Thick, rich, and indulgent, this Bailey’s cheesecake is a great dessert choice for the grownups. With a chocolate crust, an Irish cream flavored filling, and a Bailey’s infused whipped topping, this cheesecake will be a hit for any holiday.

I first made this cheesecake for Christmas in 2013, and it was so popular with my family, it was requested every year for a while. After moving, I couldn’t find the hand-written recipe I had made for a few years, and finally came across it Christmas weekend this past year, so instead of posting it then, I’m sharing it for St. Patrick’s Day. While great for the holidays, this indulgent dessert is great any time of the year you’d like an Irish cream pick me up.

a whole Bailey's cheesecake with chocolate chips and whipped cream topping with a bottle of Bailey's behind it

This recipe makes a hefty, good-sized cheesecake, so small slices are plenty filling. With a chocolate crust and thick filling with optional chocolate chips, the Bailey’s flavor comes through nicely without being overly sweet or boozy tasting.

Ingredients for Bailey’s Cheesecake

Chocolate Graham Crackers – The chocolate crust is made with chocolate graham crackers. These have been difficult to find the past few years, and a good substitute are chocolate Teddy Graham cookies. Alternatives, you can also use Oreo cookies instead. If you go with an Oreo crust, skip the added sugar and you can reduce the melted butter to about 4 tablespoons.

Butter – Melted butter helps bind the graham crumbs together for the crust.

Sugar – Use white, granulated sugar in the crust, the cheesecake, and the whipped topping. If you use an Oreo crust instead, you can skip the added sugar there. The cheesecake itself isn’t overly sweet either, so if you prefer a more sweetened cream cheese flavor, you can increase the amount of sugar by ⅓ – ½ a cup more.

Cream Cheese – Use full fat, brick style cream cheese here. The recipe calls for 2 ¼ pounds, which is 4 ½ 8oz bricks. Reserve the last 4oz of cream cheese for the whipped topping. Use at room temperature.

Sour Cream – Just a little bit at room temperature for added tang and creaminess.

Bailey’s – Bailey’s Irish cream liquor is one of the most popular Irish cream liquors around the world. If you have another Irish cream liquor you prefer, you can use that. If you really want to avoid using alcohol, Bailey’s used to make a great coffee creamer, but I haven’t seen it for a long time around me. If you can find an Irish cream flavored coffee creamer made from actual cream, it makes a good substitute, but don’t use a non-dairy creamer. If you store Bailey’s in the fridge, use at room temperature here.

Vanilla – A little vanilla extract helps boost the Bailey’s flavor.

Chocolate Chips – Optional, but I like adding some mini chocolate chips to the cheesecake for some added texture and bits of chocolate flavor mixed in.

Eggs – Use 5 large eggs at room temperature.

Heavy Cream – For the whipped topping, you’ll use some heavy cream with the reserved cream cheese, a little sugar, and some added Bailey’s.

How to Make Bailey’s Cheesecake

Start by preparing a 10” springform pan (you can also use a 9” for a slightly smaller but taller cheesecake). If you want to serve it without the base, spray the sides and bottom with non-stick cooking spray, line the bottom with parchment paper and spray that as well, then attach the sides and lock it. Preheat your oven to 325°F/165°C.

making a chocolate graham cracker crust for cheesecake

Using a food processor, pulse the chocolate graham crackers into crumbles. Add the sugar and pulse a few times to combine, then pour in the melted butter and pulse a few more times to thoroughly mix. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and press into the bottom and up the sides a little bit. Using the bottom of a metal measuring cup helps compact it and smooth it out. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a gallon sized zipper lock bag and crush with a meat mallet or rolling pin, then mix by hand.

Parbake the crust for 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the cheesecake filling.

first 4 steps in making Bailey's cheesecake batter

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add the cream cheese and beat on low speed until loosened and creamy. Add in the sour cream and sugar and beat on low, increasing to medium speed until creamed together and well combined.

Add in the Bailey’s and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until fully combined. Now add the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Pour a little less than half of the mini chocolate chips over the crust in an even layer and fold the rest into the cheesecake batter.

last 3 steps in making Bailey's cheesecake

Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in aluminum foil and pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, smoothing out the top. Place in a large roasting pan and pour hot water around the outside of the springform pan no higher than halfway up the outside of the pan.

