A delicious salted Bailey's fudge recipe with only three main ingredients! Chocolate and Irish cream combine for a delicious, no-bake dessert.
Bailey's fudge recipe
I'm a bit obsessed with boozy fudge, especially since it's so easy to make and so crazy delicious. So far, I've made vodka fudge and Jack Daniel's fudge, and I'm back with Bailey's fudge. If you love Irish Cream whiskey, you'll love this recipe. It has more than twice the alcohol of traditional Bailey's fudge recipes. Hence, I've included a FREE PRINTABLE at the end of this post if you wish to package Bailey's fudge for a homemade holiday gift. It labels the fudge for "adults only."
You'll notice I add coarse salt to the top of this fudge. I find Irish cream whiskey to be sweet, so I like the salt to balance the flavor of the fudge, but adding salt is optional! I also add more liquor to this recipe than I do to the vodka and Jack Daniel's fudge recipes. Irish Cream is a thicker booze, so you need a bit more liquid to make the fudge the perfect consistency.
Scroll to the end for the printable recipe, video recipe, AND a FREE PRINTABLE. Have more questions about how to make fudge? Visit our fudge FAQ page.
how to make salted Bailey's fudge
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with lightly greased parchment paper or non-stick foil.
- I use either the smaller, 8-inch square baking pan so the fudge is on the thicker side, or I use a 9-inch square pan, although the fudge will be a bit thinner.
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- In a large bowl, place one pound of confectioner's sugar (this is just under 4 cups, or one box of confectioner's sugar) in a large bowl. Pour in ¾ cup of Bailey's Irish Cream Whiskey (or any comparable brand). Whisk the ingredients together very well. It will look like icing.
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- In a microwave-safe bowl, place 1 ½ cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. This is 9 ounces, less than a bag. Microwave for 90 seconds at 70 percent power and stir well to use the residual heat to melt the chocolate chips. If needed, microwave for an additional 30 seconds, then 15 second intervals. Stir until the chocolate is very smooth.
- Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate on the stove-top. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, being sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
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- Scrape the chocolate into the sugar and Bailey's mixture.Stir very well and transfer to the prepared baking pan. Spread evenly. Sprinkle 2 to 3 pinches of coarse sea salt over the fudge. Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 2 hours. Cut into squares.
Why is my fudge too thick? Or why is my fudge not setting?
- I add a bit more booze to this recipe than my other boozy fudge recipes because the liquor is denser. The combination of liquor and chocolate can sometimes stiffen the chocolate quickly. In this case, I scrape the mixture into the baking dish and place a piece of non-stick foil, parchment paper, or wax paper over the mixture. Smooth the top with your hands and remove the foil or paper. Then chill the fudge for one to two hours.
- Alternatively, if you find your fudge isn't setting as well as you like in the fridge, or it's too soft for your taste, you can cut the amount of booze you use back to about ½ cup.
Why does chocolate seize?
When you mix melted chocolate with liquid (in this case liquor), the chocolate can seize, or stiffen too quickly. Traditional boozy fudge recipes incorporate sweetened condensed milk, which is an ingredient that mitigates the seizing. However, by not using the sweetened condensed milk, I'm able to more than double the booze in the recipe, which gives it the strong taste I prefer. If you want to try this recipe and minimize the chances of chocolate seizing, try these tips:
- Use room temperature booze. Cold booze can trigger seizing.
- The key to success is in the chocolate! Chocolate that is too hot or overheated can also trigger seizing. Use the residual heat (or, leftover heat from time in the microwave or on the stove over a double boiler) as much as possible. Stir the chocolate well until the residual heat fully melts all of the chocolate chips. And when the chocolate is melted, let it cool slightly before adding to the booze and sugar mixture.
- When you mix the booze and the sugar, whisk it very well. It should look like thin icing. If it's at all thick, add more booze, a tablespoon at a time, until it thins. (Check out the video to see what the consistency should look like.)
- If your fudge has thickened too much to manage, you can try to re-melt the fudge in a heat-safe bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
homemade gift idea
Fudge is the perfect homemade gift idea for the holidays, especially boozy fudge. But because the booze does not cook out of this fudge, it's important add a label that the fudge contains alcohol. Package the Bailey's fudge in any container you like, then attach these fun holiday printables to label your fudge for grown-ups only!
Use this TEMPLATE FOR BOOZY FUDGE PRINTABLE TAGS. Print on heavier-weight white paper using a color printer. Cut circles around the gray line (or, use a 3-inch circle punch). Punch a hole for a ribbon and attach to your boozy fudge gift.
watch this short video on how to make Bailey's fudge
printable Bailey's fudge recipe
Bailey's fudge: Delicious, salted Bailey's fudge recipe with chocolate and Irish Cream whiskey.
- ¾ cup Bailey's Irish Cream whiskey
- 1 pound confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 9 ounces
- 2 to 3 pinches coarse sea salt (optional)
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with lightly greased parchment paper or non-stick foil.
In a large bowl, combine the whiskey and confectioner's sugar with a whisk until the mixture is very smooth.
In a microwave-safe bowl, place the chocolate chips. Melt at 70 percent power for 90 seconds in the microwave. Stir, using the residual heat to melt the chocolate chips. Continue to microwave, if needed, at 30 second, then 15 second intervals.
Alternatively, you may set the bowl of chocolate chips over a saucepan of simmering water to melt the chocolate.
Scrape the chocolate into the liquor and sugar mixture. Stir very well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and smooth evenly.
Sprinkle salt (if using) over the fudge.
Chill the fudge until well set, about 2 hours. Cut into squares.
Combining melted chocolate with liquid (in this case, booze) can be risky. The chocolate can seize and thicken too quickly. To prevent this from happening, make sure to use room temperature alcohol and do NOT overheat the chocolate. Melt the chocolate slowly, using the residual heat as much as possible to fully melt the chocolate chips. Let the chocolate cool slightly before mixing in to the liquor and sugar mixture.
more Bailey's recipes
So you bought a bottle of Bailey's. Now what? Here are more Bailey's recipes you might enjoy.
- Make brownies with Bailey's buttercream frosting.
- These cookies and cream parfaits look delicious.
- Try coffee and Bailey's macarons.
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Alison says
Hi would it be possible to have the metric equivalents for the baileys fudge please. Thank you.
Meaghan says
Hi Alison! 3/4 cup of Bailey's is 6 fluid ounces. 1 pound of confectioner's sugar (icing sugar outside the US). 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips is 9 ounces.
Margaret Nugent says
1 pound of icing sugar is meaningless to a Canadian, what is that in cups, or grams
Meaghan says
One pound is the equivalent of 454 grams and 16 ounces. It's the same as just under 4 cups. In the US, powdered sugar is sold by the pound or two pounds, so it's an entire package. I prefer listing the weight so those who use the metric system are accommodated.
Lila O. says
I am so happy I finally found a boozy fudge that actually tastes like alcohol. Most recipes call for so little booze. This was great.
Karen says
I liked the fireball fudge but can one use a coffee liqueur
Meaghan says
Hi Karen, I've made fudge with lots of different alcohols, including coffee liqueur. Just be sure that it's at room temperature so it doesn't seize the chocolate!