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These soft chocolate-covered cookie balls are the boozy dessert you need in your life! Made in a snap with just 5 ingredients, these No-Bake Baileys Irish Cream Cookies are perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Spiked with Baileys Irish Cream and covered in a silky layer of chocolate, these no-bake cookies are delightful little balls of joy. They’re a cross between fancy liqueur truffles and soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. And you only need 5 ingredients!
You simply crush up some vanilla wafers, mix them with powdered sugar, Baileys and corn syrup, cover them in melted chocolate and wait for the chocolate to set. It’s a super simple process that’s easy to master on your first try. One of the best things about these cookies is that the wafer crumbs soak up the flavor and moisture from the Irish Cream as they sit. So they taste even better the day after they’re made!
What Kind of Alcohol is Baileys Irish Cream?
Baileys Irish Cream is a classic liqueur that combines Irish whiskey, cream and cocoa. It’s known for its sweet, dessert-like flavor, and it’s one of the most popular liqueurs in the world. You can add Baileys to all sorts of desserts, but none of them are as quick and easy as these no-bake cookies!
Recipe Ingredients
Let’s take a moment to go over each ingredient used in these cookie balls. You probably already have everything you need!
- Vanilla Wafers: Crushed in a food processor.
- Powdered Sugar
- Corn Syrup: Or you could try Lyle’s Golden Syrup.
- Baileys Irish Cream
- Chocolate Candy Coating: Such as candy melts or candiquick.
One thing that sets these cookies apart from other no-bake cookie balls is that they don’t need to be chilled. As soon as the balls are formed, they’re ready for the chocolate coating!
- Combine Wafer Crumbs & Powdered Sugar: Combine the vanilla wafer crumbs and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Add Corn Syrup & Baileys: Add the corn syrup and Irish cream and mix well. The mixture may seem kind of crumbly, but it does hold its shape very well when you mush it together to form the balls.
- Form Cookies: Make balls of about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough each. Shape the balls with your fingertips and set them aside. The dough might become sticky – you can dust your fingertips with powdered sugar to help with the stickiness.
- Melt Chocolate: Microwave the chocolate candy melts in increments of about 45 seconds, mixing after each increment and reducing the microwave time as needed to avoid burning the chocolate.
- Coat Cookies: Dip each cookie ball into the melted chocolate to coat. You can rest the balls on a fork or use a toothpick.
- Let Set: Place the coated cookie balls onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper and allow the chocolate to set.
Tips for Success
Even though this recipe is easy as can be, it’s always helpful to have a few tricks up your sleeve. Here are all of mine!
- Use Chocolate Made for Melting: Although it’s possible to melt down regular chocolate chips for your cookie ball coating, I recommend using chocolates that are specifically designed for melting and hardening. They’re easier to work with and less likely to burn.
- Stop the Dough from Sticking: Due to the warmth of your fingers, the cookie dough can stick to them and get messy as you work with it. I like to prevent this by dusting my fingertips with powdered sugar when I’m rolling the dough into balls.
- Avoid Burning the Chocolate: Once your chocolate starts to get melty, lower the microwave time to keep it from burning. And don’t forget to stir after each increment. I usually start at 45 seconds and end up somewhere around 10. To simplify the melting process, use a candy melting pot instead of the microwave.
- Make These a Day in Advance: I encourage you to make these cookie balls the day before you plan to enjoy them. They will still be delicious if you eat them right away, but the wafer crumbs will be more distinct rather than fully incorporated and melt-in-your-mouth awesome.
It’s time to talk about finishing touches! There are tons of simple yet elegant ways to decorate your cookie balls.
- Top with Nonpareil Sprinkles: I love decorating my cookie balls with those little round sprinkles known as nonpareils. Sprinkle them over the cookies before the chocolate coating has set so that they stick.
- Add a Chocolate Drizzle: If you’d like to add a chocolate drizzle to your cookies, wait until the chocolate coating has set. Once it has fully hardened, drizzle additional melted chocolate over each ball.
