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Baileys is a popular Irish cream liqueur that was first introduced in 1974 and is made by blending Irish whiskey with cream, along with other flavourings such as cocoa and vanilla. With a smooth and creamy texture and a sweet and rich taste, it is often enjoyed on its own over ice. There are plenty of other ways to use it, though, such as in these Christmas Baileys dessert ideas, in coffee, or as an ingredient in various cocktails and desserts.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
21 Christmas Baileys Dessert Ideas
The combination of whiskey and cream gives Baileys a unique and indulgent flavour profile. It has become a well-known and widely consumed liqueur globally. There are also various flavoured versions of Baileys, such as Baileys Salted Caramel and Baileys Irish Cream with hints of coffee or chocolate, offering additional options for those who enjoy experimenting with different tastes.
1: Baileys Mince Pies
What’s better than a mince pie at Christmas? Oh, yes, that’s right… Baileys mince pies! Depending on how big or small you make them, you’ll get between 9 and 12 pies from this recipe, and they’ll take a maximum time of 45 minutes to cook, prep and cooking time together.
You could serve this Baileys mince pies warm, with custard, which would be my personal preference. Alternatively, you could serve them with Baileys butter (as the recipe suggests,) with squirty cream, or cold, as a snack, without an accompaniment. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t!
If you’re in the market for even more mince pie ideas, I’ve got just the thing you’re looking for: 31 Mince Pie Recipes for Christmas.
2: Chocolate and Irish Cream Roulade
This scrumptious boozy dessert serves up to eight people, can be made ahead and frozen, and contains 534 calories per serving… which is considerably less than I had imagined! Christmas Baileys dessert ideas like this one are great because they contain just the smallest amount of booze, making them somewhat family friendly.
You could always opt for a non-alcoholic version of the Irish cream drink, and there are a few options. BBC Good Food offers a recipe for a non-alcoholic homemade version of the drink. Alternatively, you could look at products like Twisst Alcohol Free Caramel Cream.
If you’re interested in more roulade and Yule log ideas for Christmas, I’ve got a recipe collection for that: 41 Yule Log Recipes.
3: Baileys Ice Cream Bombe
By Good to Know
How much do you like Baileys? Well, this ice cream bombe is boozy to the core, and it serves up to 16 people, with two bombes. The recipe is classed as easy, and it takes just 35 minutes of prep and ‘cooking’ time, but you’ll need to allow for plenty of freezing time. It is an ice cream dish after all.
If it’s a showstopper dessert you’re looking for, Christmas Baileys dessert ideas like this one are perfect. Festively flavoured and festively decorated, everyone on the table will want a piece… and then seconds. This is definitely a dessert that wouldn’t last five minutes on my dinner table!
4: Gingerbread Spiced Mousse with Baileys Cream
By Taste AU
This delicious festive dessert requires eight-plus hours in total, but that’s to allow for chilling time. You don’t need to be hands-on for the whole time, don’t worry! This spiced mousse dessert actually only needs around 20 minutes of cooking time, and it’ll serve up to eight people around your Christmas table.
Here’s a fun fact about the boozy beverage for you, while we’re here. Baileys Irish Cream was first introduced to the market in 1974. Did you know that?
5: Baileys Chocolate Brioche Pudding
By Something Sweet Something Savoury
Several different versions of Baileys have been available over the years, some of which have stayed for much longer than others. Baileys Glide, for example, was an alcopop-style version of the drink that was released in 2003 but discontinued just three years later, in 2006. There were coffee varieties in cans on shelves in Europe for two years between 2016 and 2018. These were Baileys Coffee Latte and Baileys Coffee Mocha. (And I’m very disappointed that they’re no longer on sale.)
Other flavours offered by Baileys over the years include Vanilla Mint Shake in 2023, S’more in 2022, Pina Colada in 2021 and 2023, Apple Pie in 2020, Red Velvet Cupcake in 2019, and Strawberries and Cream in 2018. Anyway, Baileys history lesson aside, let’s get back to the Christmas Baileys dessert ideas, shall we?
6: Gingerbread Trifle with Baileys Fresh Cream
This is not an easy recipe. I feel that it’s only right for me to admit that, straight up. It’s deliciously boozy and perfect for Christmas with the gingerbread flavours, but it’s classed as “hard” in difficulty level, takes 40 minutes of cooking time plus a little more in preparation time, but it serves up to six people.
In case you were wondering, the current list of Baileys drink products for the UK include the original (of course,) Deliciously Light, Tiramisu Cocktail, Chocolatluxe, Eton Mess (Limited Edition,) Salted Caramel, Orange Truffle, Colada, and Espresso Crème. And can I just say, YUM.
