Irish Coffee with Bailey’s Infused Whipped Cream
This Irish Coffee, complete with Bailey’s infused whipped cream, will warm you up on a chilly night. Celebrate being Irish or Irish-ish with this tasty beverage.
The four general ingredients in an Irish Coffee are Coffee, Whiskey, Sugar, and Whipped Cream. Mine is pretty close, but in my version we are making our own whipped cream and infusing it with Irish Cream Liqueur. I used Bailey’s but feel free to use whatever brand you wish, the Kirkland Brand from Costco works just the same and tastes no different. You’ll see I used their brand of Irish Whiskey, similar to Jameson.
What You’ll Need
To make one of these delightful drinks, you’ll need a few things.
Equipment
Coffee Maker – Brew your favorite cup of coffee however you prefer. I use my Keurig and reusable K-Cups since I’m the only coffee drinker in the house. But if you’re using drip coffee, a Chemex, or whatever machine you have, use your favorite method.
Hand Mixer – You could make the whipped cream by hand, but a hand mixer will save you both time and arm strength. It takes me about 3 minutes using the hand mixer to get enough whipped cream for multiple cups of coffee or desserts depending on what I’m making it for. I have used my Ninja to make whipped cream in the past, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The hand mixer always yields me a perfect result, each and every time.
Whipped Cream Ingredients Used
Heavy Whipping Cream – I don’t know that I’ll ever buy premade whipped cream again. I have been for sure playing around with some whipped cream recipes and can’t wait to share them with you. Making it myself allows me to customize it for that added touch in every drink and dessert.
Powdered Sugar – Originally when I started making my own whipped cream, I just used the heavy whipping cream. The texture just wasn’t there. Then I did read somewhere to add powdered (10x) sugar to the heavy whipping cream. What a difference texture and taste wise! Heavy whipping cream made into whipped cream by itself has no flavor, but that bit of powdered sugar and perhaps a flavor extract, or in this case a bit of liqueur, make all the difference. I start with 3 tablespoons, but depending on the day, room temperature, the extract, you may need to add another tablespoon as you go.
Optional ingredients include green food coloring to add that luck of the Irish green to your drink and vanilla extract if you want a touch more flavor in your whipped cream. Though I learned it does fine without. You can also garnish with sprinkles, ground cinnamon, and/or ground nutmeg. I went with sprinkles this time, but have used cinnamon and nutmeg in the past.
Coffee Ingredients Used
Freshly Brewed Coffee – Make a cup of coffee for each person. As mentioned above, use your favorite method of making coffee.
Brown Sugar – Sugar is one of the main ingredients in an Irish Coffee to help tone down the alcohol “sting” and the bitterness the coffee may have. I know those who drink black coffee may be hesitant, so try without to start. Then add a little at a time until you are satisfied. I use a tablespoon, because I like this particular drink to be sweet. Brown sugar just adds a different flavor than plain white sugar and mixes with the whiskey nicely.
Irish Whiskey – Jameson would probably be the preferred name brand, but use whatever brand you like or have on hand. We bought ours at Costco, the Kirkland brand is, in our opinion, the same. You’ll just need one shot, trust me.
Irish Cream Liqueur – We used Bailey’s this time, the best known brand name of Irish Cream Liqueur. But again, the Costco/Kirkland brand has also worked just as well. You’ll need one shot, divided, half for the cream of the coffee, and half for the whipped cream topping.
Putting Your Irish Coffee Together
Start by making your whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, half a shot of the Irish Cream Liqueur, and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Add the food coloring at this time as well if you are opting for that. Carefully mix with your hand mixer using the whisk attachment, some will go flying, unless you have amazing skills or a bowl cover. This will take approximately 3 minutes or so. You want it to have peaks but still be light and fluffy. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while the coffee brews.
You will have leftover whipped cream, this is not the amount for just one cup. Store in an airtight container for a day or two. How quickly you’ll use it depends on how much whipped cream you want to add per cup.
Brew a cup of coffee for each person enjoying this tasty treat. I add the sugar after the coffee brews, but feel free to add before if that’s your preferred method. Once your coffee brews, add the shot of Irish Whiskey, half a shot of Irish Cream Liqueur (think of that as your coffee creamer), and stir.
Add your chilled whipped cream, optional toppings, and enjoy!
Enjoy Irish Coffee All Year Long
To enjoy this in the warmer months, try letting the coffee cool down to room temperature and then add a cup of ice before topping with the whipped cream. Or better yet, make a batch of cold brew the night before, then follow the rest of the steps for adding the sugar and alcohol.
If you’re interested in some other Irish delights, check out our post on Irish Food Appreciation.
Irish Coffee Recipe
Irish Coffee
Equipment
- Coffee Maker
- Hand Mixer or Ninja Blender
Ingredients
Infused Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ shot Irish Cream Liqueur we used Bailey's
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar keep some extra aside if needed
- green food coloring optional
- 1-2 drops vanilla extract optional
- sprinkles, ground cinnamon, ground nutmet optional garnish once drink is prepared
Coffee
- 1 cup freshly brewed coffee
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or to taste
- 1 shot Irish Whiskey we used Kirkland brand from Costco
- ½ shot Irish Cream Liqueur we used Bailey's
Instructions
Make the Infused Whipped Cream
- Add heavy whipping cream, Irish Cream Liqueur, powdered sugar and optional food coloring and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl.
- Use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment to carefully mix the ingredients together. You'll want peaks but still to be light and fluffy. This takes approximately 3 minutes. May need to add more powdered sugar if whipped cream isn't coming together enough.
- Send to refrigerator to chill while coffee is made.
Make the Coffee
- Brew one cup of coffee per person using your preferred method of coffee making.
- Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, one shot of Irish Whiskey, and half a shot of Irish Cream Liqueur per cup of coffee and mix well.
- Top with whipped cream, optional garnishes, and enjoy.
Notes
If you make this Irish Coffee Recipe, please let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you! Comment below, rate the recipe, tag us on social media! Can’t wait to see your take on this tasty beverage!
