Homemade Baileys Irish Cream — Homemade Baileys Irish Cream comes together 1 minute, with ingredients you likely already have on hand. Rich, creamy, and the flavor is a dead ringer for store-bought!
Table of Contents
Homemade Baileys comes together in under one minute in the blender. It’s so easy that if you’re a Baileys Irish Cream fan, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this sooner. Simply combine cream or half-and-half, sweetened condensed milk, Irish whiskey, a pinch of instant coffee, dash of chocolate syrup, vanilla, and blend.
The flavor is spot on and so very creamy. I used half-and-half rather than cream, and can only imagine how rich it would be with cream.
Between the sweetened condensed milk, half-and-half, and vanilla it’s no wonder I’ve always loved the stuff. Dessert in a shot glass.
I don’t think it’s any cheaper to make homemade Irish cream, but it’s also not more expensive than store-bought. With the exception of the Irish whiskey, I always have the rest of the ingredients on hand so it didn’t feel like I bought things just to make homemade Baileys from scratch.
The real satisfaction comes from being able to say, oh yes, I can make Baileys Irish cream.
At parties, there’s always that one person who can mix a great drink, juggle shot glasses, catch peanuts in their mouth, or tie cherry stems into knots with their tongue. Now you’ll be the star of the party with this little Baileys recipe up your sleeve.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade Baileys Irish cream recipe:
- Irish whiskey
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Half and half
- Chocolate syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Instant coffee granules
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Baileys Irish Cream
This homemade Irish cream recipe couldn’t be simpler to make! Just add all the ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth.
Storage Instructions
If stored in an air-tight container, homemade Baileys can last up to 2 months in the fridge. The alcohol helps preserve it, but always sniff the mixture first to make sure it hasn’t gone off (trust me, you’ll know if the half and half has gone sour).
I also recommend shaking the homemade Baileys before enjoying it, just to mix everything back together.
Recipe FAQs
No, you want to use instant coffee or espresso granules and not regular coffee. Instant coffee granules have a more concentrated flavor and will deliver that coffee taste Baileys is known for without watering down the drink.
I used Jameson whiskey in my homemade Baileys recipe, but any Irish whiskey will do.
Irish Cream is a type of liqueur made with heavy cream, whiskey, sugar, and flavorings.
Homemade Baileys is incredibly sweet and creamy, with undertones of chocolate and vanilla. It’s rich enough to enjoy on its own, but it’s also great stirred into coffee, hot chocolate, and eggnog.
Serve it chilled, over ice, in mixed drinks or in coffee. Make cake, donuts, cupcakes, brownies, or frosting with it. There’s no wrong way to use it.
We love using Baileys in these Death by Chocolate No-Bake Cheesecake Bars and these Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes.
If you need more inspiration, just read food blogs the week before St. Paddy’s Day. Or Google “Baileys desserts” for 2.8 million ideas. My idea is to pour a little jigger and sip happily.
Yes! The homemade Irish Cream needs to be refrigerated. The alcohol acts as a preservative, but there’s still lots of milk and cream in the mixture and you do not want it to go bad! The Baileys recipe will last about 2 months in the fridge.
Tips for Making Baileys Irish Cream
Sweetened condensed milk: Make sure to buy sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk is much thicker and sweeter and won’t water down the Baileys.
Vanilla: For the best flavor, I recommend using pure vanilla extract and not the imitation kind. I like using imitation vanilla in some of my baked goods, but for this Baileys recipe you want the real stuff.
Half and half vs. cream: You’re welcome to use either half and half or heavy cream in this Irish cream liquer recipe. Don’t use regular milk though, otherwise your Baileys won’t be creamy enough.
Chocolate syrup swap: You’re welcome to use a sugar-free chocolate syrup, if desired.
Drinks Using Baileys Irish Cream
Now that you know how to make Irish cream from scratch, it’s time to enjoy it! Some ideas for repurposing this Baileys Irish cream recipe include:
- Santa’s Magic Potion (Eggnog and Bailey’s) — Not sure what to mix with eggnog? Baileys, of course! This creamy eggnog cocktail mixes the two to create a holiday drink you’ll love!
- Creamy Chocolate Martini — Everything is better with Nutella, including these martinis that go down so easily! The Frangelico adds hazelnut, cinnamon, and vanilla notes, while the Baileys Irish Cream provides richness and creaminess.
- Frozen Mudslide — These frozen mudslides are decadent dessert-like drinks made with three types of alcohol for a slightly boozy milkshake with an abundance of chocolate syrup!
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Homemade Baileys Irish Cream
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups Irish whiskey, I used Jameson
- one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream, I used half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup, I used Hershey’s
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules or instant espresso, make sure it’s instant so it dissolves
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the canister of a blender and blend on high speed until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds.
- Transfer mixture to a glass bottle or airtight container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months (I have read anywhere between 1 to 2 months; the alcohol helps preserve it, but always use the sniff test and common sense).
- Shake well before using.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Drink Recipes:
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Martini – An indulgent chocolate martini that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, date-night-in, or a girls-night-in! Plenty of chocolate flavor in this festive, fun, and easy martini!
Tequila Sunrise — Not only is it pretty to look at, but a Tequila Sunrise is also refreshing, nostalgic, and the grenadine sweetens it up enough that you may not even notice it packs quite a punch!
Malibu Sunset — A fun, fruity, easy Malibu drink recipe!! Because there’s really no wrong way to do pineapple, orange juice, coconut rum, grenadine, and cherries! If you’ve never had this fruity alcoholic drink, you should change that!!
Tropical Strawberry Lemonade Party Punch — This Tropical Alcoholic Punchis one of my all-time favorite party drinks! Feel free to leave the alcohol out if desired. This punch tastes delicious even without it!
Tropical Mango Mimosas – A fun, easy, and refreshing twist on classic mimosas!! A party favorite at your next brunch or event! Everyone will want REFILLS!!
Homemade Margaritas — How to make a margarita with just three natural ingredients! Nothing fake, neon green, and no sugary chemicals. This is the best homemade margarita recipe I’ve tried and it’s the easiest!!
Kiss on the Lips Cocktail — This frozen drink is quick and easy, fruity, tropical-tasting, and the colors are so fun. It goes down way too easily and would be extra refreshing on hot summer days.
Originally posted March 14, 2013 and reposted March 17, 2021 with updated text.
I can’t wait to make it again!
Wonderful! Thank you!
Delicious
great
I made this for New Years, and it went over like gangbusters. I even had to make another store run to get more ingredients to make a couple more batches. I did sub out the half and half and used heavy cream, and OMG… It was sooooooo creamy and smooth. I also subbed out the Irish whiskey and used Korbel brandy to lose the whiskey bite. I think I must have made about 5 gallons and bottled it up for friends. Thanks for the recipe. So easy and sooooooo gooood!!!!!
I made this for New Years, and it went over like gangbusters. I even had to make another store run to get more ingredients to make a couple more batches. I did sub out the half and half and used heavy cream, and OMG… It was sooooooo creamy and smooth. I also subbed out the Irish whiskey and used Korbel brandy to lose the whiskey bite. I think I must have made about 5 gallons and bottled it up for friends. Thanks for the recipe. So easy and sooooooo gooood!!!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this went over like gangbusters! And that you even had to make a run to the store to make more batches! I love hearing comments like this one. Thank you for taking the time to give feedback! And wow, 5 gallons…you have lucky friends!