If you’re looking for a grown-up hot chocolate, Baileys hot chocolate is the way to go. This Baileys alcohol hot chocolate is the perfect solution to warming your heart, soul, and body on a cold night!
How early in the year are you allowed to drink hot chocolate? I’d say October 31st – Halloween night! It’s the perfect night to whip up a batch of Homemade Hot Chocolate for children who are going Trick-or-Treating in the cold, fall weather, then turn around and make the adults a Baileys hot chocolate for their own sweet treat!
After breaking the “hot chocolate fast” on Halloween night, you can continue to have this chocolatey delight all fall and winter seasons (through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years…), and maybe even a bit into spring – you see, our springs can be cold! How can you resist this delectable drinkable dessert, when you know you’ll have to say goodbye to it until the next Halloween?
I know I won’t be able to resist, and neither should you – especially now that you know there’s a delicious spiked hot chocolate recipe right here!
What Is Chocolate Liqueur?
Have you ever asked a store clerk where you can find chocolate liqueur and then found yourself being asked a question right back? – “You mean the alcohol or the candy?”
Chocolate liqueur refers to two different things – (1) chocolate flavored alcohol, and (2) chocolate candy.
(1) The first chocolate liqueur – chocolate flavored alcohol.
This chocolate liqueur contains chocolate and distilled liquor like whiskey or vodka. They are sweet and sometimes flavored (like with vanilla) depending on the manufacturer. These chocolate liqueurs are often used for baked goods, but can be enjoyed on its own as a sweet aperitif.
(2) The second chocolate liqueur – chocolate candy.
These chocolate liqueurs refer to yummy little chocolate candies filled with some sort of liqueur, which is an alcoholic drink flavored with other ingredients (like chocolate, sugar, etc.). They were first created so that women could discretely take part in drinking alcohol back in the day (or so they say!). You can find some popular chocolate liqueur candies shaped like alcohol bottles – Anthon Berg chocolate liqueurs are a personal favorite!
Baileys Chocolate Liqueur
Our choice of chocolate liqueur is Baileys Chocolate Liqueur! This dessert in a bottle has real Belgian chocolate – yum! It’s the perfect pairing to our rich and creamy hot chocolate recipe because Baileys Chocolate Liqueur also has a rich, dark, creamy, chocolatey consistency. It’s like when peanut butter met jelly and became the most famous couple!
Hot Chocolate and Baileys
If you’ve ever tried a sip of Baileys Chocolate Liqueur, you’ll actually think you’re already drinking liquid chocolate. It’s because Baileys Irish Cream already boasts in its real Irish dairy cream. Insert a bit more of chocolate flavor by adding real Belgian chocolate, and you’ve got a masterpiece.
So when you pour in one masterpiece into another (yes, I’m referring to our hot chocolate recipe!), you get a Umamiologist-style flavor explosion. It’s like that scene in Disney & Pixar’s Ratatouille when two ingredients come together and creates a firework of flavors.
This is why we chose to make a Baileys alcohol hot chocolate. Baileys Chocolate Liqueur is the perfect secret ingredient to a deliciously classy spiked hot chocolate.
Key Elements Of This Recipe
- Baileys Chocolate Liqueur: Chocolate liqueur made with Baileys Original Irish Cream liqueur and Belgian chocolate. This is the key to our Baileys hot chocolate.
- Chocolate: Quality chocolate, to be exact. Having delicious chocolate that you can enjoy even on its own is the key to the best hot chocolate recipe. So be sure to pick a favorite chocolate bar!
The Ingredients for Baileys Hot Chocolate
- 4 oz Baileys Chocolate Liqueur (2 oz per cup)
- 2 cups Reduced Fat Milk (2%)
- 2 Tbsp Condensed Milk
- 1 Tbsp Milk Powder
- 2 Tbsp Cacao Powder (and a bit extra for garnish)
- 1/2 cup Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate coarsely chopped (or your favorite chocolate bar!)
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Marshmallows (or other favorite topping)
Pro Tip: Feel free to increase the the ingredients proportionally if you need more than 2 cozy cups of hot chocolate!
The Equipment Needed
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Small Pot
- Ladle
- Mug Cups
- Vegetable Peeler (optional)
What Chocolate Is Best for Hot Chocolate?
The best chocolate for making hot chocolate is always your favorite chocolate!
Hot chocolate, because it’s made from melted chocolate, will taste like the chocolate you melt! So it’s absolutely crucial for you to pick a chocolate you love. This is the real key to making the best hot chocolate.
So pick one that’s simple and plain (no nuts, salt, etc.), but is delicious because of its simplicity.
