Irish Cream Fudge is an after dinner treat just for adults! This boozy fudge recipe combines Bailey’s and milk chocolate—the perfect finish to a meal! No candy thermometer needed!
For more great dessert recipes with Irish Cream, try these Boozy Brownies and this Bailey’s Cheesecake Recipe!
What is Irish Cream
Irish Cream is a sweetened cream blended with Irish whiskey. The liqueur comes premixed with plenty of sugar and a noticeable almond or hazelnut flavor.
If you’ve ever had “Irish coffee” (coffee with cream and whiskey), chances are good you’ve had Bailey’s Irish Cream before! I love that it infuses a whiskey flavor into all kinds of desserts, without tasting overpowering.
This Irish Cream Fudge is based on my favorite chocolate fudge recipe. I stirred in some Bailey’s to give it a boozy touch and an unforgettable flavor. We could hardly stop eating this fudge. . . and you can bet we slept well that night, too.
It goes without saying that this is a fudge that’s for grown-ups only! Kids get to enjoy so many delicious candies and goodies that it’s about time the adults get a treat of their own to enjoy.
Ingredient Notes
You only need 6 ingredients to make this easy Bailey’s Fudge recipe.
- Sugar
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Irish Cream – I always use Bailey’s brand. It’s the most readily available and always delicious.
- Marshmallow cream – The jars labeled “fluff” will work too. Or use our homemade marshmallow cream instead!
- Chocolate chips – Milk chocolate taste best here.
Tips and Tricks
- Boil the sugar, heavy cream and butter for 4 minutes! You don’t need a candy thermometer–just stir it constantly at a full rolling boil.
- Add the Irish cream AFTER boiling. You don’t want the alcohol to cool off!
- Use an electric mixer to blend the boiled cream mixture with the chocolate and marshmallows. The mixer makes it easy to get everything smooth and combined.
- Make a garnish: Drizzle melted chocolate over the set fudge for the finishing touch! I like to add a few chocolate sprinkles for good measure, too.
- Serving suggestions: I love Irish Cream Fudge served with hot coffee or espresso. Add a splash of this (booze free) Irish Cream Coffee Creamer to your mug for double the Bailey’s flavor!
- Love boozy desserts? Try my easy rum balls or boozy brownies next.
Recipe FAQs
YES! A few squares of this fudge aren’t going to get you drunk, but it does contain a noticeable amount of alcohol. Drink—or, in this case, EAT—responsibly!
I haven’t ever tested this fudge recipe with homemade Irish Cream. Only Bailey’s. If you try it, leave a comment to let me know how it turns out!
This fudge will keep well for a couple of weeks if you store it in an airtight container. But who’s going to resist eating all of this tasty fudge for that long?!
You could, but then it wouldn’t be Irish Cream Fudge! I do have plenty of alcohol-free fudge recipes on the site, if you need a treat that everyone can enjoy.
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Irish Cream Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter
- ¼ cup Baileys Irish Cream
- 7 ounce jar Marshmallow Cream
- 12 ounces Milk Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Line a 9inch square dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add milk chocolate chips and marshmallow cream. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and cream. Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Continue boiling for 3-4 minutes (at a rolling boil). Remove from heat and add Bailey's Irish Cream. Pour everything over chocolate chips and marshmallow cream.
- Using an electric mixer, beat mixture until chocolate chips are melted and fudge is creamy (about 1-2 minutes).
- Pour into prepared pan. Allow fudge to set for about 4 hours (or overnight) at room temperature.
Notes
- Does this fudge contain alcohol? YES! A few squares of this fudge aren’t going to get you drunk, but it does contain a noticeable amount of alcohol. Drink—or, in this case, EAT—responsibly!
- Can I use homemade Irish cream instead? I haven’t ever tested this fudge recipe with homemade Irish Cream. Only Bailey’s. If you try it, leave a comment to let me know how it turns out!
- How long does this fudge keep? This fudge will keep well for a couple of weeks if you store it in an airtight container. But who’s going to resist eating all of this tasty fudge for that long?!
- Can I make this without the alcohol? You could, but then it wouldn’t be Irish Cream Fudge! I do have plenty of alcohol-free fudge recipes on the site, if you need a treat that everyone can enjoy.
This has been in my Christmas recipe rotation for a while now. Using quality milk chocolate chips like Ghirardelli goes a long way. In my experience the fudge will begin to set almost immediately once everything is mixed together. I’ve doubled the amount of Bailey’s in the recipe without any issue.
Another idea that worked out really well is making a two separate batches of the recipe and in one of the batches swap out the milk chocolate chips with white chocolate chips and pour them on top of each other. Since it’s otherwise the same recipe the two layers stick together without issue. I then sprinkle crushed Andes chocolate on top of the layers while the fudge is still hot. The Andes chocolate will begin to melt pretty quickly and then I lightly go over it with a rubber spatula to slightly separate the Andes layers and spread it out over the fudge. This gives a nice mint chocolate shell on top of the fudge.
I made this today, and followed the recipe EXACTLY!! It tastes absolutely amazing, but it’s a little gritty….. I am an accomplished fudge maker with over 35 years with no fails! What in the world did I do wrong???
Oh that’s bizarre. The only thing I can think of is not boiling the mixture long enough, however, it wouldn’t set up properly. I wish I had an answer for you!
I live in Australia what is marshmallow cream, what can we use instead never heard of this ingredient cheers Sue
Hi there, quick question. I live in the UK and we don’t have marshmallow cream. Is it the same as fluff which we can get here? This rep looks lovely and I really want to hav a go at it. Thanks.
My Goodness, not for adults, for only one adult at home, MYSELF!!!
Haha, enjoy!!
Boozy treats for the win! This fudge looks incredible! Can’t wait to give this a try 🙂
What a great treat for celebrating SPD! Hope you had a great day 🙂
I think the same way, I want to make boozy desserts and then Jordan’s all “Mom can I have one or does it have wiiiiiiine in it?” LOL I love irish cream and this fudge is perfect!
I love this boozetacular treat!!
This Irish Cream Fudge looks SO amazing! I wish I had some to snack on!
This looks so fabulous. Now I’m craving Irish Cream Fudge!!! Yay for the over 21 crowd. (That’s us!)
Haha lets be honest…who has fudge sitting around for a couple of weeks?!?! Not at my house!!! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Perfect recipe for today!
Agreed! Sometimes you have to put the adults first. This fudge is perfect for that!
You are definitely the queen of fudge! This looks awesome and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
Fudge is my guilty pleasure. I don’t have it very often but when I do, I devour it. This kind looks amazing and so festive!
You know how I solved the “I can’t put booze in stuff” problem?
I didn’t have kids 😉 Well, yet.
I also have never made fudge, but you had me at Irish Cream! Pinned!
This fudge looks so rich and creamy — love the Baileys and the marshmallow cream!