Irish Cream Coffee is an iced coffee sweetened with brown sugar syrup and topped with Irish Cream flavored whipped cream. This coffee has no alcohol, but a tipsy version is listed in the variations of this recipe.
Do you miss the Starbuck’s Irish Cream Cold Brew Coffee? I know I do! But this is not a copycat recipe of that famous drink. Instead, it more closely resembles a cold version of a true Irish Coffee, just without the alcohol.
what is an Irish Coffee?
A true Irish Coffee is made by placing two sugar cubes in a 6-ounce goblet. Next, add 3 1/2 ounces of hot brewed coffee and a generous shot of Irish whiskey. The cocktail is then topped with a float of cream poured gently over the back of a spoon. Yumm!
If you visit San Francisco, a “must see” is The Buena Vista at the bottom of Hyde Street near the cable car turn-around. This famous landmark is where the American version of Irish Coffee was invented in 1952. Seriously, this is the best Irish Coffee, hands down, I have ever had. Years ago, I worked just down the street on Hyde for a small food service company and my colleagues and I would go to lunch at The BV. I’m not exaggerating, when I say it was truly a marvel to see the bartender make dozens of Irish Coffees in quick succession!
So, the very first time I had a Starbuck’s Irish Cream Cold Brew, I couldn’t help but compare it to the famous version at The BV. Whiskey aside, both versions have sweetened coffee and both versions have a float of heavy cream. But the Starbuck’s version flavors their heavy cream with… something. Maybe vanilla… maybe vanilla and something-else. Oh, and of course, The BV version is hot and the Starbuck’s is cold.
here’s my Irish Cream Coffee version
So, I put my thinking cap on and thought about how I want my Irish coffee to taste. I wanted the coffee to be slightly sweet with butterscotch overtones and the cream to be sweet but not too sweet. Lastly, it needed to taste delicious cold or hot.
My version begins with a 10 to 12-ounce glass filled with ice. Then 2 tablespoons of brown sugar simple syrup are poured over the ice. Next, comes the cold coffee and I fill the glass to about 3/4″ from the top. Lastly, I spoon the Irish Cream on top of the coffee, where it will float for about 10 minutes. As the cream sits atop the coffee, it will begin to ooze down into the drink.
So, simply put, we have brown sugar syrup, dark brewed coffee, and a soft float of Irish Cream. Are you ready to make the best coffee drink ever? Great! So, let’s cook!
ingredients
For this recipe you will need, dark brown sugar, water, black brewed coffee, heavy cream, Irish Cream flavored syrup, and chocolate sprinkles.
instructions
make the brown sugar simple syrup
Step 1 – Add water to a small saucepan.
Step 2 – Add packed brown sugar to the water.
Step 3 – Over medium heat, stir the brown sugar and water solution until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.
Step 4 – Continue to cook the syrup until it comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool. The brown sugar simple syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
make the black coffee
You can use any type of black coffee in this recipe as long as it is cooled down or cold. I have used drip brewed, French press, instant espresso, and, of course, cold brew. Each of these methods of making coffee will give you a delicious result. Just be sure the coffee is cool before you add it to your glass of ice and brown sugar simple syrup.
make the Irish cream
Step 1 – Add cold heavy cream to a small bowl.
Step 2 – Add Irish cream syrup to the heavy cream.
Step 3 – Use a whisk or a small fork and whip the cream just until it is thickened.
Step 4 – The cream will be thickened, when it falls slowly off a spoon and creates soft shapes.
assemble the coffee
- Fill a 10 to 12-ounce glass with ice.
- Pour two tablespoons of brown sugar simple syrup over the ice.
- Add cool or cold black coffee up to ¾” from the top of the rim of the glass.
- Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the Irish Cream on top of the coffee.
- Garnish with chocolate sprinkles.
my top tips
Make each of the components of this recipe, the coffee, the brown sugar simple syrup, and the Irish cream in advance. Keep them in the refrigerator until you want a coffee and then you can make an Irish Cream Coffee quickly, anytime you want.
The brown sugar simple syrup recipe makes 1/2 cup of syrup, which is enough for 4 drinks. You might like your coffee a little sweeter. So, I scaled the recipe for the syrup to be generous. Left-over brown sugar simple syrup is delicious over French toast, pancakes, or waffles!
The recipe for the Irish Cream is plenty for two coffees.
variations
ADD WHISKEY – This Irish cream beverage does not have any liquor, but of course it would be very delicious with your favorite whiskey added. Simply add your chosen whiskey after the coffee is poured into your mug or glass and before you add the Irish cream topping.
ADD KAHLUA – If you want to amp up the coffee flavor in this drink, just add a shot of Kahlua and you have a super delicious Black Russian type cocktail.
MAKE IT HOT – Instead of pouring cold coffee over ice, pour hot coffee into a heat proof mug. For the hot version, you might consider whipping the cream a little longer so that the cream forms soft peaks. This lets the Irish cream float a little easier on top of the hot coffee.
Whether you make it iced or hot… or with or without your favorite liquor, this homemade version of a coffee house favorite will delight you!
Irish Cream Coffee
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
- 1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Water
Irish Whipped Cream
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 4 Teaspoons Irish Cream Syrup
Assembling the Coffee
- 8 Ounces Black Coffee, Cold
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
- 1/4 Cup Irish Whipped Cream
Instructions
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
- Pour the water into a small saucepan.
- Add the packed brown sugar to the water.
- Over medium heat, stir the brown sugar and water solution until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.
- Continue to cook the syrup until it comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool. The brown sugar simple syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Irish Cream
- Pour cold heavy cream into a small bowl.
- Add Irish cream syrup to the heavy cream.
- Use a whisk or a small fork and whip the cream just until it is thickened.
- The cream will be thickened when it falls slowly off a spoon and creates soft shapes.
Assemble the Coffee
- Fill a 10 to 12-ounce glass with ice.
- Pour two tablespoons of brown sugar simple syrup over the ice.
- Add cool or cold black coffee up to ¾” from the top of the rim of the glass.
- Spoon 3 to 4 heaping tablespoons of the Irish Cream on top of the coffee.
- Garnish with chocolate sprinkles.
- Serve and Enjoy!
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