Black coffee mixed with Irish whiskey, brown sugar and Irish Cream, topped with an Irish cream whipped cream. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! Whether you’re enjoying this cocktail on the holiday, or enjoying an after dinner drink, you need to be sipping this Irish coffee with boozy whipped cream!
This Irish Coffee recipe is great for more than just St. Patrick’s Day, and SO delicious! We love fun and chocolate-y drink recipes… like this Ultimate Frozen Mudslide and Nutella Hot Chocolate. This is one of my Drink recipes you’ll definitely want to keep on hand!
IRISH COFFEE RECIPE
So Irish coffee… have you ever had one? Â It’s a fabulous holiday, or even after dinner kind of drink, and has a wonderful slightly bitter/caramel flavor, with a kick from the whiskey, and the cool, creamy whipped cream on top.
It can be a surprising drink, because so many drinks nowadays are SO sweet, and this one isn’t.
It has a little sweetness, but not too much, and it can take people by surprise if they aren’t expecting it.
Of course, this is YOUR Irish coffee, so if you prefer a sweeter version, go ahead and add some extra sugar.
HOW TO MAKE IRISH COFFEE
- Fill mugs with hot water and let sit 1-2 minutes. Dump out water.
- Fill mugs with 6 oz each hot coffee.
- Stir in 1 1/2 oz whiskey in each mug, then stir in 1-3 tsp of brown sugar in each mug.
- Stir well until sugar has dissolved.
- Pour 3/4 oz of Irish cream into each mug and stir.
- Top with whipped cream and garnish with grated chocolate (if desired).
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS IRISH COFFEE
- THE MUGS – Fill your mugs with hot water first to pre-warm the mugs, which will help keep the drink hot a little longer. Â From time to time, hot liquid (like coffee) being poured into a glass mug can cause it to crack. Â Filling it with warm/hot water and letting it sit will help prevent that. Â Odds are, you won’t have an issue, as this happens more with older and thinner glass mugs, but better safe than sorry!
- USE GOOD COFFEE – Use strong coffee… that you like! Â It seems obvious, but you definitely want to use a brand of coffee that you truly enjoy. Â This isn’t the time for that bargain instant coffee from the back of your cabinet… trust me.
- THE WHIPPED CREAM – If you don’t have the time or energy to make your own whipped cream, classic whipped cream from a can works well too (although it won’t have the extra Irish cream flavor).
- TOPPING – I topped my drinks here with some grated chocolate, but that’s 100% optional.
WHAT KIND OF WHISKEY IS BEST FOR AN IRISH COFFEE
My personal favorite is the classic, Jameson’s. Â It’s readily available at any liquor store, and is truly the classic Irish whiskey. Â Other alternatives would be Teeling or Bushmills Black Bush.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- TRADITIONAL – to make this more of a classic Irish coffee, you can omit the Irish cream from both the coffee and the whipped cream.
- RATIOS – if you prefer more of a sweet drink, or a stronger drink, feel free to play around with the ratios of coffee, whiskey, brown sugar and Irish cream.
MAKING THIS IRISH COFFEE RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
I don’t recommend making this coffee ahead of time, but you can make the Irish cream whipped cream ahead of time!
Keep it stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it may need a quick whip with a mixer to get it back to a stiff consistency.
STORAGE
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- Irish Coffee Mugs – the classic glass mug, in a nice 4 pc set. Â I use these for hot chocolate too!
- Strong coffee – this is the brand we love!
Having an Irish St. Patrick’s Day feast? Â This is the perfect drink to serve afterwards!!
Here are some other recipes that would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day:
- Guinness and Coffee Beef Stew
- Copycat McDonald’s Shamrock Shake
- Whiskey Glazed Blue Cheese Burgers
- Baileys Brownie Batter Dip
- Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Irish cream Frosting
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Recipe originally published in Feb. 2018, and has been updated in Mar. 2020 with additional information.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 12 oz strong black hot coffee divided
- 3 oz Irish whiskey (I use Jameson's) divided
- 2-3 tsp brown sugar divided
- 1 1/2 oz Baileys Irish Cream divided
BAILEYS IRISH CREAM:
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
Instructions
- Fill two mugs with hot water and let stand 1-2 minutes. Dump out water and fill mugs with 6 oz each of hot coffee. Stir in 1 1/2 oz whiskey in each mug, and 1-3 tsp brown sugar in each mug, until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour half of Irish cream into each mug and stir to combine.
- Top with whipped cream and enjoy!
IRISH CREAM WHIPPED CREAM
- Add whipping cream and Baileys to a chilled bowl. Â Beat with a handheld mixer for 1-2 minutes, until desired consistency is achieved. Â
- For a loose, frothy layer of cream, beat until whipping cream is frothy and spoonable. Â For stiffer whipped cream, beat until cream has medium to stiff peaks forming.
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Chef Tips
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Jessica says
It’s supposed to be chilly this weekend! I could totally cozy up with this!
Kimberly says
That looks so good and your photos are awesome!
Catalina says
Love coffee! And I will love this recipe for sure!
katerina @ diethood.com says
Yes, please! Such a fabulous irish coffee! I would love this right now!
Jacque Hastert says
Nothing beats a good Irish coffee in the mornings! It would be hard to not just eat that boozy whipped cream!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This Irish Coffee couldn’t look any more perfect!
Carrie Robinson says
I am LOVING that boozy whipped cream on top! So perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. 🙂
Gianna Schiavone says
These are some great tips, Amanda! I can’t wait until the weekend to try this out – just going to have to take it regular for now;) Your pictures are always so beautiful!
Demeter says
This is such a great way to end dinner! That whipped topping sounds fantastic! Congrats on the new site too!!
Karlynn says
Wishing I had a glass right now to start my day.
Katerina @ diethood .com says
YES, please!! Irish coffee is my favorite!! This looks fantastic!!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
Such a perfect coffee after dinner! Love this!
Workplace Safety says
This recipe is excellent. I made it low carb using Swerve Brown Sugar and Light Bailey’s.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Now this is a treat I can get excited about! I don’t know what I am more excited about… the coffee or that whipped cream!!!
eat good 4 life says
This is the perfect morning drink. I need to make some tomorrow.
Albert Bevia says
I love that this Irish coffee is not that sweet, this is my type of drink, and oh yeah, I will take with the whipped cream for sure…great recipe