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.
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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 kick from the Baileys. This is a hot chocolate for grown-ups, made with just 5 ingredients and perfect for Christmas time.
All you need is milk, sugar, chocolate and cocoa powder and then a generous glug of Baileys Irish cream. Which, if you are anything like us then you always have some around at Christmas.
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 chocolate.
Why not make this part of a DIY Hot Chocolate Station? Perfect for special occasions!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Milk - We use semi-skimmed milk because it makes this hot chocolate with baileys 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. You could use our Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix.
- Dark chocolate - Our preference, but you could use milk chocolate.
- Sugar - This is just to make it a little bit sweeter. Feel free to adjust it depending on how sweet you want it.
- Baileys Original Irish cream - The star of the recipe. You can use a supermarket own brand Irish cream liqueur to make it cheaper. You could also use a vegan version and make some other vegan swaps too.
Baileys Hot Chocolate Variations
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.
How to Make Baileys Hot Chocolate
- Step 1: Pour the milk into a saucepan.
- Step 2: Add the cocoa powder and dark chocolate. Gently heat, stirring regularly, until the chocolate has melted.
- Step 3: Stir in the sugar and Baileys. Mix well and serve.
Serving Suggestion
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 and some mini marshmallows 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.
Dannii's Top 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 whisk or, even better, a milk frother.
- You can use a liquid sweetener rather than granulated if you prefer.
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.
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) of Semi-skimmed milk
- 4 tablespoon of Cocoa powder
- 50 g (1.75 oz) of Dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoon of Sugar
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) of Baileys Irish cream
To serve:
- Squirty cream - optional
- Chocolate sauce - optional
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Pour 500 ml of Semi-skimmed milk into a saucepan.
- Add 4 tbsp of Cocoa powder and 50 g of Dark chocolate. Gently heat, stirring regularly, until the chocolate has melted.
- Add 2 tbsp of Sugar and 60 ml of Baileys Irish cream. Mix well and serve.
- Top with Squirty cream, Chocolate sauce and Sprinkles (all optional).
Recipe Video
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
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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.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Charles says
Tis the season for Baileys! I love hot chocolate so this will happen! Thanks for sharing!
Jamie says
This was a great adult version of hot chocolate! The baileys added just the right amount of kick! Thank you!
Mahy says
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 says
Love this adult version of a classic winter beverage! Perfect for holiday parties or just take a mug when you go caroling! Delicious!
Jen says
Well that was delicious! I made it for my book club and my friends all loved it!