Take hot chocolate to the next level this festive season by adding a shot of Baileys to it. A thick, rich, creamy and luxurious hot chocolate, this is a warming drink with a kick. Baileys Hot Chocolate is something a little bit special to serve up to your guests at Christmas.
If you love Baileys, then you are going to LOVE this Baileys hot choc. All the creamy indulgence of a hot chocolate, but with a boozy kick from the Baileys. This is a hot chocolate for grown-ups, made with just 5 ingredients and perfect for Christmas.
All you need is milk, sugar, chocolate and cocoa powder and then a generous glug of Baileys Irish cream.
There is no better way to end your day than with a creamy hot chocolate. If you are looking for some other hot chocolate recipes, then why not try our Microwave Hot Chocolate, Oat Milk Hot Chocolate, Easy Hot Chocolate Spoons, Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate or Christmas Snowman Hot Chocolate?
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Why you will love it
- Indulgent - It doesn't get much more indulgent than this Baileys Hot Chocolate. We have melted real chocolate into the milk to make it thick and creamy. You could use hot chocolate powder to make it less indulgent.
- Boozy - Get merry this season (responsibly of course) with this hot chocolate.
- Adaptable - You can adapt this with other liquors and also add other flavours like mint or orange extract.
- Great for feeding a crowd - If you have a few people coming round for a party, and want to serve up something a little different, then you can make a big batch of this Baileys hot choc.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Milk - We use semi-skimmed milk because it makes this drink a little less calorific. If you want to go all-out indulgent, then use whole milk.
- Cocoa powder - This just adds to the chocolate flavour and also makes it darker in colour.
- Dark chocolate - We used dark because we wanted a really intense chocolate flavour. You could use milk chocolate if you are not a fan of dark, but we find this is too sweet so you would need to adjust the amount of sugar used.
- Sugar - This is just to make it a little bit sweeter. Feel free to adjust it depending on how sweet you want it.
- Baileys Irish cream - The star of the recipe. You can use a supermarket own brand to make it cheaper. You could also use a vegan version and make some other vegan swaps too.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make Baileys hot chocolate - Step by step
One: Pour the milk into a saucepan.
Two: Add the cocoa powder and dark chocolate. Gently heat, stirring regularly, until the chocolate has melted.
Three: Add the sugar and Baileys. Mix well and serve.
What to serve with Baileys Hot Chocolate
To make this a super indulgent hot chocolate with Baileys, we topped ours with squirty creamy, a drizzle of Chocolate Sauce and some chocolate curls. A drizzle of caramel sauce on top is also really good.
We don't think this needs anything served with it, as it is pretty indulgent as it is. However, you could serve it with our Chocolate Flapjacks or Christmas Cookies.
Variations
We kept this recipe simple and just let the flavour of the chocolate and Baileys shine through. However, there are a couple of ways that you can flavour this Baileys hot choc so that it is different every time.
For a spicy kick, you can add a pinch of cayenne. Although this definitely isn't for everyone. You could also add vanilla, mint or orange extract or just use your favourite chocolate syrup.
For some extra warmth, you could add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger, or even a mixture of all three. That gives it a real cozy vibe.
Frequently Asked Questions
You definitely can and it's great for putting in the slow cooker before you go out for a walk and coming back to. Why not try adding Baileys to our Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate recipe? Some of the alcohol would burn off with the long cooking time though. But if you are looking for more of the flavour from Baileys, then this is fine.
You definitely can, and it will be much quicker but you won't get that same indulgent flavour.
We went for 30ml/1oz per person, which is a little over one measure. But feel free to add more if you want a really boozing flavour to this hot chocolate with Baileys.
This is best drunk straight away. However, if you do have leftovers then they can be stored in an air tight container until the next day and then you can just heat it through.
There are loads of great vegan alternatives to Baileys out there now, so you can use that instead and swap the milk for a plant based version and use a vegan chocolate. Make sure all the toppings are vegan too.
More chocolate recipes
If you’ve tried this Baileys Hot Chocolate recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Baileys Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 500 ml (2 cups) Semi-skimmed milk
- 4 tablespoon Cocoa powder
- 50 g (1.75 oz) Dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) Baileys Irish cream
To serve:
- Squirty cream - optional
- Chocolate sauce - optional
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Pour 500 ml Semi-skimmed milk into a saucepan.
- Add 4 tablespoon Cocoa powder and 50 g Dark chocolate. Gently heat, stirring regularly, until the chocolate has melted.
- Add 2 tablespoon Sugar and 60 ml Baileys Irish cream. Mix well and serve.
- Top with Squirty cream, Chocolate sauce and Sprinkles (all optional).
Recipe tips
- We think the sweetness in this is perfect, but that comes down to preference. To make it sweeter, or even to reduce the sweetness, just adjust the amount of sugar used.
- For a little kick of heat, you could add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the hot chocolate.
- Don't let the milk boil, you need to heat it on low.
- Make sure you don't heat the Baileys, and you are just stirring it in at the end, otherwise the alcohol will burn off.
- To make this a really frothy hot chocolate, use a milk frother.
- You can use a liquid sweetener rather than granulated if you prefer.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Charles
Tis the season for Baileys! I love hot chocolate so this will happen! Thanks for sharing!
Jamie
This was a great adult version of hot chocolate! The baileys added just the right amount of kick! Thank you!
Mahy
My mouth is watering when I look at this hot chocolate... I can only imagine how much I will enjoy it when I make it!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats
Love this adult version of a classic winter beverage! Perfect for holiday parties or just take a mug when you go caroling! Delicious!
Jen
Well that was delicious! I made it for my book club and my friends all loved it!