If you are craving a boozy dessert, Irish cream liqueur is the perfect base with this smooth and creamy Baileys ice cream recipe.
I could have ice cream every single day - from graham cracker ice cream to chocolate peanut butter ice cream to dulce de leche ice cream.
But I had never added alcohol to ice cream, until today. I was always a little apprehensive as alcohol freezes at a much lower temperature. I was concerned by adding some, the ice cream wouldn't freeze.
Luckily after fiddling around, I found the perfect ratio. I decided to go with Baileys as it already has cream in it, making it the perfect complement to ice cream. Plus I love Baileys. My Baileys chocolate martini is my go-to cocktail for a reason.
By adding Baileys, the ice cream actually has a slightly lower freeze point which creates a super creamy and easy to scoop homemade ice cream. I also added one extra egg yolk to help prevent crystilization.
What you get with this Baileys ice cream is a decadent dessert that is great year round or for St. Patrick's Day! And if you want to step up your game, top it over some warm and gooey Guinness brownies or some Irish coffee cake.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Heavy cream and milk - the 2:1 ratio of heavy cream to milk gives you the right fat content to create that creamy texture you except with ice cream.
- Baileys - adds a sweet, milk and somewhat chocolatey flavor and also lowers the freezing point, which makes for a soft serve-like ice cream.
- Eggs - important in stabilizing the ice cream and adds extra richness.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can switch things up if needed. Some variations include:
- Whole milk and heavy cream are my go-tos, but you can also use any skim milk and half-and-half if needed. It just won't be as creamy.
- I like the flavor of light brown sugar with the Baileys, but granulated sugar works as well.
- It is called Baileys ice cream for a reason, but you can also make your own or use Carolan's or Kavanagh.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Bring the cream, milk and Baileys to 170°F in a saucepan. While heating up, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until incoporated.
Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the hot cream mixture in and then transfer back to the saucepan and heat to 185°F.
Add to the ice cream machine and churn until smooth, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
FAQs
It may be the cheapest one available, but the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker is super simple to use and makes the best ice cream at home.
You can although I highly recommend trying to use whole milk and heavy cream as the high fat content creates the creamy texture when the ice cream is cooled.
Nearly any type of milk will work, and you can substitute half-and-half for the cream. But just keep in mind, it won't be as creamy and could get icy.
Yes. When adding the eggs, while the chance is very small, if you bring to 185°F you kill the risk of salmonella.
So in general, eggs help prevent ice crystals but I also add Xanthan gum a lot of times to my recipes. Xanthan gum helps stabilize the Baileys ice cream and prevents ice crystals from forming.
The usual problem with homemade ice cream is it will only lasts a couple of days before ice crystals form. But the Xanthan gum helps battle this. Just add ¼ tsp.
Baileys does have alcohol in it and it doesn't get burned off. While it is lower than other liqueurs at 17%, I would still keep this dessert to adults only.
How to Serve
This homemade ice cream is great on its own or to complement other desserts including:
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Smith Island Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
You can also drizzle some homemade chocolate syrup on top or even homemade magic shell.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use the Best Ingredients - when making ice cream you want to use the best ingredients possible so use free-range eggs and organic milk and cream. Don't use imitation vanilla extract either. Use the real thing or make your own homemade vanilla extract.
- Don't Cut the Fat and Calories - ice cream is not the dessert that you should be cutting the fat. It depends on the high-fat content to create a creamy texture. If you go lower fat, it will cause an icy ice cream. If you're on a diet, just have a smaller scoop!
- Add Extract at Right Time - if you add the vanilla extract while the custard is too hot, you won't get the actual flavor as it will cook out slightly. Just wait until right before you pour the custard into the ice cream maker to add it.
- Chill the Custard - you don't necessarily need to chill the custard overnight, but you want to chill until it is as cold as possible.
- Use Frozen Bowl - make sure your ice cream bowl has been frozen for at least 24 hours, otherwise you aren't giving ice cream a great chance of freeze.
- Start Ice Cream Motor First - do not pour the custard in the frozen bowl before starting the ice cream maker. It will start freezing upon contact. You want the motor running and slowly pour the custard in.
- Don't Overchurn - always error on the side of caution when it comes to churning your ice cream. You do not want it to be hard. Remember it will continue to freeze once you place in the freezer.
Other St. Patrick's Day Recipes
If you’ve tried this Baileys ice cream recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Baileys Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup Baileys Irish Cream
- 5 egg yolks
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine milk, cream and Baileys in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring occasionally, heat until the mixture reaches a temperature of 170°F and bubbles start to form around the edges.
- While the cream mixture is heating, whisk the egg yolks together until smooth in a heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in the sugar until well incorporated and the mixture is thick and a pale yellow color. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring the hot cream mixture while whisking constantly. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, on low heat to a temperature of 185°F. The mixture should be slightly thickened, enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not come to a boil.
- Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl in an ice bath to cool the mixture completely, stirring constantly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the custard from the refrigerator and stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn for about 20 minutes (follow your ice cream maker directions).
- Transfer ice cream to airtight container and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
Notes
- Use the Best Ingredients - when making ice cream you want to use the best ingredients possible so use free-range eggs and organic milk and cream. Don't use imitation vanilla extract either. Use the real thing or make your own homemade vanilla extract.
- Don't Cut the Fat and Calories - ice cream is not the dessert that you should be cutting the fat. It depends on the high-fat content to create a creamy texture. If you go lower fat, it will cause an icy ice cream. If you're on a diet, just have a smaller scoop!
- Add Extract at Right Time - if you add the vanilla extract while the custard is too hot, you won't get the actual flavor as it will cook out slightly. Just wait until right before you pour the custard into the ice cream maker to add it.
- Chill the Custard - you don't necessarily need to chill the custard overnight, but you want to chill until it is as cold as possible.
- Use Frozen Bowl - make sure your ice cream bowl has been frozen for at least 24 hours, otherwise you aren't giving ice cream a great chance of freeze.
- Start Ice Cream Motor First - do not pour the custard in the frozen bowl before starting the ice cream maker. It will start freezing upon contact. You want the motor running and slowly pour the custard in.
- Don't Overchurn - always error on the side of caution when it comes to churning your ice cream. You do not want it to be hard. Remember it will continue to freeze once you place in the freezer.
Michelle says
I made this and this is 🙌🙌🙌🙌
Marios says
Hello trying the recipe now just wanted know when to add the Xanthan gum to cold or hot custard .
Many thanks
Marios
Ryan says
Hot custard
Christopher says
I took it a little bit further. Add the ice cream to an Oreo crust, either homemade or store bought, and place in freezer until frozen. Drizzle some Hersheys chocolate syrup on the top when serving.
I don’t know how to make much but this blows everyone away when I make it.
Bamster MacR says
I've tried several recipes for Irish Cream ice cream, and this one pleases my taste buds the most. I especially like the richness of two full cups of heavy cream and the slight caramel note give by the light brown sugar. I also like that it needs only a half cup of Irish Cream liqueur. I've tried recipes that use more, but haven't noticed any flavor difference to justify the larger use. I made the recipe exactly as is the first time through. For a second iteration, I added one tablespoon of Irish whiskey along with the vanilla. I found this didn't affect the mixture's ability to freeze but gave it just a tiny extra "ping" of flavor.
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!