Irish cream hot chocolate
Hot chocolate with Irish cream liqueur, topped with cream. Rich, sweet and made in one pan.
- Time
- 8 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Mug
- Strength
- 0.7 UK units
How to make an Irish cream hot chocolate
- Warm the milk. Heat the milk in a small pan over a medium heat until steaming and small bubbles form at the edge, about 3 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Whisk in the chocolate. Whisk in the chocolate powder until there are no lumps and the milk is an even dark brown.
- Take it off the heat. Remove the pan from the heat and wait 30 seconds. Pour the Irish cream into a warm mug.
- Combine. Pour the hot chocolate over the liqueur and stir once.
- Top with cream. Spoon the lightly whipped cream on top and grate over a little chocolate.
- Glass
- MugNo mug? A large cup or heatproof glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- Whipped cream and a little grated chocolateOr: A few mini marshmallows.
What you need to make an Irish cream hot chocolate
Kit
SaucepanBig enough to hold the whole batch.
Whisk or shakerTo loosen cream until it just pours.
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Bottles we'd use
- Irish cream liqueurBaileys is the best known. Any Irish cream works, so a cheaper bottle is fine here.Find it on Amazon
- Hot chocolate powderChoose a dark, low-sugar powder because the liqueur adds plenty.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Irish cream hot chocolate story
Irish cream liqueur, a blend of Irish whiskey, cream and chocolate, was invented in the 1970s and Baileys launched in 1974. It was designed to be sipped over ice, but it was soon being poured into coffee and hot chocolate on cold nights.
The one thing to get right is timing. Cream liqueur can split if it is boiled, so it goes in after the milk comes off the heat. It is already sweet, so use dark or less sugary chocolate powder.
Irish cream hot chocolate: your questions answered
What is in an Irish cream hot chocolate?
An Irish cream hot chocolate is made with 200 ml whole milk, hot chocolate powder and 40 ml Irish cream liqueur. Garnish: whipped cream and a little grated chocolate.
How strong is an Irish cream hot chocolate?
Made to this recipe, an Irish cream hot chocolate contains about 0.7 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve an Irish cream hot chocolate in?
Serve an Irish cream hot chocolate in a mug. No mug? A large cup or heatproof glass.
