Baileys Chocolate Mousse is deliciously light, fluffy, and infused with the sweet flavor of Baileys Irish Cream. The perfect decadent dessert for holidays and special occasions!
I’m always up for dessert… but if I’m going to eat it, it better be worth it. Forget store bought cupcakes or boxed brownies or packaged cookies. But I’ll devour homemade chocolate coconut cupcakes or frosted brownies or chocolate chip cookies!
Because homemade is ALWAYS better… and when you add Baileys? It’s ALWAYS worth it! (If you really want to go all out, start with homemade Baileys!)
Case in point: this Baileys Chocolate Mousse recipe. It starts with an easy homemade chocolate mousse (no egg yolks or double boiler required), made even more delicious with the addition of Baileys. Not only does it add amazing Irish Cream flavor and a little bit of extra fun, but it has a deliciously silky texture that makes chocolate mouse even better.
Perfect for chocolate lovers or Baileys lovers or… better yet… both!
what you’ll need for this recipe
Unflavored gelatin – Gelatin helps to thicken and set the mousse, giving it the firm yet light, fluffy texture we expect from chocolate mousse.
Water – Water is first used to “bloom” or activate the gelatin, and then used to dissolve it. Be sure to use cold water to bloom and boiling water to dissolve.
Sugar – Granulated sugar gives this recipe its sweetness. Feel free to adjust the amount to taste.
Cocoa powder – Cocoa powder adds the chocolate flavor to the mousse. I used regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but you can also use dark cocoa powder for a dark chocolate flavor.
Cream – Heavy whipping cream (similar to double cream) is one of the key ingredients in mousse and what gives it its light, fluffy, creamy texture.
Irish Cream Liqueur – I substituted a portion of the heavy cream with Baileys Irish Cream for delicious flavor.
Vanilla – A dash of vanilla extract adds another layer of flavor to this recipe.
how to make baileys chocolate mousse
Prep the bowls & beaters. Before beginning, chill the bowls & beaters in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Prep the gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in small bowl; stir and let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Combine the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cocoa powder. Add the heavy cream; beat at medium-high speed using a hand mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Add more ingredients. To the chocolate mixture, gradually add the Baileys, vanilla, and gelatin mixture. Beat continuously at high speed until well-blended and soft peaks form.
Spoon into serving dishes. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken. Spoon into serving dishes and place in refrigerator to chill. (For a faster setting mousse, chill bowls before filling.)
Chill. Chill in the fridge 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Tips for Success
Chill the bowl & beaters. Chilling the bowl and beaters by placing them in the freezer for a full 15-20 minutes before starting will help ensure that the temperature of the ingredients stays cold (a key to making this recipe work!)
Start with cold ingredients. Cold cream is key in making whipped cream AND in making mousse! So to ensure success, be sure your heavy cream and Baileys Irish Cream are both very cold.
Wait for the peaks. Before adding the Baileys, vanilla, and gelatin mixture, be sure you’ve achieved stiff peaks with the heavy cream. If not, your mousse will never thicken properly.
optional toppings
- Chocolate shavings
- Homemade Cool Whip
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chocolate ganache
More Baileys Recipes You’ll Love
Be sure to check out some more of my delicious Baileys dessert recipes!
Bailey’s Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons gelatin unflavored
- 2 Tablespoons cold water
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate flavor, add 1 additional Tablespoon
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream very cold
- 1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream very cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- *Before beginning, prep bowl and beaters by placing in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill.*
- Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl; stir and let stand 1 minute to soften.
- Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Let stand to cool.
- Stir together sugar and cocoa in a large mixing bowl; add heavy cream.
- Beat at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form; gradually pour in Baileys, vanilla, and gelatin mixture, beating continuously at high speed until well-blended and soft peaks form.
- Let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
- Spoon into serving dishes and place in refrigerator to chill. (*For a faster setting mousse, chill bowls before filling.)
- Chill 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition
My mouth will not stop watering after looking at this chocolate mousse! So fluffy and delicious looking YUM! AND its boozy, I love it!
Thanks, Eden! One of my favorite recipes ever!!
Would coconut cream work instead of heavy cream?
I’ve never tried this recipe with coconut cream but would love to know how it turns out!
Fabulous! I used Swerve (erythritol) sweetener instead of sugar, Raw cacao powder and it turned out perfect. I can’t understand all of the mishaps reported here unless they used different ingredients or didn’t follow the instructions. I do think it’s important that the gelatin is well dissolved and cooled. I put mine in the fridge. I also added the cacao and sweetener and gelatin a little at a time while I was whipping up the cream. I had everything chilled, even the vanilla, as someone suggested.
