This homemade vegan Baileys tastes just like real Baileys. It’s creamy and rich and smooth and the best thing is that you can make it in 5 minutes with a few easy ingredients and a blender.
I’ll admit that it took a few tries to get this Vegan Baileys recipe just perfect but perfect is exactly what it is.
We even did a taste test comparing real Baileys with this vegan version and had a friend compare the two side by side and they said it’s REALLY close and they might even prefer the vegan version. So that is a WIN.
Baileys do have a vegan version on the market called Baileys Almande and that looks really divine, but it’s not accessible everywhere in the world. So if you want a dairy free Baileys and can’t necessarily just go and buy it at the store then this is the way forward.
How To Make Vegan Baileys
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- It’s so simple. Just add two cans of full fat canned coconut milk to the blender jug.
- Add light brown sugar and pour in Jameson Irish Whiskey.
- Add cocoa powder and instant coffee and vanilla extract and then blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve over ice (or just chilled, no ice) and enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
The coconut milk must be canned full fat, and unsweetened. Don’t use coconut milk from a carton it won’t be rich enough.
In spite of the coconut base for this drink, the coconut taste doesn’t come through strongly at all. The end result is just a delicious creamy drink.
If you need an alternate to coconut milk then I would choose something like homemade cashew milk so that you can control how rich and creamy it is, because you do want this to be a very creamy drink.
You can use coconut sugar rather than brown sugar if you prefer. Either/or will be delicious.
We used Jamesons Irish Whiskey which was delicious in this drink but feel free to use any Irish whiskey that you like.
We used instant espresso powder for the coffee powder, but you can use any instant coffee powder.
Storing Vegan Baileys
Store it in the fridge and enjoy within about a week. It thickens a little more in the fridge, compared to when it’s just freshly blended, but this is fine especially if you’re serving it over ice which will thin it out again anyway.
You may just need to stir it up again before serving if it’s been standing for a bit.
More Vegan Drinks
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Baileys
Ingredients
- 28 ounces Canned Coconut Milk (800ml) Full Fat, Unsweetened
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar (100g)
- 1 ½ cups Jamesons Irish Whiskey (360ml)
- 2 tsp Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
- 1 tsp Instant Coffee Powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Add the coconut milk to the blender jug and then add the brown sugar, Jamesons, cocoa powder, coffee powder and vanilla extract.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve over ice or just serve it chilled (no ice).
Video
Notes
- You can use any Irish whiskey that you like and have on hand.
- We used instant espresso powder but any instant coffee powder will work.
- We have heard from some readers that the coconut milk split. It may actually be best to use a brand of coconut milk that is NOT organic, so that it contains emulsifiers and stabilizers, as this tends to create the best results.
- Keep leftovers stored in the fridge and consume within about a week. It may thicken a bit in the fridge, just stir it up before serving.
Hi, mine has unfortunately curdled, is there anything I can do to save it?
Oh no, sorry to hear that! Did it happen instantly or did it happen after a period of time? If it happened instantly then it can be that your coconut milk doesn’t have enough fat in it to prevent the curdling once the alcohol is added. I’m not sure if it can be saved, you can try re-blending it but I’m not sure if it will solve it.
Thanks for this great recipe. This will be a wonderful Christmas gift for my daughter who is Vegan. The only change I made was 2 tsp of espresso instant coffee grounds.
Thanks for the great review Katherine! Hope your daughter enjoys it!
We moved to Southern France about 2 years ago and Vegan food is getting more visible but is very thin on the ground and just about invisible in restaurants, but vegan baileys is completely non-existent. Imagine my surprise on seeing this recipe. I tried it a couple of weeks ago and it was fantastic. It does need to be chilled as you say despite the temptation to have a quick sip, but it is really good. I add slightly more chocolate and my wife prefers slightly more coffee, but it is amazing! Thank-you!
