A batch of Baileys Chocolate Chip Cookies is a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or anytime you crave a boozy treat. The Irish cream liqueur infuses a touch of coffee, chocolate and Irish whiskey flavor right into the cookie dough.
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Baileys Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, it’s time for another boozy treat.
Last year I made this Guinness Chocolate Cake, which was a huge hit with our family. That Baileys frosting was to die for, and it made me really start to want to put Irish cream in everything!
So I’m starting with Baileys Chocolate Chip Cookies. Irish cream liqueur contains notes of cocoa, espresso and Irish whiskey, not to mention cream, which all go perfectly with classic chocolate chip cookies.
I also added cacao nibs to this recipe, which adds the same kind of crunch as nuts, but with more chocolate flavor.
More boozy dessert recipes: Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies • Red Wine Brownies • Spiced Rum Balls • Chocolate Guinness Donuts
Why you’ll love this recipe
Make these Baileys cookies any time you get a craving for regular chocolate chip cookies with a twist! You’ll love them because…
- The addition of Irish cream gives the cookies extra sweetness plus a little coffee flavor.
- If you’ve ever made chocolate chip cookies, you’ll appreciate that this is not a difficult recipe.
- No chill time is needed! (Though you can freeze balls of dough to make later.)
This recipe is a fun way to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, yes, but you could also make them any time. They’d be a great addition to Christmas cookie plates especially!
What is Irish cream?
Irish cream is a creamy alcoholic liqueur made with flavors of chocolate, coffee and Irish whiskey. It is opaque and creamy, with a slight brown color.
Baileys is perhaps the most ubiquitous brand of Irish cream here in the States, but there lots of other brands out there. Here are some Irish Cream brands to look for at your local liquor store:
- Carolan’s
- Kerrygold
- St. Brendan’s
- Ryan’s
- Emmets
- Five Farms
- Kirkland (Costco brand)
The alcohol does bake out in these cookies, so they are safe for kids to eat, too! (Though they might not love the bitter cacao nibs and coffee flavor…)
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need to put on your shopping list to make this easy recipe:
- flour
- baking soda
- salt
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- pure vanilla extract
- Irish cream liqueur
- instant espresso powder
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- cacao nibs
A high-quality vanilla extract makes a big difference in baking. I’d also recommend using Irish butter for this (such as Kerrygold).
Feel free to substitute other creamy liqueurs like Rumchata or Amarula.
You can also use milk chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie or dark chocolate chips if you like things more bittersweet.
Cacao nibs are totally optional, but they do add an extra chocolatey crunch.
Use M&M’s instead of some of the chocolate chips to make them into M&M chocolate chip cookies. For St. Patrick’s Day, use orange, green and white M&M’s.
How to make Baileys Cookies
These Irish cream cookies are a cinch to make. Here’s what to do:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar together on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth, creamy and light in color.
- One at a time, beat in the eggs, then add the vanilla extract, instant coffee and Irish cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips and cacao nibs.
- Onto the prepared baking sheet, drop tablespoons of the dough 2-3 inches apart. (A cookie scoop is a big help for this.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool, or serve warm.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
What to eat & drink with Baileys Cookies
While cookies always go with a glass of milk, you could upgrade it to a glass of homemade Irish cream! A Baileys cocktail would be good too — try a Baileys iced coffee or a Baby Guinness shot.
Or you could go another direction and enjoy them with a green beer or Guinness cocktail like a Black Velvet drink or Guinness Floats.
If eating them after dinner, serve them with a warm Irish coffee with a hefty layer of Baileys whipped cream spooned on top.
For a party, serve them alongside Guinness cupcakes and Baileys Chocolate Chip Dip.
More cookie recipes
Baileys Chocolate Chip Cookies
ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
- 2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur such as Baileys
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup cacao nibs optional
instructions
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- With a mixer, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar together on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth, creamy and light in color.
- One at a time, beat in the eggs, then add the vanilla and Irish cream.
- Gradually stir in the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and cacao nibs.
- Onto the prepared baking sheet, drop tablespoons of the dough 2-3 inches apart. Sprinkle each one with a pinch of demerara sugar.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool, or serve warm.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
notes
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