Baileys Hot Chocolate is just as easy to make as a classic homemade hot cocoa but with a little extra boozy kick. It’s a comforting cocktail for chilly nights!
Hot chocolate is my drink of choice to cozy up on the couch while watching a movie or reading a book in cool weather. And this Baileys Hot Chocolate has a little bit of something extra.
- Creamy, check!
- Chocolatey, check!
- Boozy, check, check and check!
Best of all, you can top this with Baileys whipped cream, highly recommended!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love Baileys and hot chocolate
- You don’t need fancy chocolate or hot cocoa mix, this Irish cream hot chocolate requires just 5 ingredients that you probably already have in the refrigerator and pantry.
- The addition of heavy cream makes this hot cocoa rich and creamy.
- The best thing about not using a hot cocoa mix is how easily you can adjust the sweetness to your taste.
- You can also adjust the amount of Irish cream in the recipe if you want it a little less or more boozy.
Ingredients and substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Milk – it is best to use whole milk for a richer flavor but 2% milk will work. If you use 2% milk, don’t substitute the heavy whipping cream.
- Heavy whipping cream – I used a little bit of heavy whipping cream to add richness to this hot cocoa. You can substitute whipping cream, or half and half, both have a lower fat content but will still work for this recipe. And if you don’t have any cream or half and half, you can just use all milk, the hot cocoa just won’t be as rich.
- Sugar – I used granulated sugar in this recipe. Brown sugar will also work and impart additional delicious flavor from the molasses.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I prefer to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate taste.
- Irish cream – I used Baileys for this Baileys hot chocolate recipe. It goes well with hot cocoa because it has notes of chocolate. You can use homemade Irish cream or other brands as well.
Tools you’ll need
You don’t need anything special to make this hot cocoa, just a saucepan and a spatula.
How to make Baileys hot chocolate
The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Add cocoa powder, sugar, and heavy cream in a small bowl, mix with a spoon or small spatula until a thick paste forms.
Tip: If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use half and half or milk in this step. If you make this substitution, the paste will not be thick as shown.
Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer, don’t let it boil over. Add the chocolate paste to the pan and stir with a spatula until it dissolves completely.
Add the Baileys last after you turn off the heat, give it a stir to combine.
Tip: If you continue to heat the hot cocoa after adding the Irish cream, you’ll evaporate most of the alcohol.
More baker’s tips
- Prefer a sweeter hot cocoa? Taste and add more sugar to the hot chocolate mixture if you prefer your hot cocoa a bit sweeter.
- Too boozy for your taste? You can reduce the amount of Baileys to make this less boozy, I recommend substituting the same amount of milk or cream to keep the same total liquid amount. You may also want to add more sugar since Irish cream is sweetened.
- Multiply for a crowd – This recipe makes just 2 servings, double, triple, quadruple as needed.
- Making it for one – simply halve the recipe to make 1 serving.
- Try different flavors of Baileys – I used Baileys original Irish cream, but they have so many interesting flavors like Baileys Chocolat Luxe or Baileys Tiramisu Cocktail. Be adventurous!
- Add toppings – whipped cream is a must, you can also add marshmallows, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, etc.
FAQs
Baileys Irish cream is the most common Irish cream liqueur you’ll find. It is a blend of Irish whiskey, spirits, and cream along with chocolate and vanilla flavors.
I used ½ cup of Baileys in the recipe. Baileys contains 17% alcohol. So after considering all the other ingredients, this hot chocolate cocktail contains less than 4% alcohol. You can add more or less Baileys to your taste.
Yes, you can. Instead of heating the milk on the stovetop, you can microwave it and add the chocolate paste to the hot milk. But just becareful it doesn’t boil over in the microwave. This is most convenient if you are making just one serving for yourself.
Sure! If you use hot cocoa mix, I recommend using milk instead of water to make it richer. And then just add up to ¼ cup of Baileys to each serving.
Storage
This recipe makes just 2 servings and can easily be adjusted to make more or less, so there is no need to store leftovers. However, if you made this for a crowd and end up having leftovers, just store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Warm leftovers up on the stove top before serving. This will make it less potent since some of the alcohol will likely evaporate as you reheat the mixture. Add a little more Baileys if you wish!
What to serve with Baileys hot chocolate
- Drizzle Dulce de Leche over it
- Serve it with Shortbread Cookies for dipping
- For even more chocolate, serve it with these Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Pair it with this Chocolate French Silk Pie
Hungry for more?
Baileys Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, Dutch-processed preferred, 11 g
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or more to taste, 12 g
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream, 28 g
- 1 ½ cup milk, whole milk preferred, 340 g
- ½ cup Baileys Irish Cream, 113 g
Instructions
- Add cocoa powder, sugar, and heavy cream in a small bowl, mix with a spoon or small spatula until a thick paste forms.
- Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer, add the chocolate paste to the pan and stir with a spatula until it dissolves completely.
- Turn off the heat and pour the Irish cream into the pot, give it a stir to combine.
- Pour hot chocolate into a large mug or two smaller mugs if sharing.
Notes
- Use 2 tablespoons of sugar if you like your hot cocoa a bit sweeter. You could taste the mixture in step 2 and add more sugar as needed.
- If you decide to reduce the amount of Irish cream in the recipe, I recommend substituting the same amount of milk or cream to keep the same total liquid amount. You may also want to add more sugar since Irish cream is sweetened.
- Top with Baileys whipped cream for serving if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is a great drink for this usually cold California Christmas. Perfect🎄.
I love this. It’s still a bit warm here but I’m bookmarking this recipe for when the cooler weather hits