- Decorate with Sanding Sugar: Want to add some green to your truffles to avoid getting pinched by a leprechaun? Try sprinkling the cookies with green sanding sugar before the chocolate sets.
- Top with Oreo Crumbs: Crushed Oreos are another tasty topping for these cookie balls. Once again, you should sprinkle them on before the chocolate hardens.
Storage Instructions
It’s totally okay to keep your cookies at room temperature for 24 hours or so, but if you’re storing them for longer, refrigerate them in an airtight container. They will last this way for up to a week! Feel free to let them come to room temperature before enjoying them if you’d like.
Can I Freeze These?
Absolutely! These cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep them in a freezer-safe storage bag or airtight container. Thaw them out in the fridge or on the counter before chowing down.
Print- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 22
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft chocolate-covered cookie balls are the boozy dessert you need in your life! Made in a snap with just 5 ingredients, these No-Bake Baileys Irish Cream Cookies are perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Ingredients
- 3 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) corn syrup
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Baileys Irish Cream
- 12 oz candy melts
Instructions
- Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Add corn syrup and Irish cream and mix well. Mixture will be crumbly.
- Make balls of about 1 tablespoon each of the vanilla wafer mixture. Shape balls with your fingertips and set aside. Dough might become sticky – you can dust your fingertips with powdered sugar to help with the stickiness.
- Melt candy melts in a bowl in the microwave using short time increments of about 15-45 seconds (more explanation on how I do that above).
- Dip each ball into the chocolate (you can rest the balls on a fork, or use a toothpick) and set on a piece of parchment paper to dry.
Notes
- Video transcript
- Makes 20-24 cookie balls
- To Store: These cookies can be kept at room temperature for 24 hours or so, but if you’re storing them for longer, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Bring them to room temperature before enjoying if desired.
- To Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe storage bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter before enjoying.
- Recipe modified from Fabulous Foods
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie Ball
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 20.2 g
- Sodium: 36.9 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat:
- Carbohydrates: 25.1 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 3.1 mg
Categories
More Boozy Treats to Try
Craving more sweet treats that incorporate alcohol? Be sure to check out the following recipes.
Crushing the wafers… Is it a more of a coarse texture or fine texture that you need? Can you add more Bailey’s than the recipe calls for?
I would say more fine. I grind them up in the food processor. Adding more Baileys would make the balls difficult to work with, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Could these be put on a stick to make it like a cake pop?
These are a little soft, I think. I don’t think they’d hold up well on a stick.
Would Oreo or chocolate cookies work instead of the Vanilla wafers?
Oreos have a lot more moisture in them, so you’d have to make other adjustments. I’m not sure without trying it, but if you want to try a chocolate cookie, I’d use the Nabisco chocolate wafers or something like that.
The way your corny rambling goes on and on just to include sponsor space is obvious. And to call such a small amount of liqueur a “ boozy” treat is also corny. At least it doesn’t reference a “grandma” as do many do ! I made these and it depends on the moisture content how well your cookie balls will form .
This post isn’t sponsored. I simply like Baileys and used it in the recipe.
These have been a hit two St. Patrick’s Days in a row. I do use white chocolate instead and since we like them boozy, I up the Bailey’s to 1/2 a cup and adjust the corn syrup accordingly. Going to try them with Grand Marnier for summertime next! Thanks for another fantastic recipe! You are my go to for anything dessert!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
I cannot eat chocolate anymore according to my gastroenterologist. Would white chocolate work, since it isn’t really chocolate (made with cocoa nibs) and has no caffeine?
That would be fine.
I love these! Do they need refrigeration?
No, they don’t.
I have a bottle of strawberry Irish cream and I am wondering about using it for these Irish cream balls. Or do you have any other ideas/suggestions for using the strawberry Irish cream?
Yes, that should work great!
Not cookie related, although, I do make quite a few of your recipes. My question, what color are your cabinets? Love the look.
I’m not totally sure. But they are some shade of grey.
I used your recipe but substitution regularly Baileys with tbe chocolate cherry Baileys. They were great, thanks!!