Someone on here mentioned that this wasn’t healthy, but when you make it like I did, and you are following a low-carb, high-fat, Ketogenic lifestyle, it is extremely healthy and there’s not one bit of guilt involved. My version is sugar-free, gluten-free, could be dairy free if you use coconut milk, and the raw cacao is extremely high in antioxidants and is also sugar free. I guess the only “bad” part of it is the Baileys, but heck, it fits right into my 90-10 way of eating.
Did you follow recipe ratios with your keto substitutes?
This is our favorite dessert recipe for holidays and family gatherings.
Sometimes I add srawberries or mandarin oranges on top. I do agree that with everything being chilled and following exact directions will produce a beautiful and delicious Bailey’s mousse.
I’ve made this several times with great success following the recipe as is. I have a guest coming for dinner with a gluten allergy. I’ll admit I know nothing about it. You say your version is gluten-free. Is it because of one of your substitutions or is original recipe free of gluten… the nutritional information is missing…
Thanks for your help!
Leigh
Hi! Couldn’t help but laugh when you mentioned celebrating “adult style” after having kids. The funny thing is, once you have them it seems (to me that is) the parenting doesn’t stop for so long once you are able to have that time again, you’re too tired to go,lol! Not saying you will be, but there will also be grandkids with activities to go to and babysit for. Just saying…. these seem like the best days anyway!
The fun g’ma
I just made this for the second time. It was a big hit both times I made it. This time I used peppermint extract in place of vanilla. It was very good and is suiting over Christmas time. Thanks for a great recipe
So glad you are enjoying it, Sarah! I’ve always wanted to try it with peppermint!
Well that was a disaster. What a horrendous waste of excellent Baileys.
Sorry it didn’t turn out for you…I know how frustrating that can be 🙁
The gelatin smelled horrible so I omitted it and it turned out fluffier and was just delicious. I also added layers of crushed Oreo cookies (not the inside part). It was amazing!
Thank you so much for this – this is literally what I just asked. Thank you thank you thank you!
If you omit the gelatin it’s literally just whipped cream. Fine, but don’t pretend it’s mousse.
There are multiple ways of making mousse and this is one of them! Definitely NOT just whipped cream 😉
Made this last night, read all the comments so I made sure everything was cold. It came out great! No problems at all. Was delicious and made more than I expected. Thank you, I’m sure I will make it again.
That look amazing good
What would be a good substitute for the liquor? (Something non-alcoholic)
You could just omit he Bailys or add a flavored coffee creamer of your choice!
This dessert is gorgeous, I substituted with coconut cream and coconut sugar and it turned out very well. Thanks for this beauty!
Is it possible to make this without the gelatine?
This worked perfectly. Followed recipe exactly and was a bit worried when the soft peaks didn’t want to form. Eventually I gave up, let sit 5 minutes and it’s now set nicely. Delicious too.
Thanks for the recipe, i will be trying this, dont worry when your youngestcis older you will get a chance to celebrate St. Patricks Day adult style ????????????
Can cold Irish Cream Whisky be substituted for the cold water step with the gelatin?
Should it be stored in the refer or freezer if made night before a dinner service?
Instead of cocoa can i put melted white chocolate? Or what else can I put in? So that the mousse is white and not brown?
This mousse looks so light and yummy, I can’t wait to make it and taste it for myself!
Made this (3 batches!) for a housewarming party yesterday. It was divine! I think the secret is to make sure the whipping cream is whipped REALLY stiff and I made sure to cool my gelatin mix in the freezer for a bit until it was starting to set up around the edge of the bowl. I had one batch go south and get very runny, and that was when I had not cooled the gelatin well. I made one plain chocolate batch. It was a double batch, but since it was minus the alcohol as extra liquid I just added the same amount of gelatin and it came out perfect. I think I used about 5 TBSP of coco. I put the mousse in a giant ziplock bag to set in the fridge, and when it was time for the party I snipped off a small corner of the bag and piped it into those cute tiny plastic cups and topped with whipped cream and a raspberry. Everyone loved them! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Can you adjust the recipe by 1.5 times or double it (need 9 servings) or do I have to make it twice?
You can definitely multiply the recipe!
I’d love to know how long it will last. In general this wouldn’t last an hour in this house, but I’m mMaking this for a wedding and would like to make it ahead of the day? 1, 2, 3 days? Anyone know?
Made it twice – following the instructions to the letter and both times ended up with liquidy texture – not mousse like at all. Never set up in the fridge. Waste of 1 cup of Baileys.
Not a success at xmas. Guest taste it and did not like it and did not finish it. (I host 25 guests every xmas). Too sweet, too dense, not like the usual light mousse you would expect. Will find another recipe for next year.
Was excited to make. When I did it curdled and separated. Not happy. Lots of ingredients wasted.
