Question 1

Can you really make a Baileys Irish Cream copycat at home?

Accepted Answer

Yeah—you absolutely can, and it’s way easier than most people think. I made a batch with a blender and basic ingredients, then blind tasted it against real Baileys. It came out really, really close, which honestly surprised me.

Question 2

What ingredients do you need for homemade Irish cream?

Accepted Answer

My recipe used heavy cream (sometimes called half-and-half), a can of sweetened condensed milk, Irish whiskey, cocoa or chocolate syrup, coffee (espresso or instant), vanilla extract, and optional almond extract. It’s a short list, and none of it is hard to find. The almond extract is optional, but it’s meant to help mimic the store-bought flavour.

Question 3

How much Irish whiskey goes into a homemade Baileys-style recipe?

Accepted Answer

I used about 1 and 2/3 cups, roughly 400 ml, of Irish whiskey. Baileys is supposedly based on Jameson, so I went with Jameson Black Barrel because it was on special. It’s still very much “Irish cream liqueur” territory, not a straight whisky drink.

Question 4

Do you have to use Jameson for Irish cream?

Accepted Answer

You don’t have to, but Jameson is commonly cited as the key whisky behind Baileys, so it’s a solid starting point. I used Jameson Black Barrel and it worked a treat. I’m also curious how other whiskies would go—peated whisky sounds like a bad idea… but part of me wants to try it.

Question 5

How do you stop homemade Irish cream from curdling in a blender?

Accepted Answer

The big tip is blend on low speed, because high speed can curdle the dairy. You’re also meant to blend everything except the whisky first, then add the whisky and blend again. I accidentally chucked it all in at once and got away with it—no curdling—so it’s pretty forgiving.

Question 6

Why did your homemade Irish cream taste slightly different from Baileys?

Accepted Answer

In my blind tasting, mine was a teeny bit less sweet and a little less thick. I think that’s mostly because my condensed milk can was 390 ml instead of the 400 ml the recipe called for. Next time I’d bump the condensed milk slightly and fine-tune the coffee/chocolate balance.

Question 7

What cocktails can you make with Baileys or homemade Irish cream?

Accepted Answer

I call out a few easy ones: the Lucky Irishman (equal parts Irish whisky and Baileys over ice), and the Nutty Irishman (Baileys, Irish whisky, and Frangelico). There’s also a caramel Irish coffee with butterscotch schnapps and whipped cream, plus an Irish martini with Baileys, Irish whisky, and cold coffee shaken with ice. If you’re making Irish cream for the non-whisky drinkers, these are a great way to use it up.

Homemade Irish Cream Recipe | I Tried Copying Baileys at Home

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Godox SL60W

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