20 Fun Baileys Cocktail and Shot Recipes

Delicious, creamy drinks for you to mix up

Carrot Cake Shot Drink
S&C Design Studios

Baileys is the best-known Irish cream liqueur on the market, and it's used to make fun, inventive cocktails and shots. The recipes are quite diverse, some mixing in fruits while others use the typical coffee, chocolate, and mint flavors you'd expect from creamy drinks. One thing's guaranteed though: with a bottle of Baileys, your drinks are sure to be delicious.

  • 01 of 20

    Baileys Irish Ice

    Baileys Irish Ice With Guinness Gelato

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    For the ultimate spiked dessert, try Baileys Irish Ice. It's a blended iced coffee drink with a hint of mint chocolate and an espresso float topped with whipped cream. Yet, it's the Guinness-flavored gelato that steals the show and makes it unforgettable.

  • 02 of 20

    Chocolatini

    Frosted Chocolatini

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    Of all the chocolate martinis in the world, this recipe is a favorite. You only need three ingredients for a chocolatini: vanilla vodka, Baileys, and chocolate liqueur. It's creamy, sweet, and utterly delicious.

  • 03 of 20

    Autumn Chai Swizzle

    Autumn Chai Swizzle Cocktail
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    Baileys is often used as a creamer for coffee and tea, offering a boozy little kick while softening the flavor. That's the role it plays in the autumn chai swizzle, a simple three-ingredient recipe that's perfect for a chilly afternoon.

  • 04 of 20

    Caramel Irish Coffee

    Caramel Irish Coffee With Baileys Irish Cream

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    There is no Irish cream in the original Irish coffee, but it's a fun addition to modern incarnations of the recipe. The caramel Irish coffee, for instance, pairs Baileys with Irish whiskey, butterscotch schnapps, and the best hot coffee you can brew. It's as delicious and satisfying as it sounds, too!

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  • 05 of 20

    Mudslide

    Mudslide cocktail recipe

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    If you replace the cream of the White Russian with Irish cream, you have a mudslide. It's a yummy drink to sip casually, so it's a popular choice for happy hour. Plus, you can blend it up when you're in the mood for a boozy milkshake.

  • 06 of 20

    Irish Encounter

    The Irish Encounter Frozen Cocktail With Pyrat Rum

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    Give the average banana smoothie a fun twist with the Irish encounter recipe. Baileys is the only Irish ingredient, so it really is just an "encounter." You'll enjoy how it plays off the sweet flavors of a nice gold rum and coconut milk.

  • 07 of 20

    Sugar Cookie Martini

    Sugar Cookie Martini
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    Forget baking! Shake up a sugar cookie martini instead. With just three common bar ingredients, you'll have a yummy vanilla vodka cocktail to enjoy in just a few minutes. Don't forget to rim your glass with colored sugar for an extra treat.

  • 08 of 20

    Snickertini

    Snickertini Cocktail

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    Baileys partners with caramel vodka, amaretto, and chocolate liqueur for the indulgent snickertini. The recipe is easy to shake up and the ultimate fix for your sweet tooth's cravings.

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  • 09 of 20

    Vanilla Latte Cocktail

    Spiked Vanilla Latte
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    For many drinks, Baileys is a go-to substitute for milk or heavy cream. That's exactly what happened with the vanilla latte cocktail recipe, which featured a now discontinued cream liqueur from a certain coffeehouse giant. Better yet, this cocktail is much easier to make than any normal latte! Just brew some coffee, and spike it with vanilla vodka and Irish cream.

  • 10 of 20

    Salted Caramel Martini

    Salted Caramel Martini

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    Salted caramel has become a favorite treat and this martini offers the flavors in both a delicious drink as well as beautiful presentation. The shaken mixture of vodka, caramel syrup, and Irish cream make for a smooth and creamy cocktail while the caramel drizzle inside the glass, salted caramel rim, and the caramel candy garnish create a pretty presentation.

  • 11 of 20

    Ghost-tini

    Ghostini recipe

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

    Things always get a little spooky at Halloween, and the ghost-tini fits in perfectly. This is actually a delicious little martini, mixing caramel-flavored Baileys with vanilla vodka and pumpkin liqueur. The real fun comes in with the Oreo rim and gummy worm garnish.

  • 12 of 20

    Irish Cactus

    Irish Cactus Cocktail

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    Tequila may be a surprising pairing with Irish cream, but it's a really good one. The Irish cactus requires nothing else, so it's incredibly quick to mix up. Choose a good blanco tequila to mix with Baileys, then just sit back and relax.

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  • 13 of 20

    B-52 Shooter

    B-52 Shots

    The Spruce Eats

    The B-52 shooter is a great way to drink Baileys, which makes up the middle layer. It's also one of the best-tasting shots you can make because Kahlua and Grand Marnier are perfect complements to the Irish cream.

  • 14 of 20

    Guinness & Green Jelly Shot

    Guinness & Green Jell-O Shots

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    A fun shot for St. Patrick's Day, this jello shooter looks a lot more complicated to make than it is and tastes great. For the Guinness & Green Jelly Shot, you'll make a layer of stout-flavored gelatin, then top it with one made of Irish cream that's dyed green.

  • 15 of 20

    Irish Slammer

    Irish Slammer (Irish Car Bomb) Shot

    The Spruce 

    Irish whiskey and Irish cream are often found together, and one of their most popular appearances is in the Irish slammer (formerly the Irish car bomb). It's an interactive shot in which you drop a shot glass filled with the two spirits into a pint of Guinness. Keep in mind that it's also known to produce some nasty hangovers.

  • 16 of 20

    Carrot Cake Shooter

    Carrot Cake Shots

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    With the help of four common liqueurs, you can recreate the taste of carrot cake in a glass with this carrot cake shooter! This may be one of the most delicious shots you can make, and the taste will surprise and delight you. Unlike the cake, no actually carrots are required—but it is just a little better with a frosting and walnut rim.

    Continue to 17 of 20 below.
  • 17 of 20

    Oatmeal Cookie Shooter

    Oatmeal Cookie Shooter

    The Spruce Eats

    Bartenders have been remarkably crafty over the years when it comes to recreating favorite treats in liquid form. The oatmeal cookie shooter is another yummy example in which four average liqueurs come together to taste just like the beloved snack. This one's actually a little too good to take as a shot, so sip it slowly if you like.

  • 18 of 20

    Nutty Irishman

    Nutty Irishman Shooter

    The Spruce Eats

    Serve it as a shot, a martini, or a hot coffee cocktail—no matter how you take it, Irish cream puts the "Irish" in a Nutty Irishman. For all the variations, this recipe could not be simpler: a mix of Irish cream and Frangelico. The hazelnut flavor is a great pairing for Baileys and, if you want to get fancy, the two-layer up really well.

  • 19 of 20

    Girl Scout Cookie Shot

    Girl Scout Cookie Shooter

    The Spruce Eats

    Thin Mints are a favorite among the cookies Girl Scouts sell every year to raise money, and they're the inspiration for the equally delicious Girl Scout cookie shot. It is interesting, however, that there's no chocolate in the most popular recipe. Instead, it pairs Irish cream and coffee liqueur with peppermint schnapps.

  • 20 of 20

    Nutty Fix

    Nutty Fix (aka Russian Qualude) Layered Shot Drink

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    Baileys is a magical ingredient when it comes to layering drinks, floating perfectly on top of many other liqueurs. The nutty fix demonstrates that ability perfectly, placing the cream between layers of hazelnut liqueur and vodka.