This is the best dessert ever however the one flaw that I can’t seem to overcome is after adding Baileys and vanilla and gelatin never returns to proper soft peak stage even after 20 minutes of beating with hand blender and the engine almost overheating . After 20 minutes I give up and just stick it in the fridge or outside and it taste fine but I still wouldn’t mind knowing how to get it back to soft peaks
I’ve tried this three times now. Failure each time, in a different way. The first time, my gelatin had already started to set, which mucked up the texture. It still set fairly well and the taste was great, but there were globs of gelatin in the mousse. I tried a second time, being careful to keep the gelatin from setting, and the mousse curdled and separated and never set. Third time, I made sure the gelatin was cool but also wasn’t set; the mousse didn’t curdle, but it still never got back to soft peaks and didn’t set right. Again, the flavor is good, but I never got mousse out of it.
Was wondering if I could replace the Bailey’s Irish Cream with The Bailey’s Irish Cream Creamer since I don’t do alcohol?
Made 1/2 the recipe and used Crema de Mexico 1921, which is like Baileys but tequila based
Good things no raw eggs because I kind of licked the bowl and spachelor and beaters….
I used Kahlua instead of Baileys and it was great.
I just made the Chocolate Mousse, the recipe is really easy, instructions are perfect and we are enjoying it. Thank you very much
My IT teacher had us watch this video to understand HTTP protocols in wireshark, thanks for the help bailey!!!
God damn sinardi using this innocent recipe to try and teach us the harsh ways of the vicious http protocols smh sinardi
See me tomorrow Bryce
Never mind Bryce your good
egg
Thank you Ms. Sinardi!!
egg
What does LLC and MAC stand for?
This recipe looks refreshing and simple as well…Thanks for this great recipe 🙂
Bailey’s Chocolate Mousse was sooo yummy and I must say you done a great Job! Keep it up I will definitely want to try some of your other recipes.
Bailey’s Chocolate Mousse was sooo yummy and I must say you done a great Job! Keep it up I will definitely want to try some of your other recipes.
Recipe deserves 5 stars. If you failed to make it right, that doesn’t mean that it’s not delicious and fantastic to taste. Check the exp date on your ingredients b4 you use them. Just suggesting
Thanks for the review, Jarry!
I can’t believe I never thought of chocolate mousse those times I was making a mousse. I have only been making fruit mousses, and fruit mousse cakes, but I will try out this recipe since I have cocoa powder filled bag just sitting around on the kitchen shelf. I hope mine would turn out that well! Thank you for the recipe!
I hope you enjoy this new twist!
I only used the mousse part of the recipe and used a different cake recipe (with Kahlua!!) and the mousse came our amazingly. No problems.
I used a 1 cup measuring cup, poured 1/4 water and then the gelatin, mixed it and let it set and then added 1/2 cup hot water and after mixing everything else as instructed, I added the entire mixture which was quite watery into the mousse and it worked out perfectly fine. No clumping. I think the trick is to use a stand mixer because this would incorporate it perfectly.
Thank you so much for your amazing recipe. Can’t wait to share it with my friends tomorrow!!
I was able to make a 13″ pan and 5″ loaf pan… I hope to be able to save the 5″ for my moms birthday in a few days. Do you think the mousse will still be good after 2-3 days?
I have loved this recipe for a long time, but have struggled to find a gelatin-free version. Previous comments suggesting you can simply forgo the gelatin… don’t really work. The most accessible replacement I found is guar gum. Guar gum replacements are one fifth whatever the gelatin requirement, however guar gum is difficult to mix with liquid well especially in small amounts, so I placed 1 1/4 cup of water (better that it’s not cold) and 2 tsp guar in my blender and puréed for about a minute. (It’s good after about 5 seconds, but better safe than have goopy guar gum!) Then I only used about one 1/5 to 1/4 per the proportion requirement. Then I proceeded with the recipe as recommended, adding the guar gum to the sugar cocoa mixture, and so on… ????
I’ve made this several years in a row for the holidays. It’s always a huge hit! This year I subbed vanilla for mint extract and hooooly cow. Original recipe is fantastic, this version is heavenly! I put my gelatin mixture in the freezer for a few mins until it is completely cool to the touch before mixing and have never had any issues with runny mousse or it not setting up properly. Great recipe, thank you!
Excellent! I followed the recipe exactly…haven’t used gelatin in years, but I remembered it was fussy..did exactly as you said.. added the optional Tablespoon of cocoa. Served is tiny 2 oz. cups with tiny spoons.. my friends LOVED it..
I now have a new go-to dessert recipe. This was a huge hit with my family and guests at Christmas. So much so that I’m thinking of making it (probably triple the recipe?) and piping it into smaller “jello shot” cups for a New Year’s Eve party we are slated to attend. Yum! Thanks for sharing this!
This is the easiest recipe to bring to holiday events, and it’s always a huge crowd pleaser! Thanks for sharing!
Vanilla what? Vanilla extract?
Yes, vanilla extract.
Can I eliminate gelatine from this recipe and substitute, would it still work please
I’ve never tried a gelatin substitute so I can’t answer with certainty.