Could I used spiked eggnog instead? I have made them before and they came out amazing.
I’m not sure how strong the flavor would be but you could definitely try it. Sounds yummy!
Well I have made these twice in the past month…and have had no issues…I did not use a food processor but used a freezer bag and a rolling pin to crush the cookies and turn them into crumbs…these are delicious….I used the chocolate cherry Bailey’s
For those having issues with the cookies going flat…I wouldn’t add all the liquid at one time…I would hold some in reserve…mix the karo and Bailey’s together first before adding to the crumbs…also I used domno powder sugar…which does not contain cornstarch…some other powder sugars do contain cornstarch
One other note…I make these a bit smaller and get about 28 to 30 cookies…for me that is a perfect size and I think the smaller size helps the cookies to maintain it’s roundness
Thanks for sharing your tips and I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Hi! Do you think I could just crush the Nilla wafers with a rolling pin or do you think I’d have to use a food processor? Thanks!
I’d suggest the food processor. You want nice crumbs that will hold together well. A rolling pin will likely give you larger chunks of cookie.
I was just wondering if anyone has tried freezing these, and if they freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing them, but they should be fine.
Brenda, did you try freezing them? I’d like to make 10 dozen or so for the holidays, so I would need to freeze them for sure.
Just made these this weekend – twice actually! First for 18 women in my BUNCO group RAVE REVIEWS! Second for my camping Halloween weekend (I put neon green spiders on them!) for 60 men and women – again, LOVED THEM! Asked over and over for the recipe and was once even accused that I didn’t really make them (Betty Crocker I’m not!). I added the 1/3rd cup of Bailey’s, however I make my own, and wish they were a little stronger. As you changed the recipe a bit, I wonder if I can add more Bailey’s or if I should make my Bailey’s stronger to begin with. I had absolutely NO PROBLEM with the consistency or them rolling fine. And didn’t particularly stick to my hands either. Thanks so much for this “keeper”!
I would just experiment with it a bit. You could try adding an additional teaspoon or so at a time, then roll a ball and see how it does.
Secret to making chocolate bars/chips into dipping chocolate is addition of paraffin. The correct ratio is 1 oz paraffin (1/4 bar) to 6 oz chocolate. Thr other option is using Crisco or coconut oil instead of paraffin (coating will not be as firm) – using slightly less 2 Tablespoons per 6oz chocolate.
The trick is to heat the flow agent (paraffin, Crisco, coconut oil) first and then stir in chips or broken up chocolate bars.
Note to anyone getting too moist of dough: the addition of rice flour, instant potato flakes or corn starch (ingredient in powder sugar besides the sugar) will firm up dough. Add in small qualities, giving 5 minutes for moist to absorb) potatoe flakes in my opinion not only firmed up the dough but improved the recipe – less cakey, more creamy.
Some tried and liked non-alcoholic versions:
1/4 cup orange juice + 1.5 tablespoons almond extract
1/3 carmel syrup (sticky, potatoe flakes needed) + 1/4 cup fine chopped walnuts
1/3 canned pumpkin + 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
How long will they hold in the refrigerator, I like to do my holiday baking 1 week before when possible.
I would think they’d be ok. I actually think these get better after they sit for at least 24 hours anyway. 🙂
I made these for Saint Patrick’s Day, delicious!!!!My friend’s also loved them. I did n’t have a problem making these. I followed the recipe and all went well. Will make again. Thank You !!!!Lorraine
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I just wish it was more clear that Nilla wafers were different from the sugar vanilla wafers. Since the recipe mentioned vanilla wafers, I ended up using the sugar ones and it turned out to be overly sweet 🙁
Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t even really thought about that cookie confusion. Those definitely would create a very different textured cookie ball. I hope you get a chance to try them with the correct Cookie because they really are good.
I actually just looked at the recipe more closely and saw that I already linked to the correct cookies. But still, I’m sorry for the confusion.
