Homemade Baileys Irish Cream
This homemade Baileys Irish Cream is rich, creamy, and ready in under a minute. It’s perfect for DIY Christmas gifts, adding to coffee or desserts, or mixing into festive cocktails.
I love giving homemade Christmas gifts, from condiments and Italian biscotti to flavored finishing salts. There’s something special about sharing something you made yourself. This homemade Irish cream recipe is always a favorite, especially when poured into glass bottles, tied with a ribbon, and paired with a small note showing how to use it.
The recipe takes less than a minute in the blender and costs less than store-bought. It has a smooth, rich flavor and is very versatile. Serve it over ice, stir it into coffee, drizzle it on ice cream, or use it in desserts like muffins, brownies, and cakes. It also works well in a creamy hot chocolate or holiday cocktails.
Recipe Highlights
- Budget-friendly: Cheaper than store-bought Baileys.
- Simple ingredients: No preservatives or fillers, just the basics you choose.
- Customizable: Adjust the coffee, chocolate, or whiskey to suit your taste.
- Long shelf life: Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 months, making it ideal for gifting or making ahead.
Key Ingredients & Easy Swaps
- Whiskey: Jameson is a classic, but any good-quality Irish whiskey will do. Some readers have tried bourbon, brandy, or flavored spirits with great results. See “Readers’ Tips and Suggestions” below for more options.
- Cream: Heavy cream gives the smoothest texture; half-and-half is a lighter choice. Milk is too thin.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Adds sweetness and thickness. Evaporated milk won’t give the same results.
- Chocolate syrup: Any brand works, even sugar-free. Hershey’s is my favorite.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla gives the best flavor. You can also try almond, peppermint, or orange extract. For a holiday twist, add a little cinnamon or pumpkin spice.
- Instant coffee: Use regular, espresso, or decaf depending on how strong you like the flavor.
See the recipe card below for a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.
How to Make Homemade Baileys
- Blend the base: Add the cream, condensed milk, instant coffee, chocolate syrup, and vanilla to a blender. Blend on low for 30 seconds.
- Add the whiskey: Slowly pour in the whiskey while blending on low. Blend for a few more seconds.
- Taste and adjust: Add more whiskey, chocolate, or vanilla if needed.
- Bottle and Chill: Pour into sterilized bottles and store in the fridge. Shake well before serving.
Tip: Blend on low. High speed can cause curdling. If curdled, strain through a fine sieve and gently skim off foam or separation from the top.
Readers’ Tips and Ideas
Here are some creative variations readers have shared:
Liquor swaps:
- Mark made it with Southern Comfort and Amaretto.
- Brenda used brandy, while Carol preferred bourbon.
- Jo swapped the coffee and chocolate syrup for Kahlua.
- Lorry tried Screwball whiskey with an extra tablespoon of chocolate syrup and skipped the coffee.
- Kathy gave it a festive twist with Fireball whiskey for a cinnamon version.
- Arvind replaced the coffee with Drambuie, then added Cointreau and a little more chocolate syrup.
Mix-ins:
- Melanie whisked ½ teaspoon of cocoa powder with a bit of cream instead of using chocolate syrup.
- Rebecca added orange extract and extra chocolate.
- Chris made a pumpkin spice version with ½ teaspoon of spice and ½ cup of pumpkin purée (not pie filling).
Dairy-free option:
- Wade made a dairy-free version using homemade sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk in place of cream.
Bottles for Gifting
Pour the Baileys into small glass bottles and tie a ribbon or add a handwritten tag for a personal touch. A sprig of greenery or holly makes it feel festive.
The bottles in my photos are from Lakeland but unfortunately they’ve been discontinued. Similar swing-top bottles are easy to find at Target, discount stores, or online on Amazon and Etsy.
Free Printable Labels
I’ve made these free printable labels for your Irish cream bottles: As Easy As Apple Pie Homemade Bailey’s Stickers
How to use:
- Print on adhesive sticker paper
- Cut out the labels
- Peel and stick onto your bottles.
They’re optional, but they add a thoughtful final touch if you’re giving your homemade Baileys as a gift.
Recipe FAQs
No. Instant coffee or espresso granules give a stronger flavor without watering down the Irish cream mixture.
Yes. Since it contains cream and milk, it must be kept in the fridge. It will last for about 2 months.
Freezing is not recommended. The texture can change, and the cream may separate.
Yes. Replace the dairy with coconut or almond cream and use sweetened condensed coconut milk.
If you don’t have a blender, use a hand mixer on high speed for 30-60 seconds, or whisk by hand until smooth.
More Holiday Drink Ideas
If you’ve made this homemade Irish cream, leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to know how it turned out for you.
How To Make It: Homemade Baileys Irish Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 ml) heavy cream or half & half
- 1 can (14 oz – 395 ml) sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cup (400 ml) Irish whiskey I used Jameson
Equipment
Instructions
Blend the base
- Add the cream, sweetened condensed milk, instant coffee, chocolate syrup, and vanilla to a blender. Blend on low speed for about 30 seconds.
Add the whiskey
- With the blender still on low, slowly pour in the whiskey. Blend for a few more seconds, just until smooth.
Taste and adjust
- Taste and add more whiskey, chocolate, or vanilla to suit your preference.
Bottle and chill
- Pour the mixture into clean, sterilized glass bottles with tight-fitting lids. Store in the fridge for up to 2 months and shake before each use.
Notes
- Yield: About 1 liter (4 cups), or roughly 3¾ cups (28 oz). You can double or triple the recipe.
- Avoid curdling: Blend on low speed only. High speed may cause separation. If it does curdle, strain it through a fine sieve and skim any excess from the top.
- Serving size: About 37 ml per glass.
Great recipe! Thanks! Enjoying!
Glad to hear that, Linda! :)
Could you make it more coffee flavoured by adding more granules? Or would it need another way of flavouring? Thanks.
Maybe you can try instant espresso granules instead of instant coffee. :)
You need instant coffee. I hope you will like it! :)
I want to make this up and give it out as Christmas presents, how long would it last unrefridgerated for?
You need to keep it in the refrigerator
Yup- easy as pie. Made 2 separate batches and just had to drink now the leftover. This is so awesome. Thank you!
I am so glad to hear that, Linda! :)
Yes, you can use whipping cream :)
Read the label. There is an expiration date and you must refrigerate after opening.
I always have a bottle of this in my refrigerator! It’s fine as is but I wondered what I could to keep the chocolate syrup from settling to the bottom.
I am glad you like this recipe, Marilyn.
Just shake well before using.
I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS, CA N I USE IRISH MIST INSTEAD OF JAMESON
Sure, that’s fine! :)
I hope you will like it! :)
I am glad you loved it, Ilya! :)
Made this today! It’s delicious! Thanks for the less expensive more delicious Irish Cream recipe! My mother will love this!
Glad to hear that, Maria! :)
Canadian Club is fine! :) Let me know how it goes!
You can use salted caramel :)
Sure, you can. Just add the flavoring (1 teaspoon) with the other ingredients.
Fantastic, I made a taster batch and then added different flavours, orange, salted caramel, almond and caramel… I will try banana and coconut when I get the flavours. My friends loved the Chocolate Orange one (I added a little more chocolate)
Thank you so much for taking your time to write and reply, I’m so excited to be able to make this and have already made up a bottle for a Christmas gift
Glad to hear that, Kat! :) The salted caramel one sounds delicious!