Baileys White Russian

This ridiculously indulgent Baileys White Russian packs a real punch! The perfect cocktail for Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day.

Love Baileys? Check out my Baileys Mudslide & Baileys Whipped Coffee!

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My love affair with Baileys Irish Cream is well documented on this blog. You will find Baileys chocolate mousse, Baileys chocolate ice cream and Baileys buttercream… but no Baileys cocktails!

Well the time has come to rectify this glaring omission! This Baileys White Russian straddles the divide between dessert and cocktails… but don’t mistake it for a lightweight drink.

White Russian drink

A ‘White Russian’ is a variation on a ‘Black Russian’ – a cocktail which contains coffee liqueur and vodka.

Neither of the drinks is actually Russian in origin, the name probably derives from the use of vodka as one of the main ingredients (see also Moscow Mule).

The cocktail is, famously, the Dude’s drink of choice in the Coen Brother’s The Big Lebowski.

White Russian Ingredients

There’s endless variations of this popular cocktail. The base ingredients are

• Milk or cream (the ‘white’ element)
• Vodka (the ‘Russian’ element)
• Coffee liqueur: the usual suspects are Kahlua and Tia Maria. Patron XO Cafe is less known but equally delicious. There’s also many cold brew based liqueurs on the market right now.
• Ice cubes

Baileys White Russian

A White Russian which uses Irish cream instead of cream of milk is actually a variation called a ‘Blind Russian’. I think we can all agree that is a pretty awful cocktail name!

My twist on the classic has more in common with the Espresso Martini – I have replaced the traditional coffee liqueur with fresh espresso and the cream with Baileys.

I used homemade caramel syrup to lean into the sweetness of the Baileys and undercut the bitterness of the coffee. This is optional and you can replace it with sugar (simple) syrup if you prefer. 

You can drizzle your rocks glass with a little Dulce De Leche more visual impact. Frost your glass with caramel cookie crumbs or cocoa powder for a festive version – just make sure to serve soon after!

How to make a classic White Russian

Put ice in a cocktail shaker and add a measure each of vodka, Kahlua and double cream or milk. Shake until frost forms on the shaker. Serve over ice in an old fashioned glass (rocks glass).

How to make a Baileys White Russian

For the classic variation replace the double cream with Baileys. For my twist on the recipe you will need

• Baileys Irish Cream
• Freshly brewed espresso
• Vodka
• Caramel syrup or simple syrup – see recipe notes
• Dulce de Leche or caramel syrup to decorate the glas (optional)
• Lotus Biscoff cookie crumbs to frost the glass (optional)

Step 1. Put two rocks glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes then drip Dulce De Leche on the inside of your glass.

Step 2. Crush 5 caramel cookies (I used Biscoff) into a fine powder and put on a small shallow plate. Dip the glass rims in Dulce De Leche and then into the cookie powder to frost. Fill with ice.

Step 3. Shake the coffee, vodka and caramel syrup in a cocktail shaker for 30 seconds. Strain into the prepared glasses.

Step 4. Add the Baileys in the shaker and shake again. Strain into the glasses using a cocktail strainer and enjoy immediately.

Have you made my Baileys White Russian? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!

More Baileys recipes to try

• Baileys chocolate ice cream
• Whipped Coffee (Dalgona Coffee)
• Baileys Irish cream chocolate mousse
• Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate Irish cream frosting
• Totally addictive rocky road