Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or simply love a boozy dessert, this homemade Baileys ice cream is your perfect treat. With its ultra creamy, velvety texture and loads of sweet Baileys flavor with just the right touch of vanilla, every bite of this luscious homemade ice cream is pure decadence.
Does any one phrase make your ears perk up like boozy dessert? Call me a dessert-loving lush, but when I hear those two magical words together, I'm the first to line up for a helping.
Admit it. You're just like me. Why else would you be here? *Wink, wink*
But, seriously, I'm not alone here, so I have no doubt when you bring out this boozy Baileys ice cream to end one delicious meal, everyone at the table will be salivating -- and with good reason. Baileys and vanilla ice cream are tasty on their own, but when you bring them together? Get ready for ice cream bliss.
Ingredients
Let's make sure we're organized. Here's everything we need to make this homemade ice cream.
- Baileys Irish Cream
- Whole milk
- Heavy cream
- Sugar
- Egg yolks
- Vanilla extract
Step-by-Step Instructions
If you’re venturing into the homemade ice cream territory for the first time, it may seem intimidating, but I promise it’s super simple. Let's walk through the process, shall we?
We start out by cooking heavy cream, whole milk and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, and the mixture comes to just a simmer. As soon as it simmers, we turn off the heat. Boiling can cause the milk to separate, so we want to make sure it doesn't get hotter than simmering.
From here, we whisk lots of rich yolks with vanilla extract until the eggs begin to lighten. About three minutes of whisking by hand is my rule of thumb when I make ice cream.
With the yolks ready, we scoop in about half a cup or so of our warm cream mixture and give it a whisk. We repeat this a few more times. This gently cooks the eggs, so we don’t get scrambled egg ice cream.
We put everything back on the stove and cook until the mixture thickens enough to cover the back of a spoon. I find this takes anywhere from about six to 10 minutes.
And just like that, our ice cream base is now ready, so we place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface like so to prevent a film from forming on our custard.
We pop the custard into the refrigerator to chill and then churn. Chilling the custard is crucial to ensuring it properly churns, so never skip this step. I recommend chilling overnight.
Now you may be wondering where’s the Baileys. Toward the end of churning — and only then — we add the Baileys. The alcohol can interfere with the churning process if it’s added too soon, so we save this step to the last minute.
At this point, we’re ready to freeze, and in just a few hours, we get to dig in to the creamiest, dreamiest homemade ice cream.
How to Serve
Of course, this ice cream is plenty delicious on its own in a serving bowl. Scoop it up, add a spoon, and everyone will be perfectly happy.
That said, I plead with you to please, please, please serve this ice cream with my fudgy stout brownies and bourbon caramel sauce if you're looking for the best dessert of your life. Every St. Patrick's Day, that's exactly how I serve this ice cream, and everyone goes nuts. The sweet Baileys, explosion of chocolate and rich caramel sauce were made for each other.
Brownie sundaes are dessert perfection, but a boozy brownie sundae? It's almost too much goodness in one dessert. Almost.
Perfect Pairing
Big fan of Baileys, eh? You’ll love this ice cream with my Baileys Irish coffee martini. Or if you’d rather skip the double dose of Baileys, give it a try with this simple but delicious Irish whiskey smash. Obviously, Irish whiskey and Baileys go together beautifully in cocktails, and the same concept applies here.
Whether you're gearing up for St. Patrick’s Day or simply love a boozy ice cream, I hope you try this homemade Baileys ice cream. This perfectly creamy ice cream is always a crowd favorite, no matter the occasion. Please let me know how you enjoyed this ice cream recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.
Cheers!
Need More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes?
- Butterscotch ice cream with candied pecans
- Bourbon-pumpkin ice cream
- Honey-lavender ice cream
- S'mores ice cream
- Fresh mint-chocolate chip ice cream
Or Looking for St. Patrick's Day Recipes?
- Slow cooker Guinness corned beef
- Herbed roasted potato salad
- Mint-cucumber lemonade
- Baileys mousse
- Irish whiskey chocolate cake
Baileys Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
- Medium saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 7 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream
Instructions
- Whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to whisk periodically to help dissolve the sugar. Once it simmers, turn off heat. Do not bring to a boil as this can cause the milk to separate.
- Whisk egg yolks and vanilla until pale, about three minutes. Add about ¼ to ½ cup of the warm cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs to gently cook. Repeat this a few times.
- Add tempered egg-cream mixture back to the pot. Whisk constantly over medium heat and bring back to a simmer. Again, do not boil. Cook until mixture thickens and covers the back of a wooden spoon, about six to 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Pour into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard's surface. Refrigerate until cold, at least four hours to ensure proper churning, though I like to chill overnight to really make sure it's cold.
- Pour custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directors. In the last couple minutes of churning, pour in the Baileys. Do not do this sooner. Otherwise, the alcohol can mess with the freezing process. Pour into an airtight container and freeze for a few hours. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Mo says
I received an ice cream maker for Xmas and since then have been making ice cream every day. I have had great success with chocolate, but each time I make vanilla, the texture is great but the flavor comes out buttery. This ice cream, thankfully, is sooooooo good and the texture is perfect. The flavor is to die for!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Wow, thank you so much for that kind comment. It was a great way to start the new year. I’m so glad you loved it!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Oh my! I need this in my life. Must print your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
This is the first time that I’ve loved any of my homemade ice creams. The consistency and flavour feels like restaurant gourmet quality. Absolutely love and saving this recipe. Just subscribed to your newsletter for more recipes 🙂 Thank you!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you so, so much for that sweet comment, Erin! It totally made my day. I do tend to make my ice cream with more egg yolks than most homemade ice cream recipes, so I think that really helps in creating that great creamy texture. So excited to have you subscribe. Please reach out in the future with any questions or requests!
Linda says
How long will the ice cream keep in the freezer
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Hey, Linda! As long as you make sure it’s in an airtight container, you should be able to store it for a couple weeks.
Connie says
This is one hell of an ice cream! I've made this before and added little tiny bits of chocolate mixed in. The flavor with Baileys is unforgettable!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Ohhh, love the chocolate addition!
Heidy says
This was an excellent recipe for ice cream. My husband is now one of your biggest fans and that is one heck of a compliment. I loved the flavor of this too so this is a recipe we will be saving to make again!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Yay! I love hearing that!
Jacqui DeBono says
I always have bits of leftover alcohol, this would be a good use for it! Kahlua would be perfect too!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
That sounds like a delicious addition!
Danielle says
Now this is what I call a super ice cream recipe. With baileys making it supreme, I am sure I can use the recipe on so many different occasions - it will never fail!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
For sure! It's great any time of year.
Amy Liu Dong says
This ice cream recipe makes my day perfect, will definitely make this and will give this as gift to my sister's birthday I am sure she will like it.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I hope she does!
Marisa F. Stewart says
The minute I saw this recipe I went out to the garage to dust off the ice cream maker. OMG was the ice cream ever good! so creamy and not overly boozy in taste. We love our Bailey's so this is going to become a regular recipe at our house.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that. ?
Veena Azmanov says
I love the flavor of Baileys and I can just sense the mouth melting Baileys Ice Cream on my Pallet. Super delicious and yum.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
It's perfect for any Baileys lover!
Paula Montenegro says
OMG I can't wait to try this recipe! I love Baileys in every possible way and this is one idea I never thought of! Thanks for sharing.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
You're so welcome! This is definitely your kind of ice cream!
GUNJAN C Dudani says
Can;t wait for the ice cream season. Seattle is still cold so waiting for the sun to spread its warmth.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
We've been back and forth and are now back in a blizzard, but I can't wait until it warm weather all the time!