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.

collage of two pictures of lots of unfrosted cupcakes.

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

listed ingredients for making cupcakes with bailey's

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)

collage of three pictures making batter in a bowl.

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.

collage of two pictures showing unbaked and baked muffins.

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.