These Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies are rich, chocolatey, and packed with Irish cream flavor. They take traditional chocolate chip cookies to the next level by adding espresso powder and Irish cream liqueur. Your St. Patrick's Day festivities need a platter of these boozy baileys chocolate chip cookies!
If you love chocolate chip cookies, you need these Bailey's Irish cream chocolate chip cookies! They are just like a classic cookie with a chewy center and golden brown crisp edges but with extra decadent flavor. They have a little bit of instant espresso powder added to enhance the chocolate flavor and a hint of Irish cream to add complexity. They truly are the perfect cookie!
There are so many savory St. Patrick's Day recipes such as Irish soda bread with corned beef and cabbage, but not as many St. Patrick's Day desserts. Well, these Baileys chocolate cookies are the best St. Patrick's Day sweet treat. It is such an easy cookie recipe that comes together in no time but is full of festive flavor!
If you love this cookie recipe, you must try my almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, bakery-style salted caramel cookies, and chai molasses cookies.
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ingredients 🧾
Flour: You will need 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour for these Baileys cookies.
Baking soda: Just 1 teaspoon of baking soda encourages spreading and gives the cookies a chewy texture.
Salt: Kosher salt balances out the sweetness in these cookies. You can also add flaky sea salt on top for a bit of crunch and extra flavor. You will need ¼ teaspoon salt.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds some spice to the cookies and compliments the unique flavor of Bailey's Irish cream. You will need ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
Butter: You will need 1 cup of high-quality unsalted butter. The butter is browned before putting it in the cookie dough to give a nutty depth of flavor. My favorite butter for all cookie recipes is Kerrygold. Also, it is an Irish butter so in theme with these cookies!
Brown sugar: 1 ½ cups of light brown sugar is added. Make sure to pack the brown sugar to get the right amount.
White sugar: You will need ¼ cup granulated white sugar.
Eggs: 2 large eggs are needed for these cookies. 1 large whole egg and 1 egg yolk makes these cookies extra rich. It also makes them a super tender chewy cookie.
Vanilla: You will need just 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
Baileys: The star of the show in these Irish cream cookies is Bailey Irish cream! It gives these cookies a hint of Bailey flavor without overpowering the delicious flavor of the cookie. Baileys can be found at most grocery stores or your local liquor store. They even sell Baileys minis, in case you don't want or need a large bottle. If you can't find Baileys, you can also make homemade Irish cream using Irish whiskey. You will need ¼ cup or 2 ounces of Irish cream.
Espresso powder: This is an ingredient not typically found in classic chocolate chip cookies but adding espresso powder to these cookies intensifies the chocolatey flavor and balances out the sweetness from the Irish cream. Only ½ teaspoon is used. To clarify, instant coffee is not the same as espresso powder.
Chocolate chips: You can't have delicious chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips! I like semi-sweet chocolate chips for these cookies but you can also use milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips. Though they are hard to find, there are even Baileys Irish cream chocolate chips you can use. You can even do a combination, like 1 cup dark chocolate chips and ½ cup milk chocolate chips. You will need 1 ½ cups total of chocolate chips.
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
variations & substitutions 📖
Add festive sprinkles. If you are making these cookies for St. Patrick's Day, feel free to add some green or festive sprinkles. I love these dark green sprinkles to match the Baileys vibe or these fun lucky charm sprinkles with gold and rainbows!
Make this cookie recipe a double chocolate chip cookie by adding cocoa powder. If you want the base of the cookie to be chocolatey, add just ¼ cup of cocoa powder to the mixture with the dry ingredients.
tips & tricks 👩🏻🍳
For best results, always be sure to bang your sheet pan on the counter after the cookies finish baking. This encourages the cookies to spread which prevents a dense doughy center and instead gives the cookies a chewy center with the crispy rippled edges.
Use a cookie cutter to scoot the edges of the cookies in after baking, for a uniform circle shape. Every time I make cookies I do this extra step and it always has people saying wow these cookies look perfect! It makes every cookie an even circle and removes any imperfections in the shape. It is not necessary to the bake but it does make them look extra pretty.
Add a few chocolate chips on the top of each cookie. Another unnecessary step, but adding a couple of chocolate chips on top of each cookie dough ball creates that pool of melted chocolate chips on top that is so aesthetically pleasing and also so yummy to bite into!
step by step instructions 🔪
Before baking, preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step #1 - Brown your butter. Place the butter in a light-colored medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, it will begin to foam and sizzle. In about 5-8 minutes from when you start, the melted butter will become golden brown. Once the foam subsides, you will see the milk solids at the bottom be toasty brown. Then remove it from the heat. Set it aside to cool for at least 20 minutes. The butter is ready to use once it has fully cooled down.
Step #2 - Mix the brown butter and sugars. In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, mix the cooled brown butter, white sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute. The butter mixture should look creamed and almost fluffy once fully mixed.
Step #3 - Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, until combined. Then add baileys and gently mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between mixing the butter mixture and wet ingredients to ensure everything is fully combined.
Step #4 - Combine dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, using a whisk or fork, combine the flour, baking soda, espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Step #5 - Mix dry mixture into wet mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined.
Step #6 - Add chocolate chips. Pour the chocolate chips into the cookie dough. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, incorporate the chocolate chips into the cookie dough mixture.
Step #7 - Scoop the cookies and chill the dough. Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. For smaller cookies, use a 1-inch cookie scoop. Do this until all the cookie dough is scooped into balls. You may need multiple sheet pans, depending on the size of your cookies. Chill your dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Do not try to speed up this process. The dough needs to chill for the cookies to have the perfect chewy texture. If they don't chill they will be a more flat crunchy cookie.
Step #8 - Bake the cookies. Once the cookie dough is chilled, arrange 12 cookies on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently bang the bottom of the pan on the counter to deflate the cookies. Using a circle cookie cutter, place on the outside of the cookie and scoot around to smooth out the cookie's edges and create the perfect circle shape. Then carefully place the cookies on a cooling rack or wire rack to finish cooling.
serving suggestions 🍽️
Serve these baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies while warm alongside a glass of milk. Or you can serve it a la mode with ice cream and a splash of Bailey on top!
Another great way to enjoy these delicious cookies is St. Patrick's Day morning! Try dipping one in a cup of coffee or even enjoying it with a cozy Irish latte.
To complete your St. Patrick's Day feast, also try making Irish pasties, chicken and mushroom pasties, and corned beef pasties.
storage & reheating ⏲️
Before storing be sure your cookies are completely cooled. Then store at room temperature in an airtight container sealed with a lid, or a bowl or jar with plastic wrap on top to seal in the moisture. Cookies are good for up to 1 week and stored at room temperature.
You can also freeze baked cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Or to have a quick ready-to-bake dessert, you can freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months.
faq's ❓
No, some of the alcohol remains in cookies even when baked. The alcohol content is reduced due to the heat exposure of the baked goods but some remains.
Although some recipes are developed to create a cakey, puffed cookie, this cookie is not that. These cookies should have crisp rippled outer edges and a chewy center. If your cookies are coming out cakey, this could be due to not correctly measuring the dry ingredients or overmixing the cookie dough when combining wet and dry ingredients. Be sure to just mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing adds too much air into the dough giving the cookie a lighter texture.
Baileys Irish cream contains no coffee or caffeine, however, the brand of Baileys does make coffee products. To learn more, check out my post that answers the question, does Baileys have coffee in it?
other dessert recipes
It warms me up to see you make my recipes! Tag me on instagram @essenceeats so I can see your remakes. If you made this recipe, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Also, please leave a star rating while you're there ☆
recipe 📋
Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies take chocolate chip cookies to the next level by adding Irish cream liqueur.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup high-quality unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Baileys Irish cream
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Place the butter in a light-colored medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, it will begin to foam and sizzle. In about 5-8 minutes from when you start, the melted butter will become golden brown. Once the foam subsides, you will see the milk solids at the bottom be toasty brown. Then remove it from the heat. Set it aside to cool for at least 20 minutes. The butter is ready to use once it has fully cooled down.
2. In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, mix the cooled brown butter, white sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute.
3. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, until combined. Then add baileys and gently mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between mixing the butter mixture and wet ingredients to ensure everything is fully combined.
4. In a separate medium bowl, using a whisk or fork, combine the flour, baking soda, espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined.
6. Pour the chocolate chips into the cookie dough. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, incorporate the chocolate chips into the cookie dough mixture.
7. Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. For smaller cookies, use a 1-inch cookie scoop. Do this until all the cookie dough is scooped into balls. You may need multiple sheet pans, depending on the size of your cookies. Chill your dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Do not try to speed up this process. The dough needs to chill for the cookies to have the perfect chewy texture. If they don't chill they will be a more flat crunchy cookie.
8. Once the cookie dough is chilled, arrange 12 cookies on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently bang the bottom of the pan on the counter to deflate the cookies. Using a circle cookie cutter, place on the outside of the cookie and scoot around to smooth out the cookie's edges and create the perfect circle shape. Then carefully place the cookies on a cooling rack or wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Storage Instructions:
Before storing be sure your cookies are completely cooled. Then store at room temperature in an airtight container sealed with a lid, or a bowl or jar with plastic wrap on top to seal in the moisture. Cookies are good for up to 1 week and stored at room temperature.
Freezing Instructions:
You can also freeze baked cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Or to have a quick ready-to-bake dessert, you can freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 62mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
All nutrition facts are estimations. Please see a physician for any health-related inquiries.
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