Irish cream always makes me think of the holidays. Be it Christmas or St. Patrick’s day, I want to pour a glass over ice and sip its creamy goodness while I bake and make merry. The only thing that can make Irish cream more enjoyable is making it yourself with coconut milk.
As the name suggests one of the main ingredients in Irish cream is cream. While raw milk can have a place in a healthy lifestyle, especially when used to make yogurt or butter, coconut milk is another great choice and also makes this treat dairy free.
There are many recipes out there for making your own Irish cream, but they include ingredients like sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup which makes the result a less than desirable drink full of pasteurized ingredients and loaded with white sugar. If you are going to make it yourself, why not make it with healthy ingredients?
Irish Cream Makeover
Traditional recipes use sweetened condensed milk to both sweeten and thicken the drink. This liqueur recipe replaces both the sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate syrup common in other recipes with a homemade, chocolate condensed coconut milk sweetened with honey. It was so tasty that I almost stopped right there and drank that instead!
If you have never tried Irish cream, you are in for a treat. I like to sip it “on the rocks” (when I’m not pregnant, of course) but you can also thin it down with coconut milk if you prefer a milder taste. If you are a coffee drinker, it also makes a wonderfully tasty creamer. Just remember not to take your coffee with you on the road if you choose to use it as a creamer!
If you prefer, heavy cream (preferably raw), can be used in place of the coconut milk. However, the mild taste of coconut adds a wonderful depth to the flavor.
Coconut Milk Irish Cream Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk or make your own, divided
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 TBSP cocoa powder
- 1½ cups Irish whiskey or whiskey/bourbon of your choice
- 4 eggs clean, fresh
- 2 tsp instant coffee granules
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, bring 1 can coconut milk to a boil. Watch closely as it can boil over quickly.
- Add honey and cocoa powder and reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer, uncovered for about 30 mins or until liquid is reduced by about half.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Combine cooled condensed coconut milk and all remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender.
- Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- It may separate slightly so gently stir or shake to reincorporate before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
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