Baileys Brownies

Name: Bailey's Brownies Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1/2 cup chocolate chip (semi-sweet or dark); 1 1/2 cups brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 cup Baileys Irish cream (room temperature); 1 cup all purpose flour; 1/2 cup cocoa powder; 1/2 tsp coarse salt

Bailey’s Brownies are delectable, rich, and fudgy homemade brownies made with addition of Baileys Irish cream! You can make them topped with Baileys whipped cream, cream cheese frosting, or ganache. The choice is yours and recipes are included.

Enjoy more of the very best brownie recipes like Red Velvet Brownies and Brownie Pie!

Brownies cut into squares and stacked on up on a piece of parchment.

Table of Contents

Calling all Baileys lovers – this one’s for you! This Baileys brownie recipe is ideal for St. Patrick’s Day, but make no mistake… these homemade fudgy brownies are delicious all year round. The Baileys flavor lends itself in an amazing way to the brownie batter, giving each bite a subtle note of both vanilla and even more chocolate.

What I love most about these brownies is just how rich they are. They’re dense and chewy in the very best way and have a ton of moisture. I love fluffy cakes, but when it comes to brownies, I like them to be fudgy and rich.

You know those chocolate desserts that are so rich you couldn’t possibly have more than one serving, but so tasty you want to go back for more anyways? That’s the category these brownies fall into!

Ingredient Notes

Labeled ingredients for Baileys Brownies on a wood surface.

Flour – All purpose flour will work just fine here. (If you need to substitute for gluten free flour, use all-purpose gluten free flour. )

Bailey’s Irish Cream – It needs to be room temperature, so if it’s been chilling in the fridge, you’ll want to leave it on the counter for a little while. (If you plan to use gluten free flour, double check with the brand to see if your Irish cream is gluten free.)

Brown Sugar – use light brown sugar and if you want even richer molasses flavor, use dark brown sugar. On the other hand, to add a little lightness, you can use white granulated sugar instead.

Chocolate Chips – Semisweet or dark chocolate chips work best with these rich, fudgy brownies.

Vanilla Extract – I always recommend using pure vanilla extract if you can.

Butter – unsalted is better to choose to control the amount of sodium.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Bailey’s Brownies

Collage of four images of making the batter for brownies.

Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate chips. In a small pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat and whisk in chocolate chips and brown sugar (1). Keep whisking for a few seconds and turn off the heat. Whisk until chocolate chips melt, and take off the stove (2).

Add eggs. Transfer the chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl and let it cool for a few minutes so you don’t scald the eggs. Whisk in the eggs just until incorporated (3).

Add Bailey’s. Whisk in Baileys Irish cream and vanilla extract until incorporated (4).

Collage of two images mixing the wet and dry ingredients together with a whisk, pouring the batter into baking dish.

Add the dry ingredients. Sift in cocoa powder to get rid of the lumps and add in the flour and salt. Whisk until the ingredients are incorporated (5).

Spread into the baking pan. Transfer into the prepared baking dish (6) and spread the batter evenly (7).

Collage of two images of brownies before and after cooking.

Bake. Bake for 30 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and let the brownies cool for about 30 minutes before cutting (8).

brownies fanned out on parchment paper with a glass of baileys to the side.

How to Make Baileys Frosting, Whipped Cream, and Ganache

PRO TIP: Make sure to cool brownies to at least a room temperature before adding toppings. Don’t spread any toppings onto warm brownies!

Bailey’s Whipped Cream:

Beat 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup cold Baileys and 1/4 cup powdered sugar with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed. Continue mixing as you slowly pour in the 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Once stiff peaks form, it’s ready! Make sure to add the the whipped cream only to cooled brownies!

Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting:

Let your cream cheese and Irish cream warm up for about 30 minutes before making the frosting. Beat together 8 oz of room temperature cream cheese, 1/2 cup white granulated sugar, 2 tbsp. sour cream and 1/4 cup of room temperature Baileys in a bowl for 2-3 minutes. Once it’s nice and smooth, you can spread it over the cooled brownies.

Bailey’s Ganache:

Chop a 4 oz baking chocolate bar and place it in a small mixing bowl. Bring 4 tbsp Bailey’s to simmer in a small sauce pot. Don’t let it boil. Pour the hot Bailey’s over the chopped milk chocolate and stir with a whisk until melted and smooth.

Note that this will make a nice thin layer of ganache. If you’d like the layer to be thicker, simply double the recipe. Spread over cooled brownies!

Storing Instructions

These brownies will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. Note that after that they will start to dry out. Make sure to cover them tightly with plastic wrap or keep in another airtight container.

To keep them even longer, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Brownies are best at room temperature so allow them to adjust to room temperature prior to serving.

Bailys brownies cut into squares on a piece of parchment paper with a glass with baileys in it.

Recipe FAQs

What makes brownies fudgy vs cakey?

What makes brownies fudgy or cakey is the fat to flour ratio. Your fats include butter, shortening and oils. Also, things like chocolate, buttermilk, and cream are fats as well. Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones.

A cakey brownie has more flour and baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not affect the result much whether you’re going fudgy or cakey.

Can I add coffee to the brownie mixture?

Absolutely! Adding some instant coffee powder or instant espresso powder will intensify the flavor of the chocolate. You’ll only need to add a tablespoon of instant powder.

Can I freeze brownies?

Brownies freeze very well. Make sure to cool the baked brownies to room temperature and cut them. After cutting them, wrap each square airtight in plastic wrap, then transfer into an airtight container or zip-top freezer-safe bag. Freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to thaw, simply pull them out to allow them to come to room temperature before unwrapping. You can thaw them right on the counter!
Remember to freeze WITHOUT toppings!

Baileys brownies stacked on a piece of parchment with chocolate shavings on top.

More Baileys Inspired Recipes

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