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You are here: Home / Desserts and Pastries / Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 6, 2022 by Tristin 30 Comments

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A stack of Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies with a bottle of Baileys and cookies in the background.

Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies are luscious chocolate chip cookies with a hint of Irish cream and cocoa flavor. Chewy and soft on the inside with a slightly crisp outside!

These Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies are such a fun dessert and would fit right in for St. Patricks Day or Christmas. For more sweet treats, be sure to check out one of our most popular recipes Apple Cinnamon Bread. Or these adorable pink cookies, Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies.

A stack of Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies with a bottle of Baileys and cookies in the background.

Baileys Cookies

Imagine biting into a perfect chocolate chip cookie. Your teeth sink through a slight crispy exterior and right into a soft, gooey chocolate chip filled center. But, as the cookie hits your tongue you realize that there is something else, something more complex to this cookie.

A light flavor that you don’t normally expect in a chocolate chip cookie. And if you are not the baker behind this delightful treat, then you will more than likely have trouble putting your finger on exactly what that flavor is until someone tells you.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Baileys Irish Cream

I know, I know chocolate chip cookies are amazing on their own and don’t typically need doctoring. I mean, they are a classic for a reason, right?

But, what if you could add a splash of an ingredient just to add a special, unique flavor? I am all for creating something new out of the old….er….classic.

It’s fun to play with recipes to create a new spin on the original. And it’s even more fun if that ingredient is a tasty liqueur!

If you love cookies, try these double chocolate chip cookies!

What Kind of Chocolate Chips to Use

When I am baking up these Irish cream cookies, I enjoy using semi sweet chocolate chips because they are the perfect balance of sweet with a little bitterness. Using them ensures that my cookies aren’t too sweet. But, I like to mix things up a bit and I think these taste great with white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips.

If you really want the chocolate even more unsweet, go with bittersweet chocolate chips. And I have even heard that you can get Baileys Irish cream chocolate chips, if you are lucky enough to find them.

Up close of a stack of Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies.

Best Way to Portion Cookies

I know a lot of people like to eyeball their cookie dough, believe me I used to do it, too. But, now when measuring out the dough for the cookies that I bake, I like to use a cookie dough scoop.

This helps me to make cookies that are more uniform in size. This means that the cookies will not only be similar visually, but also will cook more uniformly and all be done at the same time. The size of scoop I use is 1 tablespoon to make 1-2 tablespoon sized cookie dough balls.

What does Baileys Irish Cream Taste Like?

Baileys is a super creamy and delicious Irish liqueur that has a light, milky flavor. It has notes of a little vanilla and chocolate with just a hint of whiskey. It is a sweet drink that is only about 17% alcohol, that is relatively low.

You can even try it in baileys chocolate cheesecake.

Can Kids Eat Irish Cream Cookies?

I have heard forever that alcohol cooks off when it cooks. I’m not one to trust everything I hear and looked into it a few years ago. I learned something interesting, baked goods that cook for 25 minutes still retain 45% of alcohol. Foods have to cook for at least 3 hours at boiling point for alcohol to completely burn off.

Since these cookies only cook for 9-11 minutes, the alcohol is not going to burn off completely. The amount of alcohol that is left is not a lot but it is still there. I will leave it up to your discretion. But, kids definitely should not eat the raw dough.

Bailey Irish Cream Cookies Ingredients

  • Flour: I use unbleached, all-purpose flour for this cookie recipe.
  • Baking Soda: Make sure your baking soda is not expired.
  • Salt: I use sea salt in this recipe. If you are using table salt I recommend cutting the amount in half.
  • Cocoa: Unsweetened, 100% cacao powder.
  • Butter: I use unsalted butter, it will need to be softened up to room temperature before using.
  • Sugars: You will need both white granulated sugar and brown sugar (I use light brown).
  • Vanilla: Use vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla flavoring.
  • Baileys: Irish cream is a sweet whiskey liqueur.
  • Eggs: Pull them out of the refrigerator to have them up to room temperature.
  • Chocolate Chips: You can use chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
All of the ingredients needed to make Irish cream cookies.
Irish Cream Cookies are Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day

