My Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie is a festive favorite for New England St. Patrick's Day parties. This from-scratch, creamy pie is decadent, with a generous pour of Irish cream. Plus it's straightforward to make.
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I may have gilded the lily here—after all Baileys Irish Cream is pretty darned good all on its own over a little ice, or splashed into afternoon coffee.
Yet, I couldn't resist pouring Baileys into a decadent, chocolaty dessert. You will love it! Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie is creamy, sweet, full of Irish cream flavor, and needs no baking.
And don't think that this is only a St. Patrick's Day treat—this chocolate Baileys dessert is a welcome dessert any time of the year.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: This is a decadently creamy pie that takes a favorite sipping liqueur, Baileys Irish cream, and folds it into a chocolatey, mousse-like filling. Poured into a chocolate crust, it's a showstopping dessert that brings so much cheer, especially at New England St. Patrick's Day parties!
- You'll love this part: The richness of this pie makes it feel fancy-pants, yet it's a cinch to whip without spending all day in the kitchen. This is a make-ahead dessert, a boozy, cool and creamy chocolate pie.
- How it's made: Blitz cookies into a cookie crust. Fold whipped cream, cream cheese, chocolate, and Baileys together, pour it in the crust, and let it chill.
Jump to:
- What is Irish cream liqueur made from?
- Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee
- Why you'll love Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie
- Corned Beef and Cabbage Sandwiches
- The Surprising History of Baileys Irish Cream
- 🔪 How to make Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Pie
- Need another St. Paddy's Day dish?
- Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie FAQs
- Tips:
- Don't just take my word for it...
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What is Irish cream liqueur made from?
Baileys brand and other Irish creams are a blend of milk, chocolate, and Irish whiskey. It's a smooth and creamy liqueur that's exquisite when used to make sweet drinks, desserts, and coffee drinks.
Another Irish cream recipe!
Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee
Pick up some chocolate Baileys Irish cream for this decadent, warm cocktail.
Why you'll love Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie
One of the best things about this Baileys chocolate cream pie is that it's easy to make. Vanilla wafer cookies and cocoa are combined to make a pie crust that bakes up in just 15 minutes. After that, just blend the other ingredients and spoon the pie filling into the crust.
A mixture of cream cheese and whipped cream gives this pie the flavor of a Baileys cheesecake but with a lighter, mousse-like texture.
The pie does need to chill for a few hours, which lets the flavors develop and makes the pie easy to slice. You can also make it the day before and hold it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
If you're making this recipe with Baileys Irish cream for St. Patrick's Day, top it with green shamrock sprinkles like I did! You can also add chocolate curls or grated chocolate to the top.
Also for St. Patrick's Day...
Corned Beef and Cabbage Sandwiches
Turn corned beef into a tangy deli sandwich, complete with slaw.
The Surprising History of Baileys Irish Cream
Many folks wonder, is Irish cream is really Irish? The answer is yes! It's a liqueur that really was invented in Ireland, and Baileys is still made in Ireland, in Dublin.
I had long assumed that Irish cream is a drink that's been around for ages, a spirit that the Irish had been brewing for centuries, a potable as ancient as the ruins of the Clonmacnoise monastery.
Imagine my surprise upon reading this Irish Times article about the origin of the liqueur and learning the truth: Irish cream was created in 1973! AD!
Irish advertisers David Gluckman and Hugh Reade Seymour-Davies had a client who wanted to create a new alcoholic beverage. In less than an hour, the ad execs came up with the idea for Irish cream liqueur. They ran to a local store to grab ingredients, including Jameson Irish Whiskey and heavy cream, and concocted the liqueur recipe right in their office.
The all-male focus group who were the first to sample Baileys Irish cream called it a "girl's drink". One United States spirits executive declared, "This shit will never sell!" That guy was so very wrong, because that shit did and does sell! Baileys Irish cream sells to the tune of about 82 million bottles each year.
Not only is it a deliciously sippable tipple, Baileys makes a sweet, delectable addition to all kinds of desserts, including my Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream pie!
🔪 How to make Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Pie
Ingredients:
- 'Nilla Wafer Cookies: These classic vanilla cookies are crushed to make an easy, sweet pie crust.
- Cocoa powder: A little cocoa powder blended with the cookies creates a chocolaty crust, perfect for this creamy Baileys pie!
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. Melt it and blend with the crushed cookies to create the pie crust—and add extra flavor, too.
- Heavy cream: It's so easy to make the best-tasting whipped cream from scratch to add to the pie filling. Either heavy cream or whipping cream work just fine here.
- Powdered sugar: Also called confectioners' sugar, it's ideal to sweeten the creamy pie filling because it dissolves smoothly and quickly.
- Chocolate: Use bars of semi-sweet chocolate; go with a good quality chocolate like Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Tony's Chocolonely.
- Cream cheese: You'll need two packages of softened cream cheese for this creamy chocolate and Baileys pie filling. The cream cheese not only creates a luscious texture, it gives the filling a mild cheesecake-like flavor.
- Salt: Just a pinch in the pie filling helps to amplify all of the other ingredients, making the pie just taste better.
- Baileys Irish Cream liqueur: You need a ½ cup of Baileys for the pie. (If you'd prefer to use a different brand of Irish cream, go ahead—I won't tell anyone! Five Farms Irish Cream made in County Cork, Ireland is also very good.
- Sprinkles: I use St. Patrick's Day-themed sprinkles from SprinklePop. You can also find a good assortment of holiday sprinkles at stores like Michael's.
