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These soft chocolate-covered cookie balls are the boozy dessert you need in your life! Made in a snap with just 5 ingredients, these No-Bake Baileys Irish Cream Cookies are perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Easy No-Bake Cookies for St Patty’s Day
Spiked with Baileys Irish Cream and covered in a silky layer of chocolate, these no-bake cookies are delightful little balls of joy. They’re a cross between fancy liqueur truffles and soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. And you only need 5 ingredients!
You simply crush up some vanilla wafers, mix them with powdered sugar, Baileys and corn syrup, cover them in melted chocolate and wait for the chocolate to set. It’s a super simple process that’s easy to master on your first try. One of the best things about these cookies is that the wafer crumbs soak up the flavor and moisture from the Irish Cream as they sit. So they taste even better the day after they’re made!
What Kind of Alcohol is Baileys Irish Cream?
Baileys Irish Cream is a classic liqueur that combines Irish whiskey, cream and cocoa. It’s known for its sweet, dessert-like flavor, and it’s one of the most popular liqueurs in the world. You can add Baileys to all sorts of desserts, but none of them are as quick and easy as these no-bake cookies!
Recipe Ingredients
Let’s take a moment to go over each ingredient used in these cookie balls. You probably already have everything you need!
- Vanilla Wafers: Crushed in a food processor.
- Powdered Sugar
- Corn Syrup: Or you could try Lyle’s Golden Syrup.
- Baileys Irish Cream
- Chocolate Candy Coating: Such as candy melts or candiquick.
How to Make No-Bake Baileys Cookies
One thing that sets these cookies apart from other no-bake cookie balls is that they don’t need to be chilled. As soon as the balls are formed, they’re ready for the chocolate coating!
- Combine Wafer Crumbs & Powdered Sugar: Combine the vanilla wafer crumbs and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Add Corn Syrup & Baileys: Add the corn syrup and Irish cream and mix well. The mixture may seem kind of crumbly, but it does hold its shape very well when you mush it together to form the balls.
- Form Cookies: Make balls of about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough each. Shape the balls with your fingertips and set them aside. The dough might become sticky – you can dust your fingertips with powdered sugar to help with the stickiness.
- Melt Chocolate: Microwave the chocolate candy melts in increments of about 45 seconds, mixing after each increment and reducing the microwave time as needed to avoid burning the chocolate.
- Coat Cookies: Dip each cookie ball into the melted chocolate to coat. You can rest the balls on a fork or use a toothpick.
- Let Set: Place the coated cookie balls onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper and allow the chocolate to set.
Tips for Success
Even though this recipe is easy as can be, it’s always helpful to have a few tricks up your sleeve. Here are all of mine!
- Use Chocolate Made for Melting: Although it’s possible to melt down regular chocolate chips for your cookie ball coating, I recommend using chocolates that are specifically designed for melting and hardening. They’re easier to work with and less likely to burn.
- Stop the Dough from Sticking: Due to the warmth of your fingers, the cookie dough can stick to them and get messy as you work with it. I like to prevent this by dusting my fingertips with powdered sugar when I’m rolling the dough into balls.
- Avoid Burning the Chocolate: Once your chocolate starts to get melty, lower the microwave time to keep it from burning. And don’t forget to stir after each increment. I usually start at 45 seconds and end up somewhere around 10. To simplify the melting process, use a candy melting pot instead of the microwave.
- Make These a Day in Advance: I encourage you to make these cookie balls the day before you plan to enjoy them. They will still be delicious if you eat them right away, but the wafer crumbs will be more distinct rather than fully incorporated and melt-in-your-mouth awesome.
Ways to Decorate These Cookie Balls
It’s time to talk about finishing touches! There are tons of simple yet elegant ways to decorate your cookie balls.
- Top with Nonpareil Sprinkles: I love decorating my cookie balls with those little round sprinkles known as nonpareils. Sprinkle them over the cookies before the chocolate coating has set so that they stick.
- Add a Chocolate Drizzle: If you’d like to add a chocolate drizzle to your cookies, wait until the chocolate coating has set. Once it has fully hardened, drizzle additional melted chocolate over each ball.
- Decorate with Sanding Sugar: Want to add some green to your truffles to avoid getting pinched by a leprechaun? Try sprinkling the cookies with green sanding sugar before the chocolate sets.
