Baileys Irish Cream Fudge
A simple Irish cream fudge made with everyone’s favorite liqueur. All you need are four ingredients to make a smooth chocolate fudge with hints of Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur is one of my favorite drinks. It’s so versatile.
You can put it into cocktails, martinis, and coffees. In fact, we have quite a few recipes that feature this tasty liqueur.
We even have a Irish Cream flavored whipped topping. For today’s recipe we’re sharing our Baileys fudge.
Using only a few ingredients, you can create a chocolate fudge that’s sure to please. Shall we get started?
How to make Irish cream fudge?
First, start by lining an 8×8-inch dish with parchment paper. You can use a 9×9-inch if needed.
One good way to make sure the paper stays in place, when the fudge is added, is to butter the pan first. Once it’s lined, set the dish aside.
Next, grab a large saucepan and place it over low heat. To the pan, add the chocolate chips, Irish cream liqueur, and sweetened condensed milk.
Stir everything to combine. It should only take about 5 to 7 minutes for the chocolate to fully melt.
But, you’ll want to keep stirring the whole time to keep the chips from sticking and burning. The mixture will be thick and have a glossy appearance.
Add the vanilla extract and stir until well combined.
Then, once the ingredients have mixed, pour the hot fudge into the prepared pan.
Now, use a rubber spatula to transfer the fudge and smooth it out. The next step is the hardest one of the recipe.
Afterward, place the Baileys fudge into your fridge to set for 3 to 4 hours.
Last, once it’s set, cut the candy into 36 individual pieces for serving. It can be stored in a sealed container on your counter (or in your fridge) for up to 5 days.
Tips for Success:
- Prep all of the ingredients ahead of time. This recipe moves quickly and you don’t want to move away from the pan for a second once the fudges starts to cook.
- Make sure you cook the ingredients over low heat and stir constantly. Don’t rush this part! Trying to cook the fudge over a higher heat may cause the chocolate to burn and the fudge may not set.
- Make sure to use the proper amounts. We use two (12 ounce) bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips, one (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk, 2/3 cup of Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Do not measure the chocolate chips or sweetened condensed milk with a measuring cup. These ingredients are poured directly from the bags and can. Their measurements are listed by weight not by volume.
- The Bailey’s Irish Cream is measured in a glass measuring cup.
- The fudge should be the consistency of thick, chocolate frosting when it’s ready to be transferred to the dish. Think Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker frosting in a container or tub, only thicker.
- We recommend name brand chocolate chips for this Irish cream fudge. A couple of our favorites are Ghiradelli and Nestle Toll House.
- This fudge sets softer than chocolate fudge made using marshmallow creme and a candy thermometer for temperature accuracy. However, it’s not nearly as soft as our Key Lime Fudge. It still sets enough to for clean slices and easy gift giving.
If you like our Baileys fudge recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe card. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram searching for Berly’s Kitchen!
Ingredients
- 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, two (12 ounce) bags or 4 cups
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 1 can
- ⅔ cup Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and Irish cream liqueur in a large saucepan, and heat over low heat. Stir constantly making sure to reach the bottom of the pan to ensure no chocolate chips stick and burn.24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips14 ounces sweetened condensed milk⅔ cup Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
- Continue stirring for approximately 5 to 7 minutes or until the chocolate chips melt completely and all the ingredients are well mixed. The mixture should be thick and have a glossy appearance.
- Add the vanilla extract and continue to stir until combined.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and use a silicone spatula to smooth into an even layer. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 3 to 4 hours.
- Cut into squares, and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- We have recently remade/re-tested this recipe to ensure ingredient accuracy in response to reader comments that the fudge doesn't set. Please see the "Tips for Success" section in the post to ensure you have the best outcome when making this recipe.
It has really good flavor, but didn’t firm up like the other pictures. I ended up rolling it in cocoa to be able to handle the pieces.
Good morning Karen, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work as intended. However, rolling them in cocoa was great idea. Kim is going to remake that recipe and modify it for the next holiday season. Thanks again for making us aware of the issue. Have a lovely day 🙂
Sadly, this didn’t set in 5 hours.
I used a kitchen scale for 24 ounces of semi sweet chocolate, exact 14 oz. of sweetened condensed milk and a liquid measure for 2/3rds cup Bailey’s Irish Cream. It’s been 5 hours chilling in a 36° F refrigerator, 8 x 8 cake pan lined with parchment paper. It’s still soft and gooey. 2/3rds cup seems like too much liquid for 24 ounces of chocolate and 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk – it’s certainly more liquid-to-chocolate in a fudge ratio than I’ve ever encountered before. I’ll leave it in the refrigerator overnight, but I doubt it will make a difference. It’s like a dense, sticky pot de creme or pliable ganache glue after 5 hours. If I can’t save it with a re-melt and chocolate addition, I’ll try to use it as a truffle fill.
Hi Angela!
We’re sorry to hear this recipe didn’t turn out. It will make a fantastic truffle filling if you decide to go that route! If you decide to make the fudge again, it may work better with 1/4 – 1/3 of a cup of Irish cream liqueur. Have a wonderful evening! 🙂
@Kimberly,
Thanks, It was still unset by the following afternoon – syrupy on the bottom and pudding-like on top. I scraped it off the parchment with a pastry blade, returned it to the double boiler, added 18 additional ounces of chocolate and set overnight. That worked. Other recipe ratios are around: 24 oz. chocolate, 8 oz. sweetened condensed milk, 1/3rd cup Irish Cream – so I almost doubled the chocolate to rescue it.
Hi Angela!
I’m so glad you were able to save it! Thank you so much for coming back with additional feedback. We hope you have a wonderful weekend! 🙂