A Massachusetts take on the traditional hot drink, Fluffernutter Irish Coffee has the irresistible peanut butter and marshmallow flavor of our favorite sandwich. It's one of my six New England-inspired Irish coffees!
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If you love coffee and don't mind spiking that joe with a little spirit, it's for sure that you'll love an Irish coffee topped with a thick layer of cream. The warm drinks are especially comforting after work in the fall and winter—they're a delicious way to take the edge off.
And if you pair that hot, spirited coffee with some of the best-loved flavors of New England? The result is an Irish coffee that's even more irresistible! That was my goal when I created six New England-inspired Irish coffee recipes. And this one pays homage to Massachusetts—the Fluffernutter Irish Coffee.
Jump to:
What is Irish coffee?
A lovely drink that warms you up right down to your toes, Irish coffee is made with strong black coffee and a shot of Irish whiskey. It has a light sweetness from brown sugar and is topped with a layer of lightly whipped cream that floats on the surface. Some restaurants and bars make Irish coffees with an additional shot of Baileys Irish cream.
It's served in an Irish coffee glass—a heat-proof glass mug with a handle and stemmed foot. The clear glass shows off the dark coffee and white cream layers.
Irish Central shares that the drink was created by Northern Ireland-born Joe Sheridan in 1943, when he was working as a chef at Foynes Airport near Limerick. He whipped up the drink on the spot one night when a cancelled flight left New York-bound passengers stranded and freezing cold at the airport. Sheridan knew cups of cream-topped, hot coffee spiked with Irish whiskey would revive them!
A decade later, an American reporter named Stanton Delaplane sampled Sheridan's Irish coffee at Foynes. He loved it so much that once back home, he recreated the drink with the help of friends at The Buena Vista Hotel cafe in San Francisco. The cafe began serving Irish coffee and even invited Joe Sheridan to come and work for them—which he did, for the next ten years until his death in 1962.
Today, The Buena Vista is still a destination for authentic Irish coffee. The hotel celebrates its role in making Irish coffee famous in the U.S. With glasses lined down the counter, the bartenders put on a show—flinging sugar cubes and dropping long pours of coffee and Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey down the row of glasses. The Buena Vista estimates that they serve 2,000 classic Irish coffees a day!
The inspiration for Massachusetts-style Irish Coffee
If you grew up in Massachusetts or the neighboring states, then you know full well what a fluffernutter is: a simple sandwich made of peanut butter and marshmallow creme on white bread. Just writing these words brings to mind the nostalgic flavor of this sandwich that I loved as a kid. Yes, it's true—as surprising as it may sound, kids really love sandwiches full of sugary marshmallow spread!
And for us here in the Northeast, the brand we reach for is Marshmallow Fluff, a Lynn, Massachusetts product that's 125 years old! On their website, Marshmallow Fluff shares that H. Allen Durkee and Fred L. Mower, bought the recipe for the marshmallow spread in 1917.
Once they began selling it, it didn't take long for the word to get around. By 1929, Marshmallow Fluff was so popular that Durkee and Mower built a 10,000 square foot factory to keep up with demand. Over the decades the company had its own radio show (The Flufferettes), partnered with brands like Rice Krispies and Nestle, and published a collection of recipes called The Yummy Book.
Here's a commercial from the '60s!
And Marshmallow Fluff is still going strong today! There's an annual Fluff Festival in Union Square in Somerville with Fluff-themed midway games, music, and creative snacks and drinks made by local food vendors—with Fluff!
As it turns out, the sublime flavor combination that is marshmallow and peanut butter is really delicious in an Irish coffee.
Why you'll love this recipe
Irish coffee is a simple cocktail that turns a regular cup of joe into something extra special. Enjoy one to relax after dinner, to warm up after a cold weekend day of snowshoeing, or as a happy hour drink with friends.
And, of course, Irish coffees are a perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
Brew some strong coffee and gather up the spirits, the first of which is Irish whiskey. Go for Tullamore Dew, the same whiskey used at The Buena Vista in San Francisco. I like Knappogue Castle 12 Year, and also Redbreast 12 Year. If options (or funds) are limited, Teeling, Jameson, Paddy's, or Slane are good Irish coffee whiskey choices, too.
The peanut butter flavor in this coffee comes from peanut butter whiskey. The first brand I ever heard of doing this flavor was Skrewball, but there are lots of peanut butter whiskey options out there now. Some of them are Ram's Point, Bird Dog, Sheep Dog, and Blind Squirrel. (Animals love peanut butter whiskey, I guess!)
Marshmallow Fluff is blended with cream to make the top layer. To make this, all you need is a hand mixer—in less than two minutes, you'll have a thick marshmallow cream to top the coffee.
It's the Irish coffee you love, with a nostalgic, peanut butter and fluff twist.
🔪 How to make a Fluffernutter Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
- Heavy cream: Whipping cream will also work here. Make sure the cream is cold for the best results when whipping it.
- Dark coffee: How dark you go is up to you! Brew coffee (I like Vermont Coffee Company) for the drink using your usual method: drip, French press, pour over, etc.
- Irish whiskey: Jameson is the brand everyone knows, but there's a wide variety out there to try. This list of inexpensive Irish whiskeys will give you some ideas.
- Peanut butter whiskey: There are many brands and pricepoints available. Here's a list of peanut butter whiskeys you can try.
- Marshmallow Fluff: For the most authentic fluffernutter experience, use Marshmallow Fluff brand in the red and blue jar!
- Brown sugar: A little brown sugar sweetens the coffee.
- Peanut butter and white bread: To make the little sandwich garnish, grab some smooth peanut butter and a slice of ordinary white bread!
Add sugar to the glass
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Spoon brown sugar into the bottom of a warm Irish coffee glass.
Add the alcohol
Pour the Irish whiskey and peanut butter whiskey into the glass.
Then comes the coffee
Pour strong, hot coffee into the glass, and stir everything together.
Add the cream
Lightly whip the heavy cream and the Marshmallow Fluff with a hand mixer until they thicken into a still-pourable mixture. Pour the marshmallow cream on the surface of the coffee to create a floating, creamy top layer.
Garnish and enjoy!
Spread peanut butter on half of the bread and marshmallow fluff on the other half. Press them together, then slice it into a tiny, square fluffernutter sandwich. Skewer the sandwich on a shamrock cocktail pick and add it to the drink. Enjoy!
FAQs
An original Irish coffee is made with Irish whiskey, along with coffee, a little sugar, and a cream collar. However, these days, it's not unusual to find Irish coffees in bars and restaurants that are made with Baileys Irish cream or a blend of Baileys and Irish whiskey.
My Fluffernutter Irish Coffee recipe is made with 1-½ ounces each of Irish whiskey and peanut butter whiskey—about two shots in total. You can, of course, reduce the quantity of both liquors for a less potent drink.
Don't skip the step of warming up the glass before assembling the Irish coffee—this prevents the drink from cooling down too fast. Remember also to stir the sugar, liquors, and coffee together before adding the cream. Otherwise, the sugar may stay undissolved and gritty at the bottom. Finally, the cream should be lightly whipped—loose enough that you can pour it from a pitcher, but thick enough that it will float on top of the coffee. Pouring it over the back of a warm spoon helps it stay afloat.
While it may not be traditional, there's no reason why you can't enjoy your Fluffernutter Irish Coffee cold! Dissolve the brown sugar in the cold coffee, then pour it over ice in a glass, followed by the whiskey and peanut butter whiskey. Stir these together before adding lightly whipped marshmallow cream to the top.
Tips:
- Choose an Irish coffee glass with an 8-ounce capacity or larger for this recipe.
Raise a glass of sweet Fluffernutter Irish Coffee and make a toast: to Joe Sheridan for inventing the drink and to Massachusetts for the flavor inspiration. Sláinte!
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Fluffernutter Irish Coffee
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Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- ½ cup Marshmallow Fluff plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1½ ounces Irish whiskey
- 1½ ounces peanut butter whiskey
- 4 ounces strong, hot coffee
- 1½ tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 slice white bread
Instructions
Prepare the cream:
- Pour the cold heavy whipping cream into a small bowl; add in the Marshmallow Fluff. Use a hand mixer to beat them together for one to two minutes—the cream should be thickened but still pourable.
- Hold the marshmallow-cream mixture aside.
Warm the glass and add sugar:
- Run hot water into an Irish coffee glass two or three times until the glass is warmed. Shake out any excess water, and dry the outside.
- Spoon brown sugar into the bottom of the Irish coffee glass.
Add the alcohol:
- Pour the Irish whiskey and peanut butter whiskey into the glass.
Add the coffee:
- Pour the hot, strong coffee into the glass. Use a spoon to gently stir the ingredients together.
Add the cream:
- Slowly pour the marshmallow-cream mixture over the back of a warm spoon onto the top of the coffee. It should float on the top to create a thick, creamy top to the drink.
Create the garnish:
- Spread peanut butter on half of the bread slice and marshmallow fluff on the other half. Sandwich them together. Slice out a small, square fluffernutter sandwich. (You can eat the leftover parts!)
- Skewer the mini sandwich on a shamrock cocktail pick and add it to the drink, so that the sandwich sits on the rim of the glass. Enjoy your Fluffernutter Irish Coffee!
Notes
- Choose an Irish coffee glass with an 8-ounce capacity or larger for this recipe.
Nutrition
Anonymous says
A delightful fusion of childhood memories and adult indulgence!!!
Nancy Mock says
Gotta love Fluff! Thank you!
CM says
What a delight!
Nancy Mock says
Thank you, I had fun creating this one!