I picked a classic semi-sweet Ghirardelli chocolate bar – 72% cacao – Intense Dark for our hot chocolate. I recommend choosing a semi-sweet chocolate if you don’t want your hot chocolate to be too sweet. If you love the extra sweetness, go for a milk chocolate bar!
How to Prep for Baileys Hot Chocolate
Making hot chocolate at home is easy!
First, pull out a cutting board and knife to coarsely chop your chocolate into little pieces. You don’t need to chop the chocolate too finely, but smaller pieces mean it will melt faster in the pot later.
Pro Tip: Coarsely chop your chocolate bar into small chocolate pieces so it melts quicker in the pot.
If you want to be extra fancy, take a piece of chocolate (before chopping it all up) and a vegetable peeler to shave some chocolate pieces. We’ll use these chocolate shavings for a fancy topping later!
How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate
Now that you’re done prepping, it’s time to turn up the stove top heat!
In a small pot, combine all ingredients (except the Baileys) – milk, chocolate, cacao powder, condensed milk, milk powder, and vanilla extract.
Bring the heat to a medium-low and mix in all the ingredients. Stir slowly and frequently so the chocolate melts and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Pro Tip: Try using a whisk to get the cacao and milk powders to mix in.
Once the mixture is warm and cozy (not boiling), turn off the heat. Ladle the hot chocolate into your favorite mug cups. If you’d like to create a regular, virgin hot chocolate for the kiddos, stop here and top with marshmallows and chocolate shavings (or other favorite toppings)!
How to Make Baileys Hot Chocolate
If you’re making the spiked hot chocolate recipe, add your Baileys Chocolate Liqueur at this point – we’ve put in 2 oz of Baileys Chocolate Liqueur per cup, but feel free to adjust!
Now, top with favorite toppings (make sure you don’t switch the two mugs!). Serve immediately and drink before it gets cold!
Now this Baileys hot chocolate adds a bit of extra magic during the holidays! Enjoy!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll love these too:
Equipment
- Vegetable Peeler, (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 oz Baileys Chocolate Liqueur, (2oz per cup)
- 2 cups Reduced Fat Milk, (2%)
- 2 Tbsp Condensed Milk
- 1 Tbsp Milk Powder
- 2 Tbsp Cacao Powder
- 1/2 cup Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate coarsely chopped, (or your favorite chocolate bar)
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Marshmallows, (or other favorite topping)
Instructions
How to Prep for Baileys Hot Chocolate
- First, pull out a cutting board and knife to coarsely chop your chocolate into little pieces.
- Pro Tip: Coarsely chop your chocolate bar into small chocolate pieces so it melts quicker in the pot.
- If you want to be extra fancy, take a piece of chocolate (before chopping it all up) and a vegetable peeler to shave some chocolate pieces. We'll use these chocolate shavings for a fancy topping later!
How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate
- In a small pot, combine all ingredients (except the Baileys) – milk, chocolate, cacao powder, condensed milk, milk powder, and vanilla extract.
- Bring the heat to a medium-low and mix in all the ingredients.
- Stir slowly and frequently so the chocolate melts and doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Pro Tip: Try using a whisk to get the cacao and milk powders to mix in.
- Once the mixture is warm and cozy (not boiling), turn off the heat.
- Ladle the hot chocolate into your favorite mug cups.
- If you'd like to create a regular, virgin hot chocolate for the kiddos, stop here and top with marshmallows and chocolate shavings (or other favorite toppings)!
How to Make Baileys Hot Chocolate
- If you're making the spiked hot chocolate recipe, add your Baileys Chocolate Liqueur at this point – we've put in 2 oz of Baileys Chocolate Liqueur per cup, but feel free to adjust!
- Now, top with favorite toppings (make sure you don't switch the two mugs!). Serve immediately and drink before it gets cold!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is just an estimate derived by an online calculation tool.
FAQ
What is chocolate liqueur?
Chocolate liqueur contains chocolate and distilled liquor like whiskey or vodka. They are sweet and sometimes flavored (like with vanilla) depending on the manufacturer. These chocolate liqueurs are often used for baked goods, but can be enjoyed on its own as a sweet aperitif.
Does chocolate liqueur have alcohol?
It sure does! chocolate liqueur is basically chocolate flavored whiskey or vodka, so there’s definitely alcohol in these drinks. Be sure to keep these out of reach of children when you’re making your Baileys hot chocolate!
Gina
Oh my goodness – thank you for introducing me to this Baileys hot chocolate. It’s delightful!
Umamiologist
Yes, it’s the best on a cold winter day!