Simple Bailey's muffins that really taste of Irish cream liqueur. They are soft, moist, and delicious! Perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day!
You will so love these Bailey's muffins! It is 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 Muffins.
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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?
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, and I was able to use ยพ cup/ 175 ml.
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.
Recipe ingredients
Bailey's: It is 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 Baileys Bundt Cake or this Baileys Hot Chocolate, for instance.
Flour: I prefer to use cake/pastry flour; it makes the batter lighter/airier. But if all you have is all-purpose flour, that will work fine, too.
Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, milk, or bittersweet. I prefer bittersweet.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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 ยพ 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.
Good to know!
Use a kitchen scale (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results; a cup of flour 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.
Recipe FAQs
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 slightly in the oven if you wish.
I definitely wouldn't. Also, don't serve them to pregnant women or people dealing with alcohol problems.
Bailey's Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin tin
- Paper liners
Ingredients
- 2 โ cups all-purpose flour Notes 1,2
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ยฝ cup chocolate chips Note 3
- 1 egg large
- โ cup granulated sugar
- ยฝ cup unsalted butter soft
- ยพ cup Bailey's
- โ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360ยฐF/ 180ยฐC (fan oven 320ยฐF/ 160ยฐC) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Dry ingredients: Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips.2 โ cups all-purpose flour/ 260 g + 2 teaspoons baking powder + ยผ teaspoon fine sea salt + ยฝ cup chocolate chips/ 75 g
- Cream: In another bowl, beat the egg, sugar, and soft butter until creamy.1 egg + โ cup granulated sugar/ 125 g + ยฝ cup unsalted butter/ 120 g
- Wet ingredients: In a jug, whisk together Bailey's, milk, and vanilla extract.ยพ cup Bailey's/ 180 ml + โ cup milk/ 80 ml + 1 teaspoon pure 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 ยพ 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
- Measurements: Use a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients; it guarantees for best results.
- Flour choice: 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.
- Chocolate: Either milk or bittersweet chocolate chips. Chopped chocolate can be used instead.
Pree says
Followed this recipe to the T. Turned out absolutely delicious. Will definitely be making again and again.
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Pree.
Snp says
Is it necessary to use chocolate chips? Can't we make it plain?
Adina says
Sure, you can leave the chips out.