Simple Bailey’s muffins that really taste of the Irish cream liqueur. Soft, moist and so delicious!!! Perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!
You will so love these Bailey’s muffins! My favorite muffin recipe discovery lately, I’ve baked them several times already. Despite the fact that I always have to bake something different for the kids whenever I bake this particular recipe. For instance, the Apple Muffins with Oil or the Sour Cream ones.
The best thing about this recipe?
You will taste the Bailey’s! And that’s the main thing, isn’t it? Why else would you bother to bake them otherwise? There are millions of other muffin recipes (suitable for kids as well) if all you want is a regular one. But when you go to the trouble of using liqueur than you should be able to taste it too.
While searching for a recipe all I could find were recipes instructing me to use 3-4 tablespoons liqueur for the batter… What’s the point in that? You will not taste anything at all, you could just as well use milk instead… So I’ve just made my own recipe where I was able to use 175 ml/ ¾ cup.
And you will definitely be able to taste it! Funnily enough, I thought I could taste the Irish cream liqueur even more intensively when the muffins were still slightly warm and then again the next day. You will always taste it, of course, I just thought the flavor was more intense when warm and then the next day.
What do you need?
Bailey’s:
- An alcoholic drink made with cream, cocoa, and Irish whiskey. So delicious on its own and so suitable to use for recipes. Check out this Bundt Cake or this Hot Chocolate, for instance.
Other ingredients:
- Flour – I prefer to use cake/pastry flour, it makes the batter lighter/airier.
- Baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, milk, or bittersweet. I prefer bittersweet.
- Egg
- Sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
How to make Bailey’s muffins?
- Preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Mix together flour + baking powder + salt + chocolate chips. (1)
- In another bowl, beat the egg + sugar + soft butter until creamy. (2)
- In a jug mix together milk + liqueur + vanilla extract.
- Alternating, fold the flour mixture and the liqueur mixture into the creamed egg and butter. (3)
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, they should be about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Tips for making good Irish cream muffins
- Use a kitchen scale, it guarantees for best results, a cup of flour or one of butter weighs differently every time you try to measure that way and that can really ruin your baked goods.
- Preheat the oven before you start mixing the ingredients, the batter needs to go into the oven immediately. If it waits for the oven to get hot, the baking powder will lose its power and the muffins will not rise nicely.
- You can make cupcakes by frosting the muffins with buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
How long do they last?
You can serve the Bailey’s muffins lukewarm or completely cool.
They keep well for 3-4 days in an airtight container, they will still be moist and delicious.
You can also freeze them in freezer containers or bags and defrost them when needed. It will not take long to defrost them, but you can also reheat them sligthly in the oven, if you wish.
Can I serve them to children?
I definitely wouldn’t. There is just too much alcohol inside.
More recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
- Thermomix Bailey’s
- Dutch Oven Irish Stew (with Guinness)
- Lamb Stew
- Sweet Soda Bread
- Potato Soup
- Colcannon
And some more muffins?
Bailey's Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour Notes 1,2
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips Note 3
- 1 egg large
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter soft
- 3/4 cup Bailey's
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit (fan oven 160 degrees Celsius/ 320 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Dry ingredients: Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips.
- Cream: In another bowl, beat the egg, sugar, and soft butter until creamy.
- Wet ingredients: In a jug, whisk together Bailey's, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Combine: Alternating, fold the flour mixture and the liqueur mixture into the creamed egg and butter.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups; they should be about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Use a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients; it guarantees for best results.
- I prefer to use cake flour (without raising agents); it makes the muffins lighter. Of course, all-purpose is fine as well, but cake flour is better.
- Either milk or bittersweet chocolate chips. Chopped chocolate can be used instead.