Love Baileys Irish Cream? Love Chocolate Chip Cookies?! These Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies are for you! They bake up thick, chewy, and super flavorful!
Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
It’s day 2 of our 12 Days of Cookies series! And today, we’re making a Christmas classic: CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! But of course, these aren’t just any chocolate chip cookies! Because they’re spiked with Baileys Irish Cream!!! To enhance the flavor even more, the cookie dough includes cinnamon and espresso powder. These cookies already have a cult following with my family and friends… so I always have some of this cookie dough in our freezer.
This recipe was inspired by my pal Ken, who runs the Rhinebeck Wine and Liquor Store. A few weeks ago we were chatting about baking – more specifically, cookies -and he shared his secret is adding a glug of baileys to his cookie dough. I was instantly intrigued! Especially since I have SO much baileys leftover from our wedding! It took me a few weeks to get this recipe just right, but I finally did and you guys…
THESE COOKIES ARE INSANE ↓
Ingredients for Baileys Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- butter: unsalted or salted will work! but if you’re using salted, reduce the salt called for in the dry ingredients by 1/4 teaspoon.
- sugar: you’ll use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar. light brown sugar or dark brown sugar may be used.
- eggs: two large ones, at room temperature!
- vanilla extract: just a small dash enhances all of the other flavors!
- espresso powder: I love King Arthur Espresso Powder! One jar will last you a LONG time! And once you have it, you can make other espresso recipes like this No-Bake Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake!
- baileys irish cream: You’ll need 3 Tablespoons for the cookie dough. If you’re not a big drinker, you can buy little travel size bottles. They’re usually sold at the check-out area of most liquor stores. If you love baking with Baileys, then I suggest buying a full-size bottle so you have it on hand for future recipes like my Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake!
- flour: all-purpose! I don’t recommend using any other variety of flour.
- salt: to balance out the flavors.
- baking soda: helps leaven the cookie dough, which in turn gives us soft and chewy cookies.
- and finally, chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet, but feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate. And of course, you can always use chocolate chunks!
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315 grams)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (227 grams)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed (213 grams)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (99 grams)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (340 grams)
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and espresso powder; whisk well to combine then set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and both sugars and beat on medium-speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed; about 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla extract and baileys Irish cream, and beat until combined.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 15 seconds after each addition. Turn mixer off. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture, stirring only until the flour begins to disappear. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 2 hours (and up to 3 days) before baking. Or bake right away for regular cookies (they'll be thinner but still delicious!!!).
When you're ready to Bake:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll 3 tablespoon sized scoops of dough between your palms to form a ball (they should be big; almost a 1/4 cup), then place on prepared sheets (make sure to leave enough room in between each cookie for inevitable spreading). Continue this process until all the dough has been rolled.
- Place baking sheets in preheated oven, one at a time, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden at the edges but still soft in the middle. Repeat with all cookie dough. Let cookies cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Terri says
I used Bailey’s Baking Chips instead of the semisweet chocolate chips. It definitely made a difference in the taste.
Hannelore Gabriel says
my friends favorite
Cherie Bruce says
They are good but I don’t get much of the Bailey’s taste
Nel says
I just made the cookies for the second time as they disappeared the first within few minutes… I added a pinch of nutmeg along with the cinnamon and also increased the Bailey’s…
I think I’m addicted to these cookies…
Lisa says
These are my new FAVORITE chocolate chip cookie! After reading all the comments , I scooped my dough with the large pampered chef cookie scoop, froze it, then baked for 13” at 375. Perfect ! After trying the recipe exactly as written, I opted to reduce the chips to 1 1/2 cups because I did do what was suggested to press additional chips into the warm cookies immediately after coming out of the oven to make them pretty . Twelve ounces of chips with the additional chips on top was just too rich for me . For my preference, the third time I made them (yes, I have now made them three times in the last week), I put in 1 1/4 c chips. On the second time, I added an additional tablespoon of Baileys, and quite frankly, I just didn’t like it as well as the 3 Tablespoons called for in the recipe. All in all, I am SO IMPRESSED with this cookie that it is now going to be my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. It tastes professional! I love the complexity of the flavors! In once sense it tastes like a traditional chocolate chip cookie, but it another sense, the complex blend of flavors elevates it so far above your average chocolate chip cookie! When it come out of the oven and is eaten warm, it is truly THE BEST chocolate chip cookie I have ever tasted !!! THANK YOU!
Gordon T says
My family loves these cookies. I tweaked the recipe a little. I put 6 table spoons of Baileys and half the chocolate chips.
Pat pascarella says
We love this cookie. My second time baking them after 2 hrs in refrigerator produced a drop cookie. Didn’t spread. Don’t know why. But they were delicious.
Ommm says
I made the dough yesterday but haven’t made the cookies yet. I made a Hugh mistake in the mixing. I was looking at the ingredients instead of the directions and mixed it all together at the same time I mixed and mixed and mixed! I’m going to attempt to make the cookies today. Pray they come out ok!
Jean says
Can these cookies be made ahead and frozen?
Christina says
I have been using this recipie for a few years now, and they are my ultimate go-to! I typically only bake at Christmas…and my colleagues/family/friends start asking about these in October!!!
I made a few teaks, for personal preference, (more baileys and some Reese peanut butter chips), but this is definitely going to be one of my faves for many more years to come!!! Thank you!! ❤️