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A tumbler half-filled with homemade Irish cream and an ice cube, and a bottle of cream in the background.
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5 / 2 votes

Homemade Irish Cream

This homemade Irish cream recipe is an easy homemade Baileys Irish cream that you can make at home with whiskey, coffee, heavy cream, milk, cacao, sugar, and the luck of the Irish. Tastes just like the store-bought stuff. Cheers.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 32 servings | 1 liter
Calories: 95

Equipment

  • Suitable bottle with an airtight cap; cheesecloth

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups whole milk
  • Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
  • 1 ounce cacao nibs (1/4 cup)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) sea salt
  • 1/2 ounce freshly coarse-ground coffee (3 tablespoons)
  • 1 3/4 cups Irish whiskey, such as Bushmills Black Bush
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Sterilize a reusable glass bottle and cap by boiling it in hot water.
  • In a small saucepan, bring the milk, vanilla seeds, and cacao nibs to a simmer. Hold it at a gentle simmer, just so there are a few bubbles here and there, for 30 minutes.
  • Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Return the liquid to the pan along with the sugar and salt and gently simmer until it's reduced by about half, so you should have about 2 cups total, which may take as long as an hour. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for a minute or so.
  • Add the coffee to the milk mixture, stir well, and let rest for 5 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or tea strainer and then let cool completely.
  • Stir the whiskey into the milk mixture. Pour it into a blender or use an immersion blender directly in the saucepan and slowly and steadily pour in the cream as you blitz the mixture for 20 seconds.
  • Stop the blender, pour the finished lrish cream into the sterilized bottle, and then seal it. Tuck it in the fridge until chilled through.

Notes

  1. Storage--Keep Irish cream refrigerated. It should keep for up to 2 months.
  2. Serving--Shake well before serving. The liqueur can be served straight, over ice, in coffee, or as part of a cocktail or dessert.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 84mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 8g