Baby Guinness Shots

5 from 60 votes

Though they look like a miniature pint of the famous Irish beer, these Baby Guinness Shots contain no beer at all, just coffee-flavored liqueur and a layer of Irish cream.

baby guinness shots served on a green ceramic tray

St. Patrick’s Day has never been one of my favorite holidays. However, I really can’t complain about Irish cuisine, like shepherd’s pie and soda bread. It’s so very good.

And can we talk about the drinks? There’s whiskey and cream liqueur. And then there’s beer. Copious amounts of beer. Stout beer, especially. And green beer, for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The first time I tried Guinness, I turned up my nose at it, so my pals ordered a round of Baby Guinness shots.

Baby Guinness Shot recipe

Made with both coffee liqueur and Irish cream liqueur, these sweet shots look just like miniature versions of the real thing, which makes them perfect for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations!

The coffee liqueur is added first, mimicking the dark chocolate stout color of Guinness. Then the Irish cream liqueur gets floated on top of the coffee liqueur layer. It floats on top, just like the thick layer of foam on a real pint of Guinness.

The sweet Baby Guinness shot tastes like an Irish coffee, which is a mix of simple syrup, Irish whiskey and coffee and topped with whipped cream.

a jigger pouring Irish cream liqueur onto a bar spoon over a shot glass

What is a Baby Guinness?

A Baby Guinness is the name given to a layered shooter recipe made with coffee liqueur and Irish cream liqueur. It is intended to be enjoyed in one shot. They make a fun after-dinner drink.

It is similar to a B-52 Shot, which has a third layer on top of Grand Marnier orange liqueur.

There are 2½ ounces of alcohol in this Baby Guinness recipe (scroll down for the ratio).

a green tray with six baby guinness shots, a gold spoon and a jigger

Ingredients

Most shooter recipes only contain a few ingredients. Baby Guinness Shooters require only two!

Coffee Liqueur

Kahlua and Tia Maria are two of the most famous brands for coffee liqueur out there. Patron XO Cafe is technically a coffee-flavored tequila, but it would also be great in this coffee cocktail.

But my favorite coffee liqueur is homemade. You can make it with your favorite coffee beans and either vodka or rum.

Irish Cream Liqueur

Irish cream is a sweet, creamy liqueur that packs a boozy punch. I adore it in everything from boozy whipped cream to iced coffee.

There are a number of Irish cream brands out there. Baileys Irish Cream is most common, but St. Brendan’s, Carolans and Kerrygold are others to try.

If you’d like to make this dairy-free, you can use Baileys Almande, which is their almond milk version of their liqueur. You can also try your hand at making vegan Baileys.

Also I would like to take a moment to shout out my homemade Irish cream recipe, which is honestly SO GOOD. I love making this for my husband and myself at the holidays.

floating Irish cream liqueur over a bar spoon

How to make Baby Guinness Shots

Because it has only two ingredients, making a Baby Guinness only takes a few steps. However, there is a bartending trick you will want to learn to get it right.

  1. First you’ll pour Kahlua (the coffee liqueur) into your shot glass.
  2. Then, hold a bar spoon upside down over the shot glass. (The domed, convex side is facing up.) You can also use a teaspoon or dessert spoon.
  3. Slowly, pour the Irish cream over the back of a spoon, so the liqueur spills off all around the spoon. The Irish cream will float to the top.

If you don’t do the float, the Irish cream will be added too fast and will sink. Ultimately it will float to the top, but you will have to wait a while.

Variations and substitutions

Make them non-alcoholic. You can use zero-proof coffee liqueur or simply more coffee. For the Irish cream layer, I’d recommend making your own Irish cream with zero-proof whiskey.

Feeling adventurous? Try making it with your own Irish cream and coffee liqueurs.

Make them into jello shots. These Baby Guinness jello shots are the gelatin version of the real thing.

Double up and sip it. You can double this recipe and serve it in a coupe glass or rocks glass. Enjoy it as a sipping drink, not a shot, though!

a jigger, spoon and glass shot glasses with baby guinness

More St. Patrick’s Day recipes

There are so many delicious dishes you can make for St. Paddy’s Day. The usual fare is corned beef and maybe a shamrock shake.

For dessert, I recommend Guinness Chocolate Cake. For breakfast, you can enjoy Chocolate Guinness Donuts with Irish Coffee Glaze.

And if it’s a warm March day, try a Guinness ice cream float, these layered Irish Coffee Popsicles or a refreshing Irish Mule to help you celebrate!

And if you’re looking for green cocktail recipes, make a drink with this herbal limeade or a green mimosa.

More dessert shooters recipes

Miniature drink recipes can be a lot of fun (in moderation, of course.) Try one of these delicious shooter recipes:

These birthday cake shots are made with cake mix and taste just like birthday cake!

Chocolate cake shooters are made with surprising ingredients, but still taste like chocolate cake!

Bake up some edible shot glasses and enjoy a round of chocolate chip cookie shots.

Topped with cinnamon, melktertjies are a cream liqueur that taste’s like South African milk tart.

a jigger, spoon and glass shot glasses with baby guinness

Baby Guinness Shots

Yield: 1 shot
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Coffee-flavored liqueur and a layer of Irish cream. Once combined, it looks like a tiny pint of the famous Irish beer. 
5 from 60 votes
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ingredients

instructions

  • In a shot glass, pour Kahlua to fill approximately ¾ of the glass.
  • Hold a spoon upside down just over the shot glass. Gently, pour Baileys over the spoon, allowing it to float on top of the Kahlua.

notes

It's important not to dump the Bailey's into the glass, so be gentle. The Bailey's is lighter than the Kahlua, so it will rest on top, resembling a pint of Guinness.

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nutrition information

Yield: 1 shot

amount per serving:

Serving: 1ounce Calories: 96kcal Carbohydrates: 12g Protein: 0.2g Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g Sodium: 2mg Sugar: 11g
did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #feastandwestrecipes!
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Comments

  1. Gérin Patricia says

    I AM very interest by your receip ( Can not speak English) but i am Irish born in Belgium !!

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