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 and Baileys Whipped Coffee!

A bottle of Baileys Irish Cream sits next to two creamy Baileys White Russian cocktails in glasses with caramel-drizzled rims on a rustic wooden board, with golden bokeh lights in the background. A metal shaker and empty glass are nearby.

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

Two creamy Baileys White Russian cocktails in short glasses with caramel drizzle and sugared rims sit on a rustic wooden board next to a tall bottle of Baileys Irish Cream and a small glass of water, all against a dark background.

Classic White Russian Cocktail

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

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

Baileys White Russian

A White Russian which uses Irish cream instead of cream or 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 for more visual impact. Frost your glass with caramel cookie crumbs or cocoa powder for a festive version – just make sure to serve soon after!

A hand pours a creamy Baileys White Russian cocktail from a shaker into a caramel-drizzled glass, next to a Baileys Irish Cream bottle and two matching drinks on a rustic wooden surface.

How to Make Baileys White Russian

For the classic variation replace the heavy cream (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 glass (optional)
Lotus Biscoff cookie crumbs to frost the glass (optional)

Put two rocks glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes then drip Dulce De Leche on the inside of your glass.
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.
Shake the coffee, vodka and caramel syrup in a cocktail shaker for 30 seconds. Strain into the prepared glasses.
Add the Baileys in the shaker and shake again. Strain into the glasses using a cocktail strainer and enjoy immediately.

Two glasses with caramel-drizzled rims are being filled with a creamy Baileys White Russian cocktail over ice, next to a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream, an empty glass, and festive star-topped stirrers on a rustic wooden surface.

More Baileys Recipes to Try

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 #Nusde. I can’t wait to see your take on it!

You might also like my White Russian Brownies.