Baileys whipped chocolate parfaits are an easy to make, alcoholic dessert that come together in less than 15 minutes. Chocolate whipped cream is spiked with Baileys Irish Cream and layered with crushed sandwich cookies.
Baileys Irish Cream is a liqueur - an alcoholic beverage made with cream, chocolate, and Irish Whiskey. It is especially popular during St. Patrick's Day, making this a fantastic alcoholic dessert to celebrate the holiday.
This decadent Baileys dessert is made by making a batch of homemade chocolate whipped cream, then layering it with crushed chocolate Oreo cookies. Remember - this dessert includes alcohol, so it is not safe for children to consume!
Never made homemade whipped cream before? No worries - it's easier than you think.
Ingredients and substitutions
For this recipe, you'll need two to three decorative glasses to built your parfaits. I used small martini glasses, and was able to make three parfaits. If you'd like to use a stemless wine glass, which is larger, you can probably make two large parfaits from this recipe.
For this recipe, you need either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (this will work best). Light cream, milk, or half & half will not work for this recipe, as you'll need a cream with at least 30% butterfat.
It is especially important that your heavy cream is very cold, otherwise it will be difficult to whip up. To be safe, you can also chill your bowl and whisk beforehand in the refrigerator or freezer. Doing so will help your heavy cream whip up easily!
Oreo cookies can be substituted with chocolate or vanilla wafers, or another flavor of Oreo cookie, like mint.
Making whipped cream
For my full, detailed directions on whipped cream, check out my post: Homemade Whipped Cream
First, add your heavy cream to a large bowl. Then, using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whip attachment, whip your cream to soft or medium peaks.
It is possible to whip cream using a hand whisk, but it will take significantly longer as well as tire out your arm!
The process of whipping your cream into a whipped cream can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes in my experience. The less cream you are whipping, the quicker it will whip.
As your cream is whipping, you'll notice it get a little frothy, then begin to thicken. Once you can see your cream holding its shape in the bowl, stop the mixer.
Lift your whisk out of the cream. If the tip of the whipped cream holds its shape but droops slightly - this is the "soft peaks" you are looking for.
Making chocolate whipped cream
Once your cream is whipped, you're on the home stretch. The hard part is over!
Once you've made your whipped cream, add the Baileys, cocoa powder, and confectioner's sugar. Begin whipping again until all of your ingredients are incorporated.
Your whipped cream should look slightly more stiff than before, and will hold its shape well - you're looking for stiff peaks.
Make ahead
Can your parfaits be made ahead of time? Whipped cream does tend to droop and lose its shape after several hours, so I recommend consuming these the same day, if possible.
I tested this recipe and refrigerated one parfait for 24 hours - it held its shape and looked exactly the same the next day. However, the cookies did soften (but still tasted great), so keep this in mind.
Baileys Whipped Chocolate Parfaits
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream very cold
- 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- 8 chocolate sandwich cookies crushed
Instructions
- Chill your heavy cream, bowl, and whisk before starting. This ensures your cream will whip up easily.
- Pour heavy cream into a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip cream to soft or medium peaks. When your whisk is lifted from the bowl, the whipped cream will hold its shape and the tip will droop slightly.
- Add the Baileys Irish Cream, confectioner's sugar, and cocoa powder to the bowl. Continue whipping until ingredients are fully incorporated. Whipped cream will hold its shape. You are looking for stiff peaks - the tip of your whipped cream will hold its shape and stand straight up when whisk is lifted from the mixing bowl.
- Layer whipped cream and cookies into martini glasses or other decorative parfait glasses. Serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Parfaits are best made the same day as enjoying, but can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve. Cookies will soften if assembled ahead of time.
- If you over-whip your whipped cream, add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream and stir by hand or gently whisk until desired texture is achieved.
- Non-alcoholic version - Use Baileys coffee creamer, which is non-alcoholic, or omit it entirely from the recipe, making chocolate whipped cream instead.
- This recipe contains alcohol, and is not suitable for children under the legal drinking age.
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