Baileys Irish Cream - Affordable Homemade Dupe

Recipe: Baileys Irish Cream Homemade Recipe »

Whip up your own homemade Baileys Irish Cream in just 5 minutes! This easy copycat recipe uses pantry staples like Milo, coffee, condensed milk, vanilla and vodka for a perfect and affordable dupe of Baileys Irish Cream. Perfect for St Patrick's Day or gifting.

About This Baileys Irish Cream Homemade

Celebrate St Patrick's Day coming up with this recipe for a homemade Baileys dupe that tastes just like Baileys but made for a fraction of the price! This delicious drink takes about 5 minutes from beginning to end and is made with easy ingredients, most of which you probably have in your pantry already.

How do you make homemade Baileys? It's SO easy and takes just 5 pantry staples: condensed milk, coffee, Milo, vanilla and vodka plus boiling water.

While Baileys is said to be made with aged Irish Whisky and Irish dairy cream, I promise that this version made with vodka tastes like a doppelganger of it. So save that precious aged whisky to drink neat or on ice!

If you have instant coffee, Milo and vanilla in your pantry already then all you have to do is buy the vodka and condensed milk. This ended up costing $17AUD ($14AUD for 1 cup of vodka and $2.20 for condensed milk) to make 750ml or 0.8quarts!

Ingredients For Homemade Baileys Irish Cream

Condensed milk - 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk is perfect for this.

Boiling water - Make sure that the water is boiling as it will need to dissolve the Milo and coffee granules.

Milo - Yep Milo powder. Other similar subs are Ovaltine or Nesquik.

Instant coffee granules - Nothing fancy needed here! Just instant coffee for an intense coffee flavour.

Vanilla extract - I used vanilla bean paste but you can also use vanilla extract or essence.

Vodka - I used a Smirnoff vodka but use any vodka you like (ie you don't need Grey Goose for this). You can also use bourbon.

Video How To Make Baileys Irish Cream Homemade

Video: How to Make Baileys at home

Tips For Making Baileys Irish Cream Homemade

1 - This is a great drink to make for gifting as it is ready straight away and doesn't need any steeping time. Plus you cannot beat something that takes 5 minutes prep!

2 - George's recipe involved adding everything into a bottle and shaking it but I made it in a jug with a whisk just because I found that easier. But you know what I always say, you do you! ;)

3 - Keep your homemade Baileys in the fridge where it will last for 2 months. I know that you don't technically have to refrigerate commercial Baileys but I do because it's creamy and I err on the side of caution with food safety!

Other liqueurs to make next are: Kahlua, Mr Black or Limoncello!

Baileys Irish Cream Homemade Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

Makes: 3 cups approx

Ingredients Needed

• 395g/14oz tin condensed milk
• 100ml/3.5flozs boiling water
• 4 teaspoons Milo
• 3 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 250ml/8.8flozs. vodka

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 MIX - Empty the condensed milk into a 1 litre/1 quart jug. Don't worry about getting all of the condensed milk out. To the tin, add in the boiling water, Milo, coffee granules and vanilla and whisk to dissolve it well and to get all of the condensed milk out of the tin (careful-tin will be hot!). Pour into the jug along with the vodka and whisk to combine.

Step 2 DECANT - Decant into clean bottles. Makes approximately 750ml/0.8 quart of Baileys.

Personal Note

This Baileys dupe recipe came from one of our lovely neighbours George. At the annual neighbourhood dinner he asked me if I had ever tried making Baileys at home. I told him that I had and my homemade Baileys recipe is here. My original Baileys recipe is slightly different from Baileys and even creamier. But this version is even closer to the real thing!

One day we ended up giving George and Diane some jam toast cookies. Later that day there was a knock on the door. It was George. He told Mr NQN that they were the best cookies he had ever eaten. He then gave him a bottle of his own home brew beer and a copy of his homemade Baileys recipe which was so kind of him.

One afternoon I had 5 minutes free and felt like making some Baileys so I made this. I compared it to a bottle of Baileys I had and truly, it tasted just like it! I gave it to Mr NQN to test it out against some real Baileys and he said that it tasted just like it and I also tried it out with Laura who said that she preferred the home made version!

So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried making your own liqueurs? Do you like Baileys?