Rich and fudgy brownies topped with a deliciously dreamy Irish cream buttercream and generously sprinkled with buttery toffee bits!
Even though I rarely ever drink anything alcoholic, I do enjoy a good Baileys on the rocks every once in a while. Irish cream has to be the most desserty of all the alcohols, so it would make total sense that I would gravitate toward it. To me, it’s almost like drinking melted ice cream with a bit of a kick. It’s so smooth, rich, and lusciously thick. It’s beyond me why people would choose something as bitter as wine or beer over something as divine as Irish cream.
So with St. Patrick’s Day literally one day away, I figured this would be the perfect time to whip out the Baileys and bake up something heavenly.
These Irish Cream Brownies clearly have it all–a thick and fudgy brownie base, rich and gloriously creamy Irish cream buttercream, and a buttery crunchy sprinkling of heath toffee bits. Every bite of this little devil is exquisite.
And although I boozed these babies up with some Baileys, the Irish cream flavor isn’t too overpowering. In fact, there’s only two tablespoons in the entire recipe. I didn’t even add any to the brownies–just the buttercream!
What I’ve found with alcohol is that a little can really go a long way, especially when you’re just adding it to frosting. I love Irish cream, but I mostly just wanted to add a little kick to the brownies. Hence, the reason why I didn’t bake any into the batter.
The brownies themselves are loaded with that deliciously deep dark cocoa flavor and consist of the perfect moist to chewy ratio. My favorite brand of cocoa powder is Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa. Aside from the fact that this cocoa is the least expensive dutch-processed cocoa powder you’ll find on the market, I love how it adds such a deep richness, flavor, and color to any chocolate treat you add it to. Nothing beats it, in my opinion. (I swear this is non-sponsored!)
It never fails to amaze me how something with so few ingredients can taste so incredible. Seriously!! This Irish cream buttercream only contains three ingredients–butter, powdered sugar, and Baileys. How is it so flippin’ tasty??
Depending on how boozy you like your treats, you can add more or less of the Irish cream. However, it’s definitely worth noting that the Irish cream flavor is much more prominent the day after making the brownies. My advice? Start small and add just a little at a time.
Knowing the sugar addict that I am, I of course couldn’t stop there. I just HAD to cover the entire thing with toffee bits. Not only do the toffee bits add that wonderful crunch factor to the brownies, but the combination of the buttery toffee with the rich Irish cream buttercream is BEYOND decadent.
Seriously, if you’re looking for the perfect way to celebrate this drunken excuse of a holiday, look no further than these Irish Cream Brownies. Because as opposed to spending a night out partying with your pals at some dive bar, you won’t have to worry about waking up with a terrible hangover with these hunks of chocolate love…
Irish Cream Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Irish Cream Buttercream:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Irish cream*
- ½ cup Toffee bits
Instructions
Make the Brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder until smooth and glossy. Whisk in both sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, stirring until fully incorporated. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the dry ingredients.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-28 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Make the Buttercream:
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and continue whipping, stopping and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add the Irish cream, and continue whipping until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Spread evenly onto the cooled brownies.
- Sprinkle toffee bits on top of the brownies. Cut into squares. Serve and enjoy!