. The mixture should be steaming hot, but it should not simmer or boil. Keep over medium-low heat for a few minutes, then remove from heat.

STEP 2: Let it cool to room temperature, then whisk in the Irish whiskey.

STEP 3: Transfer to a jar or glass bottles with a lid, then store in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. Shake well before each use.

Substitutions and Variations

• Alcohol free - Simply leave out the whiskey. It still tastes delicious! You can also add in a zero proof whiskey alternative like this.
• Dairy free - Substitute the heavy cream and milk with your favorite nondairy alternatives. We personally like using full fat oat milk in place of whole milk, and there are several heavy cream alternatives on the market that would work well here.

Storage

Keep this homemade Baileys Irish Cream stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 months.

We do not suggest freezing this, as the milk will separate from the alcohol in the freezer.

Uses for Homemade Baileys

This homemade Baileys Irish Cream is perfect for such a wide range of cocktails! Try it in a few of these cocktails:

• White Russian (in place of heavy cream)
• Espresso Martini
• Mudslide
• Add a splash to hot chocolate
• Add a splash to your morning coffee or latte

Or try your homemade Baileys in a dessert recipe, like a cheesecake, tiramisu, etc!

Tips and FAQ

More tips

• Bottles: These are the swing top bottles we use for storing this homemade Baileys.
• If your cocoa powder has a lot of clumps, you may want to sift it before adding to the pot. This will make it much easier to incorporate into the mixture.
• The instant espresso should dissolve completely, but if yours doesn't, you can strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve before storing to remove any undissolved granules.

More edible holiday gift recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

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