Thanks so much for the awesome review Chris!
can you actually taste the coconut?? I hate the taste of it ):
It’s very subtle, but if you hate the taste, it may not be subtle enough for you. 🙂
I dont like strong flavours usually but if you like Baileys, I would try it if I were you, the coconut taste is somehow masked. However as you do not like coconut which is so central to so many vegan dishes, have you ever tried something easier than Vegan, i.e. Buddhism? 🙂
Wow. This sounds amazing. Do you think it would freeze well? I live alone and can’t imagine getting through even a half or quarter recipe of this per week. Can’t wait to try it.
Hi Kate, I’m not sure actually! I haven’t tried freezing it. You could reduce the recipe and make a half portion if that would work better. 🙂
I was just looking at a bottle of Baileys in the store and lamenting that I can’t drink it anymore. CANNOT wait to try your recipe!
Thanks for this one!!!!!
Hi and thanks for this recipe! Just made it and it tastes like Bailey’s, yey! But only thing is that it was way too thick, more like pudding than a drink haha. Then I added in some water, and it curdled.. any suggestions what to add in to avoid it being so thick?
Hi Laura, we only ran into this issue when we used coconut cream, coconut milk was a good consistency. It may be the brand of coconut milk that is too thick.
Could you use one can of coconut along with other plant-based milk for similar results? I was thinking of using almond milk too
I think so!
Would you say the coconut taste still wouldn’t be noticable to someone that hates coconut or would I be better off using cashew milk? Do you think it will still taste as good if I substitute it? I’m using it in a Bailey’s buttercream recipe for an Irish car bomb cake. 🙂
I think if you really hate the coconut taste then it might come through just enough for you to notice it and dislike it. It’s very subtle but possibly still there for someone to notice if they hate the taste of coconut. So I recommend cashew milk in that case.
Hi I cannot wait to make this, however I just want to ask do I put in the water from the coconut milk too?
Hi Lauren, yes you use the whole contents of the cans of coconut milk.
I have made this recipe twice before and it was amazing …I made it again last week , but made 1/2 batch …it set solid and I’m not sure why ?
Hi Jane, I’ve only had that happen when I’ve used coconut cream instead of coconut milk. Coconut milk usually isn’t so thick that it would set.
Maybe I made a mistake …not sure , but I tried substituting one of the cans with light coconut milk and love it !
Awesome, thanks for sharing!
Can l use one tin of coconut milk and 400ml of almond milk instead of using 2 cans of coconut milk
Sure!
I’ve just made this as I have tried all the Irish creams available in the UK I think, this recipe is just wicked , I used 360 ml of jack daniels , 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and nescafe coffee granules plus demerara sugar with vanilla flavouring + coconut milk ooosshhh what a taste , this will make you wish you’d done it years ago like me . Thanks for making this recipe so simple .
Sounds awesome, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the great review. 🙂
I was a huge fan of Baileys but gave it up initially because of the stomach issues it caused and now because I’m vegan. This is exactly how I remember Baileys tasting and my husband says it tastes just like it. Thank you so much for working on this until it was perfect!!
Awesome! Thanks so much Indy! 🙂
Just made this and added it to my coffee, the fro things from the blender made it extra special. I subbed a cup of almond milk for a cup of the coconut and used coconut sugar, omitting the coffee since I drink it with coffee and it’s still rich and creamy. Definitely a win! I looked at other recipes on line but came back to yours since I like so many of your food recipes. Thanks!
*frothiness. No fro things…
So glad you enjoyed it Cynthia, thanks for sharing! 🙂
I am super excited about this recipe.. I’ve tried the Bailey’s dairy free and quite frankly it’s awful, nothing like real Bailey’s and doesn’t mix well with coffee. I’m going to try this out! Thanks!
Quick and easy to make, and SO delicious! We also made a Toblerone cocktail with it – equal parts Vegan Baileys, Frangelico, Kahlua (30mls each) and 60mls Coconut Cream. Divine! 🙂
That sounds amazing! I will have to make one of those! Thanks for the awesome review. 🙂
Michelle that sounds amazing!! They were my favourite before I was vegan. Did you just blend it all together? I can’t wait to try it!! ????
Within 20 minutes of the email coming through I had the ingredients to hand, the blender going and am currently enjoying a glass of vegan Baileys to see in the New Year.
Awesome! It’s a perfect drink to toast the new year. xo