Make the cookie crumbs
Grind the vanilla wafer cookies up with cocoa and melted butter in a food processor.
Bake the crust
Press the mixture into a pie plate. Bake the chocolate pie crust until it's set, then let it cool completely.
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Make the whipped cream
Whip cream and sugar together in a mixer to make the whipped cream: some for the filling and some for the topping.
Make the chocolate filling
Blend up cream cheese, melted chocolate, Baileys, and sugar to make the filling.
Fold in the whipped cream
Gently mix in the whipped cream to make a smooth filling.
Assemble and chill
Spoon the filling into the crust, then spread whipped cream over the top. Chill the pie for at least 4 hours.
Decorate and serve
Sprinkle your choice of holiday sprinkles over the top of the pie, then slice and serve!
Need another St. Paddy's Day dish?
Pour a bottle of Guinness stout into the slow cooker and make Guinness Pot Roast, served with homemade Colcannon! You can add slices of buttered Irish Brown Bread on the side, too.
Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie FAQs
Even though it's made with milk and cream, Baileys does not need refrigeration. That's because the alcohol in the liqueur acts as a preservative. According to the Baileys website, opened or unopened bottles should be stored between 32°F and 77°F, and away from direct sunlight. The Baileys will last for up to two years.
Yes! Instead of baking the cookie crumb crust for this Baileys pie, you can simply pick up a premade chocolate cookie crust at the grocery store, and use that instead.
Tips:
- Allow the Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie to chill for at least four hours or overnight before serving.
- To skip the baked crust and prepare this recipe as a no-bake pie, skip the steps to bake your own cookie crumb pie crust. Instead, use a store-bought, chocolate cookie crumb pie crust and add the filling to it.
Don't just take my word for it...
"So yummy!" — Armchair Squid
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The Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie recipe is below. Here are more St. Patrick's Day recipes to try, including another Baileys Irish cream dessert!
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 cups vanilla wafer cookies (6-7 ounces)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
For the whipped cream:
- 2½ cups heavy cream (or whipping cream)
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
For the filling:
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1½ cups confectioner's sugar
- ½ cup Baileys Irish Cream liqueur
- Sprinkles (St. Patrick's Day-themed, green, or your choice of sprinkles)
Instructions
- Place the bowl and whisk attachment for your mixer into the freezer.
Make the crust.
- (The crust requires a brief baking. See the notes below for a no-bake option.)
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Have a 9-inch pie plate ready.
- Grind the 3 cups vanilla wafer cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor. (If you don't have a food processor you can crush them in a bowl using a pestle or a heavy-bottomed glass.)
- Add the ¼ cup cocoa powder to the crumbs and pulse the food processor to blend them in. With the motor running pour in the 6 tablespoons butter, melted and run the food processor until the chocolaty crumbs are thoroughly saturated.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate, using the bottom of a glass or a pastry tamper. It should be a firm, even layer over the entire bottom and sides.
- Place the crust in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Move the crust to a cooling rack. The crust will have puffed a little: use the glass or tamper to gently press it down and against the sides. Allow the crust to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream:
- Assemble the chilled bowl and whisk on the stand mixer. Pour the 2½ cups heavy cream into the bowl. Beat the cream on medium-high for a minute. Stop the mixer; add in the ½ cup confectioner's sugar and the ½ teaspoon cream of tartar if using.
- (Cream of tartar will help whipped cream stay set for longer, but if you don't have any, don't worry about it.)
- Whip the cream for another 2 to 4 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
- Remove 2 cups of the whipped cream and put them in the fridge. (This will go on at the end.) Transfer the rest of the whipped cream to a bowl and hold it aside for the filling.
Make the filling:
- Place the 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it in 30 second blasts, stirring after each one, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set it aside to cool—it must be at room temperature before it goes into the filling.
- Wipe out the mixer bowl. Add in the 16 ounces cream cheese, softened and the 1 pinch of salt; beat the cream cheese on medium until it's whipped and smooth.
- Add in the 1½ cups confectioner's sugar; beat it into the cream cheese until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice during mixing.
- The chocolate should be room temperature—once it is, scrape it into the mixing bowl. Run the mixer on medium-low, scraping the sides once or twice, until the chocolate is fully incorporated.
- Pour the ½ cup Baileys Irish Cream liqueur into the bowl and run the mixer on medium speed to incorporate it.
- Take the whipped cream you set aside in the bowl: use a rubber spatula to gently fold it into the chocolate-cream cheese mixture, using big strokes to pull the mixture from the bottom up and over the top. (This is to keep the mixture light and airy.)
Assemble the pie:
- Spoon the chocolate-Baileys filling into the cooled crust. It's a lot of filling and will be higher than the edge of the pie plate, but should be firm enough to stay in place. Use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly and smooth the top.
- Take the 2 cups of whipped cream from the fridge. Spread this evenly over the top of the pie filling.
- Loosely cover the pie with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill and set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Once chilled, add Sprinkles to the top: you can use stencils to create shapes or just sprinkle them all over.
- Slice the pie and serve immediately. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Allow the Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie to chill for at least four hours or overnight before serving.
- To skip the baked crust and prepare this recipe as a no-bake pie, skip the steps to bake your own cookie crumb pie crust. Instead, use a store-bought, chocolate cookie crumb pie crust and add the filling to it.
Nutrition
armchairsquid says
So yummy!
Nancy Mock says
I'm so happy you like it, thank you!