7: Chocolate Puds with Baileys Sauce
With only 486 calories per pud, this is definitely a Christmas pudding alternative that’ll keep everyone happy over the festive period. Nobody said that Christmas food was only to be eaten on Christmas Day. These Christmas Baileys dessert ideas are great for the festive run-up, run-down, and… any other time of year, really.
Switch custard for ice cream and many of these desserts will be suitable all-year-round. Many of the hot recipes are just as delightful cold. Practically all of them are customisable, too. You can switch out the ingredients from free-from ones, tweaking them so that they’re more suitable for you and the people around your table. Don’t say I don’t bring you the good stuff!
8: Baileys Yule Log
A traditional festive dessert has been given a boozy twist with this Baileys Yule log recipe that takes a total of 45 minutes to whip up from start to finish. Serving ten people, this is a great grownup-only dessert that’ll go a long way and probably won’t leave any leftovers.
If you thought your Christmas run-up was busy, wait until you hear how busy Amazon gets. Research shows that the UK side of the company receives as many as 47 seconds each second in the few days leading up to the big day. Thankfully, I’m guessing you don’t need to put up with that kind of demand, so you’ll have time to whip up something tasty (and easy) over the festive period.
9: Salted Dark Chocolate Baileys Pannacotta
Sticking with a boozy theme, some polls have shown that most UK residents pop open the boozy beverages a little after 11 am, which means that most of them are drunk by midday if they’re anything like my family. There’s good news if you’re not comfortable drinking in front of the family at such an early hour, too. You can opt for one of these Christmas Baileys dessert ideas, which are delicious and boozy, all at once.
This salted dark chocolate Baileys pannacotta, for example, looks completely family-friendly. No one would ever know that you were consuming Baileys in the morning. I won’t tell anyone… Will you?
10: Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Baileys
Some reports show that residents in the UK throw out almost 13,500 tons of glass from bottled beverages such as wine and beer, in just December and January alone. Almost all of those bottles can be recycled, either with curbside collections or one of the 50,000 bottle banks that came be found up and down the four countries.
So, when you’re making these Christmas Baileys dessert ideas, always be sure to recycle the bottles and – of course – please, drink responsibly. Okay, now that we’ve gotten the lecture out the way, let’s get back to business, shall we? It’s time for more Baileys deliciousness.
11: Festive Dacquoise with Baileys Cream
By Taste AU
Some reports suggest that more than 740,000 servings of Christmas pudding are thrown away at the end of Christmas, by households up and down the UK. When you consider that typical festive foods and drinks are often on multibuy offers or sales around the festive time of year, you can understand how it leads to overspending, food left over, and a lot of it then throw in the bin.
I doubt there’s going to be anything left of these delicious Christmas Baileys dessert ideas, but if there are, make sure that you eat them the next day. There are plenty of ways to spice up leftovers, both desserts and main meals alike.
12: Christmas Tiramisu
What’s better than tiramisu? Oh, yes: Baileys tiramisu! Tiramisu is known for its rich and indulgent flavour, combining the bitterness of coffee with the sweetness of the creamy filling. It’s a no-bake dessert, and its simplicity in preparation, along with its delicious taste, has contributed to its popularity around the world.
Many other variations of tiramisu exist these days, with some recipes incorporating additional ingredients like chocolate, nuts, or other flavoured liqueurs and boozy beverages.
If you’re interested in other styles of tiramisu, I think you’re going to enjoy this collection of recipes: 31 Tiramisu Recipes.
13: Baileys Salted Caramel Mini Tarts
By A Mummy Too
Combining chocolate and Baileys ganache with salted caramel, sweet shortcrust pasty and just the right amount of salt will give you a great dessert recipe that features Baileys. The small tarts are also great for grazing or buffet table-style events, lunches, or even as gifts for a friend or loved one!
With prep time of around 20 minutes and cooking time of just 5, this is a great dessert or treat idea for when you need to come up with something in quick time. The recipe makes twelve tarts depending on how big or small you make them, and each one comes in at (approximately) 369 calories. This ones in my Christmas menu book. Is it in yours?
14: Brandy Snaps with Baileys Espresso Martini Cream
Oh, the humble brandy snap. Once upon a time, they were well engrained in the tradition of Christmas, but these days, they’re barely even an afterthought. I thoroughly recommend making a start on the comeback with these brandy snaps with Baileys espresso martini cream.
You can make the actual brand snaps two to three days in advance, storing them in an airtight container. The Baileys espresso martini cream should be made right before you plan to serve them up to your guests. And, if you mess up the shape of the brandy snaps, you can just melt them down a little and reshape them. If only everything about Christmas was so simple.