How to Make Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here are the basic instructions to make Irish cream chocolate chip cookies. For the exact ingredient amounts and steps, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  1. In a large bowl, combine together the flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. When measuring the flour, it is crutial that you measure it correctly. Spoon it into a dry measuring cup, not a liquid measuring cup. Do not pack the flour in the cup. Use a knife to level it off.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a bowl using a hand mixer), cream together the butter and the sugars. Make sure to pull the butter out of the fridge 2 hours before making the cookie dough so that it has time to come to room temperature.
  3. Add in the vanilla and eggs to the creamed butter. Mix well, then mix in the Baileys.
  4. To the wet ingredients, slowly add the dry ingredients mixing after each addition.
  5. Hand mix in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
  6. Place the bowl of dough into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
  7. Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Next, scoop the dough using a cookie dough scoop and place the dough balls onto the baking sheet. Place them about 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart.
  9. You can either bake the cookies or freeze them.
  10. Place cookies into the pre-heated oven, one tray at a time. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, taking them out as soon as they start turning brown. Make sure you DO NOT over bake them. After putting baked cookies on a cooling rack, you can put the baking tray in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it off quickly to bake more cookie dough.
Step by step instructions needed to make Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies.

Can you Bake Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies from Frozen?

This recipe makes a good amount of cookies, so sometimes I will cook half of the dough and freeze the rest of the dough. You can also double the recipe so that you have a full batch to eat and one to make for later.

How to Freeze Cookie Dough

When I’m planning on freezing the dough, I like to roll out the dough balls and place them onto baking sheet, making sure to space them out. Place that sheet into the freezer and freeze the dough balls for about 30 minutes until slightly frozen.

Put the frozen dough balls into an airtight, freezer safe container or zip bag and freeze up to 2 months.

How to Bake Frozen Dough

  1. Thaw the cookie dough balls. When you are wanting to bake the cookie dough, pull the dough balls out of freezer and place them on a parchment covered baking sheet. Place a clean tea towel over the top of the thawing dough. They should be thawed within 1-2 hours. Bake according to the directions below.
  2. Baking frozen cookie dough. Place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F and immediately put the cookies into the preheating oven. Cook the cookies for 15 minutes.

Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies Tips & Variations

  • Do not over bake. Make sure to not over bake these cookies. One of the most important things to keep in mind when baking these
  • Warm them up. Heat the leftover cookies up for a few seconds in the microwave for a tasty warm treat!
  • Try different chips. Use white chocolate chips, milk chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, bittersweet or even white chocolate chips.
  • Add chocolate chips. After baking add a few chocolate chips to the top of the cookies to have those glossy chocolate chips.
  • Coffee creamer. I have heard a rumor that you can use Irish cream coffee creamer instead of using Baileys. I have never tried it, but if you do let me know how it turns out.
Above view of a cooling rack of Baileys Irish cream cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze cooked Baileys Irish cream cookies? Yes, these Baileys chocolate chip cookies can be frozen. Just check out the directions below under the storage instructions.

How to make gooey Irish cream chocolate chip cookies? Keep these cookies soft by not over baking them. Cook them for no more than 12 minutes.

Can you bake chocolate chip cookie dough from frozen? You can cook these from frozen dough. Place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F and immediately put the cookies into the preheating oven. Cook the cookies for 15 minutes.

Can you taste the Irish cream alcohol in the cookies? These Irish cream cookies taste like chocolate chip cookies with a faint hint of something else. They don’t taste like alcohol at all.

How to Store Baileys Cookies

How to store Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies? Let the Irish cream cookies cool and put in an air tight container. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days.

How to freeze Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies? Let cookies cool completely. Wrap each cookie with plastic wrap or stack them together and wrap them, completely covering all parts of the cookie. Put into an air tight, freezer safe container or freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months but are best if eaten in 3-4 weeks, just be sure to label with the recipe and date.

How to thaw frozen Baileys Irish cream cookies? Thaw frozen cooked cookies on the counter for 1-2 hours until defrosted.

A stack of Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies with a bottle of Baileys and cookies in the background.

Try these other dessert recipes!