Bake for roughly 1hr 20mins, checking after the first 70 minutes. The center should be slightly jiggly while the outer ring looks set. Turn the heat off and slightly prop open the oven door (I use a wooden spoon) and allow to cool inside the oven for at least 30 minutes, an hour is best.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight for an even better flavor.

ingredients for Bailey's whipped cream topping

When you’re almost ready to serve, make the whipped topping. In a large mixing bowl, add the reserved cream cheese and mix to break it up and smooth it out. Add the heavy cream and mix on low until combined, slowly increasing the speed until you reach soft peaks, and the cream cheese has incorporated into the cream. Add the sugar and Bailey’s and combine slowly, increasing speed until you reach stiff peaks.

Using a butter knife, go around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it, then open the springform pan. Remove the outer ring and lift the cheesecake off the bottom. Spoon or pipe the whipped topping over the cheesecake and decorate as desired. On top of the whipped cream, you can also add more mini chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers or cookies, or some chocolate shavings.

Slice and serve.

Tips for Better Cheesecakes

Room Temperature Ingredients – Using cold cream cheese will cause lumps in the batter. Keeping all ingredients at room temperature makes it easier to mix and combine the ingredients without overmixing and adding too much air to the batter. Extra air in the batter will cause the cheesecake to rise and fall, creating large cracks.

Water Bath – Also known as a bain-marie, a water bath seems like extra work, but it has multiple uses when making a cheesecake. Using a water bath helps the cheesecake cook gently and evenly by keeping the surrounding temperature steady. It also keeps the air in the oven moist and humid, which prevents the top of the cheesecake from drying out as it bakes and cracking. Be sure to use hot water though, as adding cold water to the pan will lower the oven temperature and throw off the baking time. If you don’t have a large enough pan for a water bath, you can get similar benefits from placing a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake as well.

A slice of Bailey's cheesecake with chocolate chips and glass of Bailey's next to it.

Eggs Last – When mixing cheesecake batter, make sure to add the (room temperature!) eggs as the last ingredient. You can mix the cream cheese and sugar at a higher speed for a few minutes if you wanted to and it won’t really make a difference in the final product. Overmixing the eggs or mixing at a high speed, however, will introduce too much air into the batter, trapping air and causing a rise and fall effect while the cheesecake cooks, leading to large cracks.

Don’t Peek or Overbake – Opening and closing the oven can cause cool air to pour in and crack the cheesecake top, especially early into the baking time. Eventually you’ll have to check on it near the end of the cook time, but it should be safe by then. Overbaking will cause the cheesecake to dry out and have a weird texture and lots of cracks. The eggs give cheesecake a custard-like texture and flavor, so the center should still have some jiggle. Overcooking will also cause the entire cheesecake to rise like a souffle, and crash back down as it cools, leading to large cracks through the entire dish.

Proper Cooling & Chilling – Turning off the oven and leaving it slightly open after the cheesecake has cooked allows the cheesecake to cool slowly without a quick and sudden change in temperature that can cause cracks. Allow for 30 minutes to an hour, then remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack until the cheesecake cools to room temperature. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate, overnight or 24 hours for best flavor. It may seem like a long cooling and chilling period, but cheesecake needs patience. Cooking is only the first part, as cheesecake needs time to cool and allow the cream cheese and eggs to fully set.

Storing Bailey’s Cheesecake

Allow cheesecake to cool completely in the springform pan, then wrap the entire thing with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4-6 hour and up to 24 hours before serving. After removing the ring from the pan, you can serve it straight from the bottom of the springform pan and keep it on there when storing. Cover again with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

If you want to move the cheesecake to another base or container, I recommend placing a round piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the springform pan before baking and spray with some cooking spray. Once cooled and ready to serve, use a large knife or spatula to remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the springform pan.

You can also freeze cheesecake for up to 3 months. You can freeze the cheesecake on the bottom of the springform pan, or remove it as mentioned above. Allow to cool completely, then place uncovered in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Once it has hardened slightly, wrap in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place in freezer. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before serving.

Bailey's Cheesecake

Ingredients for Bailey’s Cheesecake

How to Make Bailey’s Cheesecake

Tips for Better Cheesecakes

Storing Bailey’s Cheesecake

📋 Recipe