- Top with Oreo Crumbs: Crushed Oreos are another tasty topping for these cookie balls. Once again, you should sprinkle them on before the chocolate hardens.
Storage Instructions
It’s totally okay to keep your cookies at room temperature for 24 hours or so, but if you’re storing them for longer, refrigerate them in an airtight container. They will last this way for up to a week! Feel free to let them come to room temperature before enjoying them if you’d like.
Can I Freeze These?
Absolutely! These cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep them in a freezer-safe storage bag or airtight container. Thaw them out in the fridge or on the counter before chowing down.
Watch How To Make Them
No Bake Baileys Irish Cream Cookie Balls
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 22
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft chocolate-covered cookie balls are the boozy dessert you need in your life! Made in a snap with just 5 ingredients, these No-Bake Baileys Irish Cream Cookies are perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Ingredients
- 3 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) corn syrup
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Baileys Irish Cream
- 12 oz candy melts
Instructions
- Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Add corn syrup and Irish cream and mix well. Mixture will be crumbly.
- Make balls of about 1 tablespoon each of the vanilla wafer mixture. Shape balls with your fingertips and set aside. Dough might become sticky – you can dust your fingertips with powdered sugar to help with the stickiness.
- Melt candy melts in a bowl in the microwave using short time increments of about 15-45 seconds (more explanation on how I do that above).
- Dip each ball into the chocolate (you can rest the balls on a fork, or use a toothpick) and set on a piece of parchment paper to dry.
Notes
- Makes 20-24 cookie balls
- To Store: These cookies can be kept at room temperature for 24 hours or so, but if you’re storing them for longer, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Bring them to room temperature before enjoying if desired.
- To Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe storage bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter before enjoying.
- Recipe modified from Fabulous Foods
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie Ball
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 20.2 g
- Sodium: 36.9 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat:
- Carbohydrates: 25.1 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 3.1 mg
Categories
More Boozy Treats to Try
Craving more sweet treats that incorporate alcohol? Be sure to check out the following recipes.
Could you use chocolate baking crumbs instead of vanilla?
As long as it’s a similar texture/dryness, I would think that’d be fine. Like chocolate graham crackers would probably work.
Crushing the wafers… Is it a more of a coarse texture or fine texture that you need? Can you add more Bailey’s than the recipe calls for?
I would say more fine. I grind them up in the food processor. Adding more Baileys would make the balls difficult to work with, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Could these be put on a stick to make it like a cake pop?
These are a little soft, I think. I don’t think they’d hold up well on a stick.
Would Oreo or chocolate cookies work instead of the Vanilla wafers?
Oreos have a lot more moisture in them, so you’d have to make other adjustments. I’m not sure without trying it, but if you want to try a chocolate cookie, I’d use the Nabisco chocolate wafers or something like that.
The way your corny rambling goes on and on just to include sponsor space is obvious. And to call such a small amount of liqueur a “ boozy” treat is also corny. At least it doesn’t reference a “grandma” as do many do ! I made these and it depends on the moisture content how well your cookie balls will form .
This post isn’t sponsored. I simply like Baileys and used it in the recipe.
These have been a hit two St. Patrick’s Days in a row. I do use white chocolate instead and since we like them boozy, I up the Bailey’s to 1/2 a cup and adjust the corn syrup accordingly. Going to try them with Grand Marnier for summertime next! Thanks for another fantastic recipe! You are my go to for anything dessert!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
I cannot eat chocolate anymore according to my gastroenterologist. Would white chocolate work, since it isn’t really chocolate (made with cocoa nibs) and has no caffeine?
That would be fine.
I love these! Do they need refrigeration?
No, they don’t.
I have a bottle of strawberry Irish cream and I am wondering about using it for these Irish cream balls. Or do you have any other ideas/suggestions for using the strawberry Irish cream?
Yes, that should work great!
Not cookie related, although, I do make quite a few of your recipes. My question, what color are your cabinets? Love the look.
I’m not totally sure. But they are some shade of grey.
I used your recipe but substitution regularly Baileys with tbe chocolate cherry Baileys. They were great, thanks!!
Could I used spiked eggnog instead? I have made them before and they came out amazing.
I’m not sure how strong the flavor would be but you could definitely try it. Sounds yummy!