  • Cherry Cheesecake Dump Cake
  • Watergate Cake
  • Lucky Charms Bars with White Chocolate Drizzle
  • Fluffernutter Cookies
  • Lemon Cooler Cookies

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A stack of Baileys Irish cream chocolate chip cookies with a bottle of Baileys and cookies in the background.
Print Recipe
5 from 12 votes

Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookes

Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies are luscious chocolate chip cookies with a hint of Irish cream and cocoa flavor. Chewy and soft on the inside with a slightly crisp outside!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time11 minutes mins
Refrigerate the dough2 hours hrs
Total Time2 hours hrs 26 minutes mins
Course: Dessert and Pastries
Cuisine: American
Servings: 34
Calories: 162kcal
Author: Tristin – Home Cooked Harvest

Ingredients

  • 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 9 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream
  • 12 ounces chocolate chips plus more if you are adding some to the tops

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine together the flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a bowl using a hand mixer), cream together the butter and the sugars. Make sure to pull the butter out of the fridge 2 hours before making the cookie dough so that it has time to come to room temperature.
  • Add in the vanilla and eggs to the creamed butter. Mix well, then mix in the Baileys.
  • To the wet ingredients, slowly add the dry ingredients mixing after each addition.
  • Hand mix in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
  • Place the bowl of dough into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Next, scoop the dough using a cookie dough scoop and place the dough balls onto the baking sheet. Place them about 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart. You can either bake the cookies or freeze them.
  • Place cookies into the pre-heated oven, one tray at a time. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, taking them out as soon as they start turning brown. Make sure you DO NOT over bake them. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before putting baked cookies on a cooling rack. You can put the baking tray in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it off quickly to bake more cookie dough.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • When measuring the flour, it is crutial that you measure it correctly. Spoon it into a dry measuring cup, not a liquid measuring cup. Do not pack the flour in the cup. Use a knife to level it off.
  • Do not over bake. Make sure to not over bake these cookies. One of the most important things to keep in mind when baking these
  • Warm them up. Heat the leftover cookies up for a few seconds in the microwave for a tasty warm treat!
  • Try different chips. Use white chocolate chips, milk chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, bittersweet or even white chocolate chips.
  • Add chocolate chips. After baking add a few chocolate chips to the top of the cookies to have those glossy chocolate chips.
  • Coffee creamer. I have heard a rumor that you can use Irish cream coffee creamer instead of using Baileys. I have never tried it, but if you do let me know how it turns out.
  • Cookies can be put into an airtight container and left at room temperature for 3-4 days.
 
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results. 

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 183IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jere

    March 10, 2022 at 9:19 pm

    5 stars
    Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. I bought some Bailey’s for a cake and never used it again so I was more than happy to get that bottle out and make these chocolate chip cookies.

  2. Tristin

    March 10, 2022 at 9:20 pm

    This is a great way to use up that extra Baileys. Thanks Jere!

  3. Mikayla

    March 10, 2022 at 9:24 pm

    5 stars
    An adult chocolate chip cookie is a terrific treat to take to your book club meeting or a gathering of friends. Truly wonderful flavor that I will make again.

  4. Tristin

    March 10, 2022 at 9:30 pm

    That is such a great idea Mikayla, you could totally bring these to book club! Thanks!!

  5. Allyssa

    March 11, 2022 at 4:22 am

    Thank you so much for sharing this amazing chocolate chip cookies recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!

  6. Tristin

    March 11, 2022 at 5:00 am

    Thanks so much for your kind words, Allyssa!! I am glad that you enjoyed these chocolate chip cookies.

  7. Tracy

    March 11, 2022 at 7:34 am

    5 stars
    These cookies were SO delicious. LOVE the Baileys in them. A keeper for sure!

  8. Tristin

    March 11, 2022 at 8:05 am

    The Baileys definitely adds a special touch! Thanks Tracy!!

  9. Linda

    March 11, 2022 at 11:19 pm

    5 stars
    Baileys and chocolate! You sure know the key to my heart and these cookies are sooo good and addictive

  10. Tristin

    March 11, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    I agree, Linda, these are addictive for sure! Baileys and chocolate is such a great combo.