Well, I just made these little gems, and it is a humid day and I think that contributes to how they turn out. I made them in my food processor, grinding the Nilla wafers in it, then adding all the other ingredients in it. It all came together well. I used a small ice cream type scoop to for m them into balls, then used my hands using powdered sugar as suggested and it worked. The only problem I had was dipping in chocolate, that was a mess and I think it was the humidity. Mine are not pretty like the picture so they are in the fridge for now hardening. All in all I would say this recipe worked for me but I let the processor do the work. It is very similar as some others said to a rum ball recipe of old.
After going back and reading the preface to the recipe, I see that even though the recipe calls for chocolate chips OR chocolate melts, the preface recommends not using chocolate chips. I used chocolate chips and didn’t have good luck so maybe it wasn’t the humidity, don’t know why that would be in the recipe if it is not recommended. If I make these again ( the jury is still out) I will use the melts.
Looking forward to making these for a fundraiser tomorrow! I have two questions for you, before I make them tonight:
(1) May I ask why you recommend against chocolate chips, in favor of melts? Hoping to spare myself an extra trip to the store.
(2) Have you by any chance made with a non-alcoholic substitute for the Bailey’s? I’d like to make two batches, one for the kids and one for the adults.
I think at the time I just preferred the chocolate chips. They do give you a softer chocolate coating. But the candy melts are totally fine and can be easier to work with. If you have those, definitely go with those. I haven’t made a non-alcoholic version, but one option is to get the Baileys flavored coffee creamer and use that in place of the alcohol.
You wrote in the recipe that you do NOT recommend choc chips. I’m confused.
It’s hard for me to see what comment you’re responding to because of how I see things on the backend. But I would recommend something more like almond bark or the Ghirardelli melting chocolate. You could use chocolate chips, but they’ll likely be a little harder to work with.
How many balls does this recipe make?
20-24 balls.
Hi Lindsay, I might have a silly question for you. I love to try the recipe but I also would like to give it to my kids. Is this something I can give my kids since there is alcohol involved?
I wouldn’t recommend giving this to your kids since it has unbaked alcohol.
I need these in my life. Like yesterday! 😉
Hi. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
In my county we don’t have corn syrup. Can you suggest substitute for that?
Can I mix sugar with water?
Yes, I think a sugar water that’s been thickened should be fine.
These turned into a messy pile of goo that were not workable, even after letting them chill. I will not be coming back to you for recipes again and I wish I had read all of the negative feedback on these ones before wasting my time.
TOO MUCH BAILEYS! should be no more than a half a cup, plus one half cup pecans or walnuts. Refrigerate before rolling. Wish I would have used my regular rum ball recipe and just substituted the baileys.
Care to share your rum ball recipe???
So mine did not turn out to look like this at all. I used light corn syrup though. Could that have messed it up?
That shouldn’t make a difference. I’m sorry.
When I was young my mom would make rum balls. When I started making these for Christmas myself I changed the recipe and used Bailey’s. You should try the caramel Bailey’s too! It was just like the recipe you have here. I don’t dip mine in chocolate. I just roll the cookies in chopped nuts and then press half a maraschino cherry in the center. I have also used Kahlua in the chocolate flavored cookies. If my dough is too sticky I add more vanilla wafers and refrigerate the dough overnight before rolling into balls. Of course now I use my small cookie scoop. It’s a time saver!
[…] from Life, Love & Sugar No-Bake Note: These “truffles”are very hard when chilled, so let them soften by let […]
The same sticky mess happened to me too. At first I thought it was from not mixing the ingredients well enough because it seemed like 1/3 cup was wayyyyy too much corn syrup. I used the round disks of vanilla wafers and not the wavy sandwich bars. I have flat gewie cookie shaped treats that don’t look appetizing at all 🙁 since I couldn’t form them into balls, I couldn’t dip them into chocolate so I just drizzled the melted chocolate on top. I’ll try again
I’m sorry about that Lou. I’ve been meaning to go back and adjust the recipe based on the trouble people have had with it, but haven’t had a chance.
