Homemade Irish cream is the perfect boozy, sweet liqueur for espresso martinis, cupcakes, Irish coffee, or just sipping on its own!
Homemade Irish cream is a creamy, dreamy, and indulgent digestif that–believe it or not–you can easily make at home.
As I continued my excursion into all the Irish recipes my little vintage cookbooks offered me, I was intrigued by the Irish cream (er, Irish creme) recipe at the end of The Irish Heritage Cookbook. Anticipating that I would use Irish cream for my desserts, I had already stocked up on plenty of Bailey’s. But I kept going back to that little recipe. It seemed so simple! Why shouldn’t I whip up a batch of homemade Irish cream?
Homemade Irish cream only contains simple ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, chocolate syrup, Irish whiskey, heavy cream, and eggs. I’ve seen some recipes use eggs and some that don’t. If you’re iffy about consuming raw eggs, omit them with no change to the recipe. I loved the extra creaminess they added, but they aren’t required.
The recipe I referenced also called for additional honey, but I found the Irish cream sweet enough that it wasn’t needed.
How to make homemade Irish cream
You only need a few ingredients to make creamy, delicious Irish cream at home.
What you need
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Chocolate syrup: You can use your favorite milk or dark chocolate syrup. I love Torani’s dark chocolate sauce!
- Irish whiskey: Jameson works well, but I read good things about Slane Irish Whiskey, so I tried it. It was delicious!
- Heavy cream
- Eggs: You’ll use three raw eggs, but feel free to omit them.
How to make it
- Step 1: Combine the sweetened condensed milk, eggs, chocolate syrup, and whiskey in a blender. Pulse for 1 minute until completely smooth.
- Step 2: Add the heavy cream and continue pulsing until smooth.
- Step 3: Transfer to an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.
How long does homemade Irish cream keep for
Homemade Irish cream will last up to 1 month in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight jar. You may need to shake the bottle before serving because there may be light separation.
How to use Irish cream
You can drink the Irish cream on its own, over ice or just chilled from the refrigerator. Make a strong cup of coffee, mix it with Irish cream, and serve it with a thick layer of whipped cream for a delicious Irish coffee. You can also add it to your next espresso martini. You can make delicious desserts with it too, like my Guinness Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting or my Irish Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting.
Homemade Irish Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 eggs (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 1¼ cups Irish whiskey
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Irish cream:
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk, eggs, chocolate syrup, and whiskey in a blender. Blend for 1 minute until completely smooth.
- Add the cream and continue blending for 1 minute.
To store:
- Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate for 24 hours before enjoying. See Note 1.
To serve:
- Enjoy the Irish cream as a sweet treat after dinner, or make Irish coffee with it. Enjoy!
