
Homemade Irish cream
Prep time:
Irish whiskey, cream, condensed milk, a little coffee and cocoa, whisked together in moments. It is the homemade version of Baileys-style Irish cream, and it differs from the other homemade liqueurs here in one important way: there is no steeping and no waiting, it takes ten minutes and you can drink it the same day.
Ingredients
- 250 ml whipping cream (35% fat)
- 200 g sweetened condensed milk
- 200 ml Irish whiskey
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- A few drops of vanilla extract
Preparation
- Dissolve the coffee and cocoa in two tablespoons of the cream, in a bowl, until there are no lumps.
- Add the rest of the cream, the condensed milk and the vanilla, and whisk on low speed just until combined: the point is not to whip it.
- Add the whiskey last, in a thin stream, still whisking gently.
- Pour into a clean glass bottle, seal it and keep it in the fridge.
Bartender’s notes
How long does it keep?
It contains cream, so it lives in the fridge: two to three weeks, tightly sealed. The whiskey helps it keep, but it does not turn it into a cupboard liqueur like limoncello. Shake it before serving, because the fat tends to rise.
Which whiskey should I use?
Irish, which is what the original uses and the smoothest: it lets the coffee and cocoa lead. A blended Scotch works too, drier and with more character. The one thing to avoid is a smoky one, because smoke and cream do not get along.