15: Irish Cream Layered Pavlova
This delicious pavlova takes one hour and 15 minutes to whip up, only takes 8 ingredients, and serves up to seven people. Pavlova is a popular and elegant dessert that is named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and is a meringue-based dessert that has a crisp outer shell and a soft, light inside. It is often shaped into a large, round disc and baked until the outside is crisp while the inside remains soft and marshmallow-like. It is then usually topped with whipped cream and a variety of fresh fruits, such as berries, kiwi, or passion fruit.
The dessert is popular in Australia and New Zealand, and there is some debate about its exact origins. Both countries claim to have invented pavlova, but its true origin is not definitively established.
Are you interested in more pavlova dessert recipes? I’ve got a recipe collection for that: 21 Pavlova Recipes for Dessert.
16: Guinness Brownies with Salted Caramel Baileys Glaze
By Something Sweet Something Savoury
If you like your puddings with booze and then more booze, this is definitely one for you. It’s not just one of my favourite Christmas Baileys dessert recipes, it’s also infused with Guinness, which I love almost as much as Baileys. Not just a great Christmas dish, this is a brownie recipe you’ll also want to whip out on St. Patrick’s Day!
To create this festive treat, you’ll need to allocate around 30 minutes of preparation time plus 45 minutes of cooking time, but it’ll give you 12 delicious brownies that everyone will want a piece of. Just remember, though: they’re not child-friendly, so it’s best to leave these ones off the family-friendly buffet table.
17: Tiramisu with Baileys and Almonds
You’ll need just seven ingredients and 30 minutes of prep and cooking time to create this delightful festive dessert, which is not-festive enough to be served at any time of the year. You will need to allow for amply refrigeration time too, though, so it’s definitely not something you can create at the last-minute.
There are a few ingredients of Baileys that we don’t know about, such sugar and various herbs, but we do know that it contains Irish whisky (from several distilleries, not just one,) cream, vegetable oil, and cocoa. The manufacturer states that it contains absolutely no preservatives, and the cream for the drink, for the last thirty years, has been an Irish dairy company called Tirlán.
18: Gluten-Free Sticky Toffee Pudding with Baileys
This tasty festive dessert requires medjool dates, which are a type of large, sweet, and chewy dates that come from the Medjool date palm, known scientifically as Phoenix dactylifera. They’re often referred to as the “king of dates” due to their size, soft texture, and rich flavour.
For my gluten-free friends, you’ll be happy to know that this is one of the Christmas Baileys dessert ideas you can eat! It can be hard to eat happy when you have a restricted diet over the festive period. Thankfully, these days, there really is a treat for everyone. Woohoo to that, right?
19: Baileys Brownie Cake with Cheesecake Icing
By Taste AU
Sadly, my gluten-free friends, we are back to the gluten-included recipes. This one really is a delight, though. It’s got the best parts of several different dessert ideas: brownie, cake, cheesecake, icing, and of course the most important ingredient. Baileys! And, more importantly, it has been rated five out of five stars by the people that have made it.
You’ll need approximately 35 minutes of preparation time plus 35 minutes of cooking time to make this brownie-cake-cheesecake mashup. It’ll serve up to eight people… depending on how large the portions are. It contains eggs, milk, wheat, gluten, and lactose, so just be aware of that if you’re looking for diet-specific recipes.
20: Tiramisu Bread and Butter Pudding with Baileys Cream
This delightful dessert is a good’un for all-year-around, but if there’s one time of year to splurge out and eat more calories than you’d usually do, it’s most definitely Christmas. Also, you should think yourself lucky, because not all of us have enough self-control to only splurge one time per year.
Another mashup, this time combining tiramisu with bread and putter pudding, the dessert is the perfect mix of Italian and British and works excellently with a Christmas-sized portion of custard. Or ice cream. Or both! Boozy and brilliant. I just love it.
21: Quick No-Bake Baileys Cheesecake
By Baileys
Baileys has classed this recipe as ‘medium’ difficulty, and it takes just 30 minutes to put together, with absolutely no cooking or baking time required. That’s a good thing when the oven has been taken over by turkey, pigs in blankets, and everything else that requires cooking on Christmas Day.
It’ll serve eight people… unless you serve up larger than specified portions… which I’m assuming we all do. We all do that, right? Right?? You will need to give yourself chilling time of approximately two hours and chilling time of four hours, so make sure that you factor that in.
Christmas Baileys Dessert Ideas: Conclusion
So, there you have them: your 21 Christmas Baileys dessert ideas. What did you think of them? I hope you’ve managed to find a favourite that you can put together and then enjoy on the big day. I certainly intend to pick one, make it, and then eat it… no matter how badly it turns out!
If you’re in the market for more festive-themed recipes, you might find these recipe collections helpful: