Homemade Irish Cream
Homemade Irish Cream is an easy and delicious homemade liqueur that is perfect for sipping on its own as an after-dinner drink or adding to coffee or hot chocolate. It is made with just a few simple ingredients, including Irish whiskey, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
Homemade Irish Cream is an easy and delicious homemade liqueur that is perfect for sipping on its own as an after-dinner drink or adding to coffee or hot chocolate. It is made with just a few simple ingredients, including Irish whiskey, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
- Carbohydrate 0.196084374792525 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.030997291617575 g
- Fiber 0.0743541682563665 g
- Protein 0.0442108332631 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0181259374710825 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1g)
- Sodium 0.09428124992475 mg
- Sugar 0.121730206536159 g
- Trans Fat 0.00157754166444499 g
- Calories 2 calories
Step-by-step
- In the bottom of a pitcher, whisk cocoa powder and a spoonful of cream into a paste.
- Slowly, whisking the whole time, add more cream a spoonful at a time until the paste is smooth and loose enough that you can whisk the rest of the cream in larger splashes.
- Once all of the cream is in, whisk in condensed milk, whiskey and vanilla.
- Cover with lid or plastic wrap and keep in fridge for up to two weeks, possibly longer.
- Serve in a tiny tumbler filled with ice, or splashed into coffee.
Substituting light cream or half-and-half for heavy cream prevents a proper emulsion from forming, resulting in a watery liqueur that separates in the glass within minutes. High-fat dairy is chemically necessary to suspend the alcohol and sugar evenly without breaking down.
Creating a lump-free base requires starting with a thick paste before adding any liquid. Whisking the cocoa powder with just a spoonful of heavy cream breaks down the dry lumps efficiently; if you dump all the dairy in at once, the cocoa will simply float in stubborn dry specks that defy standard wire whisks. Incorporate the remaining cream gradually in splashes until the mixture is completely uniform, then pour in the sweetened condensed milk and Irish whiskey while continuing to agitate the liquid vigorously.
Storage requires a sealed glass container kept in the refrigerator, where the mixture remains stable for up to fourteen days. Freezing is not recommended because dairy-and-alcohol emulsions break down structurally upon thawing, yielding an unappealing graininess.
