How to Make Irish Cream at Home in 5 Minutes
Make homemade Irish cream that rivals store-bought Baileys in just 5 minutes. Simple ingredients, no fancy equipment, half the price.
Serving: 16
Calories: 190kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups Jameson Irish whiskey, 320 ml
- 1 cup heavy cream, 240 ml
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz (397 g)
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 40 g
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 6 g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 10 ml, or 1 scraped vanilla pod
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules, 2 g
Instructions
- Pour the heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk into the blender first, then add the whiskey, agave nectar, cocoa powder, vanilla and instant coffee. Starting with the liquids stops the cocoa from sticking to the sides.
- Blend on low speed for 30 seconds, just until smooth and the coffee granules have fully dissolved. Don't blend for longer or on a higher speed, as the cream can whip and turn the liqueur thick.
- Pour into a clean glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid, using a funnel.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Shake well before every pour.
Notes
Blend low and stop at 30 seconds. This is the only step where things go wrong. Heavy cream whips if you beat it, and over-blended Irish cream turns thick and hard to pour.
Whiskey. Jameson is the classic choice, but any Irish whiskey works and there's no need to spend more. Bourbon gives a sweeter result, dark rum is lovely at Christmas, and vodka makes a much milder version.
Agave nectar. Maple syrup, honey or simple syrup all work in the same amount. Each shifts the flavor slightly, and maple is especially good in winter.
Cocoa powder. Dutch-process cocoa dissolves more smoothly and tastes less sharp than natural cocoa. If yours is lumpy, sift it before it goes in.
Vanilla. A scraped vanilla pod in place of the extract gives you the little black flecks and a rounder flavor.
Storage. Keep it in the fridge in a sealed bottle, never at room temperature. It lasts up to 2 months, but the safest rule is to check the date on your heavy cream carton and not keep the liqueur past it. The cream is the ingredient that spoils.
Separation is normal. Homemade Irish cream has no commercial stabilizers, so it settles into layers after a few days. Shake it hard and it comes straight back.
Gifting. One batch fills one large bottle or two small ones. Add a tag saying keep refrigerated, along with the date from your cream carton, since people assume it behaves like the store-bought version.
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Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 0.1mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.