YOU GUYS.
We may have a new house fav when it comes to chocolate treats.
These brownies are over-the-top decadent. Let me take you through this situation. Here’s what you’re looking at.
The bottom layer is a fudge-y, dark chocolate brownie that’s studded with chunks of chocolate and infused with a generous pour of Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur.
(Use your favorite brownie recipe, use my favorite brownie recipe, or use a good boxed mix…see my note below.)
The middle layer is creamy, buttery—and laced with Irish cream.
The top is a smooth, rich chocolate ganache shot through with (you guessed it) more Bailey’s.
The whole thing is an ultra-rich, boozy chocolate extravaganza. I’m honestly not sure how these could get any better.
Maybe you serve with homemade Bailey’s ice cream. (OK, that one’s going on the list for summer recipe development!)
We love our Irish cream
To be clear, this isn’t any kind of paid promo for Bailey’s. I’m just sharing my opinion about the ingredients I love and frequently use to cook.
We love our Irish cream so much, in fact, that we even make our own at home. Get my recipe here. It’s ridiculously simple to make.
If you have a blender and about 10 minutes, you can make your own Irish cream at home. For real.
It’ll keep about a month in the fridge, but we’ve honestly never had a bottle last remotely that long.
Obligatory note
As much as we love our homemade Irish cream, I would not, however, ever use it in this recipe.
Why’s that?
My homemade Irish cream contains raw eggs. The frosting and ganache layers on these brownies are not cooked…so, you risk all sorts of food poisoning shenanigans if you combine the two, depending on how you store them and how long you keep them, etc. etc.
Make these a day ahead
Unless you start early in the morning, then I think you could pull off serving them the same evening.
This recipe isn’t hard. It’s just a lot of waiting for things to cool.
Basically, you bake the brownies. Let them cool COMPLETELY. (Don’t skimp on this. If you put the butter-based frosting on top of a warm brownie, it will melt and get weird.)
Then top with the butter frosting and let that set up in the fridge.
Then, top with room temp ganache.
THEN refrigerate the whole shebang so it comes together and solidifies so you can cut them.
See what I mean? They’re great, just take a little planning.
Can I use boxed brownie mix for these?
For the brownie layer of this recipe, use your favorite brownie recipe. You want enough to fill a 9×13 pan.
Here’s one of my fav homemade recipes. Just leave out the peanut butter. (Or don’t! Haha…)
And…let’s get real. If you’re out of time, or just want to simplify, use a boxed brownie mix. Anyone who griefs you about it…doesn’t get any brownies. 😉
Just grab a high-quality brand. I totally do the same thing when I’m behind the eight ball (which, let’s face it, is more often than not in today’s busy, busy, busy world!).
Alright, enough chatting! To the ovens!
3-Layer Bailey’s Irish Cream Brownies
Brownie layer
1 recipe, your favorite brownies (9×13 pan), made with the addition of:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2-3 Tablespoons Bailey’s Irish cream
Creamy frosting layer
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur
Chocolate ganache layerÂ
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur
Yields 1 9×13 pan of sinfully rich brownies
Make the brownies and cool them completely
For me, that looked like this:
Cool them completely before you proceed (otherwise, the butter-based frosting will melt and the whole thing will get a weird consistency).
Make the creamy frosting layer
Put the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand). Beat until fluffy.
(Fluffy looks kind of like this:)
Beat in the Irish cream.
It won’t get super uniform. Don’t sweat it. Beat in the sugar a little at a time (to avoid a sugar dust storm on your counter).
You want to beat it until all the sugar has been incorporated and you basically have a big bowl of luscious frosting.
For me, that looked like this:
(Still kind of gross and non-uniform, right? KEEP GOING.)
(Getting better!)
Your finished cream filling should look about like this. Super stiff…and super uniform.
Take your brownies (which you’ve cooled completely) and plop all the cream filling on top. Spread it out to cover the whole surface.
Make it as uniform as you can, but don’t make yourself nuts. (You’re making an awesome treat, not hanging intricate wallpaper. Don’t stress!)
Slide the pan into the refrigerator and chill completely.
Make the chocolate ganache layer
While your brownies are chilling (we’re up to 2 layers, working on the 3rd!), make the chocolate ganache.
I’m a savage, and I usually do this in the microwave. (Ok, OK, stop throwing rocks at me!) You could totally rock a water bath and make this on the stove. Up to you!
To do it my way, put the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup.
Zap it on high in increments of 30 seconds, stirring as you go, until the chocolate melts completely and you have a smooth, blissful uniform container of molten chocolate.
(It will take the chocolate a minute or two to melt, just be patient and keep stirring. I like to use a fork for this. When I use a whisk, the chocolate gets too glommed up in the spokes when I stir. Up to you!)
(Almost there…)
When your chocolate concoction is almost smooth, add the Bailey’s and stir to combine.
VOILA:
Bailey’s infused chocolate ganache. Now just try not to eat the whole thing by the spoon. 🙂
Leave the ganache on the counter to cool, stirring occasionally, while your brownies finish chilling in the fridge. It will thicken a little as it cools, but should still be plenty spreadable when you go to use it.
Add the ganache layer to the brownies
When your brownies have cooled completely AND your ganache is at room temperature, it’s time to finish them up.
Pour the ganache over the brownies, smoothing it out in a thin layer with a spatula or the back of a spoon (or your very clean paw).
Refrigerate to finish!
Pop the pan back into the fridge uncovered and refrigerate overnight (or at least for a few hours, if you’re trying to serve the same day).
You want the ganache to firm up well so you can cut them really neatly.
Serve and enjoy!
And…you just made possibly the best brownies of your life! When they’re completely chilled, slice, serve and inhale!
Behind the scenes!
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
The Hungry Mouse
Yields Yields 1 9x13 pan of sinfully rich brownies
Sinfully rich, dark-chocolate brownies liberally spiked with Bailey's Irish cream liqueur. Make the day before for best results.
Save RecipeIngredients
Instructions
- Make your favorite brownie recipe in a 9x13 pan. Cool completely.
- Put the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand). Beat until fluffy.
- Beat in the Irish cream.
- Beat in the sugar a little at a time (to avoid a sugar dust storm on your counter). You want to beat it until all the sugar has been incorporated and you basically have a big bowl of luscious frosting.
- Take your brownies (which you've cooled completely) and plop all the cream filling on top. Spread it out to cover the whole surface. Make it as uniform as you can, but don't make yourself nuts. (You're making an awesome treat, not hanging intricate wallpaper. Don't stress!)
- Slide the pan into the refrigerator and chill completely.
- While your brownies are chilling, make the chocolate ganache. Put the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Zap it on high in increments of 30 seconds, stirring as you go, until the chocolate melts completely and you have a smooth, blissful uniform container of molten chocolate.
- When your chocolate concoction is almost smooth, add the Bailey's and stir to combine.
- Leave the ganache on the counter to cool, stirring occasionally, while your brownies finish chilling in the fridge. It will thicken a little as it cools, but should still be plenty spreadable when you go to use it.
- When your brownies have cooled completely AND your ganache is at room temperature, it's time to finish them up. Pour the ganache over the brownies, smoothing it out in a thin layer with a spatula or the back of a spoon (or your very clean paw).
- Pop the pan back into the fridge uncovered and refrigerate overnight (or at least for a few hours, if you're trying to serve the same day).
- And...you just made possibly the best brownies of your life! When they're completely chilled, slice, serve and inhale!
