Homemade Vegan Irish Cream Liqueur Recipe

You'll need a few natural ingredients to make this dairy-free liqueur which are listed below.

• Canned full-fat coconut milk - for creaminess. There will be a coconut taste, naturally! You only need one cup, so save the rest for another use.
• Vegan sweetened condensed milk - no sugar is needed since this is already sweetened. I used approximately half a can of sweetened condensed coconut milk from Nature's Charm (not sponsored).
• Cacao powder - I use organic cacao powder. I like Irish cream to be a little chocolatey, like an Irish Mocha Cream. Adjust the amount to your preferences; maybe you want just a touch of cocoa.
• Coffee extract - I happen to have some in the pantry for concentrated coffee flavor. If you don't have coffee extract, I have substitutions below.
• Vanilla extract - for flavor.
• Irish whiskey - I used Jameson Irish whiskey which is vegan-friendly. The main ingredients are unmalted and malted barley, maize, and Irish water from the Dungourney River local to the distillery.

A complete ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Substitutions

Here are some substitutions you can try. The possibilities are endless!

• Full-fat canned coconut milk: Use homemade cashew milk which is neutral yet richer than other types of plant-based milk. Light coconut milk would work but it will be less creamy; it wasn't creamy enough for me. You can use coconut cream; dilute it with coffee or water.
• Coffee extract: Instead, you can use espresso powder or instant coffee mixed with a small amount of hot water or espresso; place it in the fridge to cool it down before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. You can also use cooled-down strong coffee. Not a fan? Omit it or add one of the liquors below instead. If you don't have coffee and cacao powder handy, try adding a coffee liqueur or homemade coffee liqueur.
• Vanilla extract: Instead, try orange extract or almond extract, or almond essence.

How to Make Vegan Irish Cream

This dairy-free Irish cream is deliciously creamy with hints of cocoa and vanilla, and you can make it in the blender in less than 5 minutes. How easy is that?

This homemade vegan Baileys recipe makes approximately 2 cups. 

If you are entertaining or plan to give this homemade festive vegan liqueur away as gifts, you can double the recipe.

Here are the simple steps to make it:

Equipment

• blender
• can opener
• fine metal sieve - to remove the coconut milk solids from the canned coconut milk and the sweetened condensed coconut milk. If you skip this step, your Irish cream might be much thicker and almost solid the next day, like pudding.

How to Serve

• Refrigerate and shake well before serving.
• Enjoy this Irish cream right out of the fridge (my favorite) or over ice. You can enjoy it at room temperature if you prefer, but I think this delicious drink tastes better cold.
• You can pour it over vegan ice cream along with strong coffee for a delicious dessert. Or just add it to a cup of coffee or hot chocolate!
• Add it to baked goods and frosting, such as this recipe for my decadent Vegan Chocolate Fig Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting.
• Make it for the holiday season and special occasions, whether it's March or December. It's a lovely after-dinner drink.

Storage

This homemade vegan Irish cream can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container (preferably glass) for up to four or five days.