Easy Irish Cream Brownies

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Irish cream brownies are one of the best Saint Patrick’s Day desserts, usually made with Bailey’s Irish Cream in both the brownie batter and in the frosting.  These Easy Irish Cream Brownies pair a dark, fudgy brownie with a light and fluffy cocoa whipped cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients for Easy Irish Cream Brownies

Brownie Ingredients

Melted Butter – Make sure the butter is completely melted. Butter that is softened, but not melted, will lead to brownies that are more cakey in texture.

Irish Cream – I used Bailey’s original Irish cream. Add 1-2 tablespoons depending on how strong you would like the flavor. You could try this recipe with some of their other flavors for a different flavor combination. If you’d like to leave out the Irish cream, you can substitute 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Cocoa Powder – I used King Arthur’s Triple Cocoa Blend, which contains a Dutch cocoa powder, a natural cocoa powder, and a black cocoa powder (which has been heavily Dutch processed.) I like to use Dutch or black cocoa powder for brownies because they have fuller flavors.

All-Purpose Flour – Make sure to use all-purpose flour, which has no leavening. Using baking powder in brownies would creature a fluffier, cakey texture.

Frosting Ingredients

Cream Cheese – The cream cheese will need to be very soft before making the frosting – I usually take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour beforehand to let it come to room temperature.

Cocoa Powder – The cocoa powder gives the frosting a hint of color and chocolatey flavor. You could leave it out to bring out the Irish cream flavor more.

Irish Cream – If you aren’t using Irish cream, substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 teaspoons milk.

Notes on Technique

• When you add in the melted butter, make sure that it is warm, but not hot. If it cools too much, it will make the batter too thick, but if it is too hot it might scramble the eggs.
• After adding the flour, be careful not to overmix, or the brownies will become tough.
• When making the frosting, whip the cream in a separate bowl first, then set aside. You can go ahead and whip the cream cheese without washing the beaters. On the other hand, if you whip the cream cheese first, you will need to wash the beaters before whipping the cream, because the cream cheese can interfere with the texture.
• Mix all of the other ingredients into the cream cheese well before adding the whipped cream.
• Use a large silicon spatula to fold in the whipped cream. Add 1/3 of the cream to start and use the spatula to gently fold the cream cheese mixture over on top of the cream. Repeat this motion, sometimes starting from the middle of the bowl and sometimes starting from the edge. Scrape the edge of the bowl often to make sure you get everything mixed in. Once you have mostly mixed the cream in, add the rest of the whipped cream and continue folding. Fold just until there are no longer any white streaks – overmixing will deflate the frosting.
• It can be a little tricky to tell when these brownies are done, because they should still be a little wet in the center. When they are done, a crust will have formed on top, and there will be no jiggle in the center. If you want to make extra certain they aren’t raw, you can insert a thermometer into the center to see if the temperature has risen above 160° F (72° C.)

Try some of my other brownie recipes:

White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Irish Cream Brownies

Tiffany

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Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Cooling Time 1 hr

Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 16 Brownies

Ingredients

  

For the Brownies:

• 2 cups sugar (400 g)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1-2 tablespoons Irish cream
• 1 cup melted butter, unsalted (227 g)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (50 g)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g)

For the Frosting:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream (178 ml)
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened (170 g)
• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar (90 g)
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon Irish cream

Instructions

 

Make the Brownies:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C.) Line an 8X8 or 9X9-inch pan with parchment paper or spray with baking spray.
• In a large bowl, add the sugar, salt, eggs, and Irish cream. Use a large spoon to stir until fully combined. Next, stir in the melted butter. Add the cocoa powder and stir, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure it is fully incorporated. Finally, add the flour and stir until it is fully combined, but being careful not to overmix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350° F (180° C) for 45-50 minutes, or until the brownies are no longer jiggly in the center. They should still be wet in the center, so do not check with a toothpick, but you can use a thermometer to see if they are over 160° F (72° C) to ensure they are not raw. Allow the brownies to cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.

Make the Frosting:

• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.
• In another large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, salt, and cocoa powder and continue beating until fully combined. Finally, mix in the Irish cream.
• Switching to a baking spatula, add about 1/3 of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and fold until mostly combined. Add the rest of the whipped cream and continue folding gently until you no longer see any streaks of cream.
• Remove the brownies from the pan and frost using the baking spatula. To make serving easier, you can refrigerate the frosted brownies for an hour before cutting. The frosted brownies must be stored in the refrigerator, and will keep for about 4 days. You can also store them separately, keeping the brownies at room temperature and the frosting in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Keyword american, banana, cake, sheet cake, chocolate, nutella, bars, brownies, holiday, irish cream, saint patrick's day, spring, winter