  11. Marisa Franca

    March 12, 2022 at 8:42 am

    5 stars
    I always thought my CC cookies were the very best. Well, they were until I made your recipe with the Irish cream. WOWZA! Did the taste ever go up several notches. Truly delicious and the family all agreed.

  12. Tristin

    March 12, 2022 at 9:18 am

    Marisa, you are the absolute sweetest! I bet your chocolate chip cookies are AMAZING! Thanks for your kind comment.

  13. Annie

    March 13, 2022 at 11:12 am

    5 stars
    These cookies are so delicious and flavorful. I love the use of Irish cream. I will definitely make this again!

  14. Tristin

    March 13, 2022 at 11:30 am

    I love that little bit of flavor that the Irish cream adds, too. Glad you liked these, Annie!

  15. Katie Crenshaw

    March 13, 2022 at 3:33 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies are brilliant. They came out sweet, crunchy, and gooey! The Irish cream added just a hint of extra flavor. I definitely would make again!

  16. Tristin

    March 13, 2022 at 3:35 pm

    I love that little hint of flavor that the Irish cream adds. I’m glad these came out great for you, Katie.

  17. Hayley Dhanecha

    March 13, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars
    I just can’t believe, how amazing they turned out for me, taste and texture on spot. I really like the way you fully explained this recipe. This is definitely a recipe I’m going to repeat. Thank you!

  18. Tristin

    March 13, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    Hayley, thanks so much for your kind comment! It makes me so happy to hear that these turned out so well for you.

  19. LaKita

    March 13, 2022 at 6:16 pm

    5 stars
    These Bailey’s chocolate chip cookies are so sweet, amazing, and delicious! Will definitely be making them again and again.

  20. Tristin

    March 13, 2022 at 6:45 pm

    This is a repeat recipe in our house, too! Thank you, LaKita!!

  21. Loreto and Nicoletta

    March 13, 2022 at 9:50 pm

    5 stars
    Very creative thinking here!???????????? Yes chocolate chip cookies fo taste wonderful on their own, however there is something to be said about taking things to the next creative level, and you have definitely done that!????
    These would absolutely be a hit for the up and coming St Patrick’s Day! Well done, they look scrumptious!????????

  22. Tristin

    March 13, 2022 at 10:25 pm

    Awwww, thanks so much Loreto and Nicoletta! These cookies are a lot of fun for St. Patrick’s Day. I appreciate your comment!

  23. Heidy

    March 14, 2022 at 8:45 am

    5 stars
    These Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies were so delicious and turned out perfect with all your great instructions. I am going to make them again for ST, Patrick’s Day.

  24. Tristin

    March 14, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    That’s great Heidy! These do make a tasty treat for St. Patrick’s Day. Thanks so much for commenting.

  25. Margaret

    September 26, 2022 at 5:08 pm

    I’m wondering if I could use part butter flavored Crisco in this recipe.

  26. Tristin

    September 26, 2022 at 7:38 pm

    I don’t see why you couldn’t use some Crisco in these cookies. I haven’t done it myself, so can’t guarantee results. Let me know how they come out Margaret.

  27. KJ

    October 25, 2023 at 7:27 pm

    Looking to make these in advance for an event. Can they be frozen after baked?

  28. Tristin

    October 25, 2023 at 8:58 pm

    KJ, yes these cookies can be frozen but may not be as good as when they are fresh. After letting them cool completely, wrap each cookie with plastic wrap (you are trying to keep the freezer burn away as much as possible). Put the cookies into a freezer ziplock bag or an airtight container that can go in the freezer. Good luck!

  29. Martha

    November 3, 2023 at 9:54 am

    5 stars
    Does the Bailey’s give a booze taste? I want to make these for my son’s firefighters coworkers?

  30. Tristin

    November 3, 2023 at 5:10 pm

    The Baileys gives a subtle hint of flavor, but no, they will not taste like alcohol. If you are looking for that flavor you could make a frosting with some Baileys added.

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Hey there! Welcome, I am so glad you are here. I’m Tristin, the food-lover, recipe-maker, and photo-taker behind Home Cooked Harvest, which features easy recipes made with tasty ingredients. Read More…

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