Thanks for the reply! I ended up using the gewy bit as filling between the vanilla wafer cookies and made sandwiches. i even dipped some of the top cookies in white chocolate. The best part was that I added a milk chocolate/Bailey’s drizzle mix on top then sprinkles. Everyone loved them and enjoyed the slight Bailey’s after taste and not too sweet treat.
Oh my gosh, they sound great! I’m glad you were still able to use them!
[…] from Life, Love & Sugar No-Bake Note: These “truffles”are very hard when chilled, so let them soften by let […]
I may be out in left field, but I’ve been baking for nearly 50 years and I would suggest setting aside enough to make 3 or 4 balls and adding 1/2 Nilla Waffer at a time (obviously crumbled) to stiffen your batter. If you think back to when you were a kid and made your first pancakes from scratch, the batter was either too thick or too thin. The principal is the same. Too wet to form into a ball, add more crumbs to it. Careful to make note of how much extra you have to add, so you can adjust your recipe in the future. Overall this sounds like a great non bake way to start the day! Thanks for letting an old man express his thoughts.
John P.
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this
site before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new
to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!
Awesome! Thank you so much Zahran! I’m so glad you found me! 🙂
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Hi…I tried making these no bake bailey’s irish cream cookie balls today & it was a disaster. I followed the directions to the T too. I can’t figure out what happened…I too used my food processor to crush up the wafers…when I “mushed” everything together I couldn’t form a ball and it didn’t hold it’s shape…Everything was very sticky…when I tried to shape into balls…they got flat…I even put them in the freezer to harden up before dipping into chocolate…that didn’t help….I ended up throwing the whole batch out…what a waste of the Irish Cream….I so wanted this to work out.
I’m so sorry that happened Patricia! If you decide to try them again and they still aren’t holding their shape, try adding a little more liquid. If they seen too sticky and you don’t want to add more corn syrup or Baileys, you could try a little milk or melted butter. Again, I’m sorry about that – I hate that they didn’t work out for you – they really are tasty if you want to give them another try!
Hi….Thank you for responding to me…but I was wondering how more liquid can make it better?
When they were so sticky, I couldn’t even handle them. I ground the vanilla wafers real fine in my processor…would that have made a difference? Would adding more powdered sugar help? Please let me know. Thanks. Patricia
It sounded as though they weren’t holding together, so I thought maybe more moisture would help. It really is hard to say without being able to see and feel it. I don’t remember them being sticky. If the problem you’re having is that they are too sticky to form balls because it’s sticking to your hands, adding powdered sugar could help. You could also try putting powdered sugar on your hands to keep it from sticking to you. I’m sorry you had that problem. 🙁
What kind of corn syrup works best for this recipe…light or dark? I’m about to try this and I’m not sure which to use! THANK YOU! 🙂
I use light corn syrup
Hello. I think Patricia may have made the same mistake that I did. I just finished mixing all my ingredients…and the balls just weren’t holding together. So I started reading through the comments to see if anyone else had this problem. Then I discovered it…you used Nilla Wafers. And I used sugar wafers. It’s my own fault, but when I read vanilla wafers, I pictured the sugar wafer sandwiches we all ate as kids. Ya know, they have a waffle look to it? Anyways, they don’t work…and I have a feeling the balls would be TOO sweet even if it did. So now I’m off to the grocery store to get some Nilla wafers! We have a St. Patrick’s Day bridal shower for my cousin this weekend and my mom is looking forward to this recipe!
OK – I’m back again. Unfortunately, I’m still with Patricia. I got the correct Nilla Wafers and the recipe still isn’t working for me. The only thing I can think is that it’s too much liquid, too. Maybe the corn syrup? I am trying to double the recipe. Not sure if that’s the problem. I’m using light corn syrup. Is there another kind?
It’s a great looking recipe! I just wish I could figure it out!
Hi Liz! Thanks for letting me know that you’re having trouble. I cam home after work to try and make them again to see if I can recreate the problem. For me, they are very moist. Not having an issue holding together at all. Are you having trouble getting them into balls, or with them staying together when dipping them in the chocolate?
Also Liz, as the mixture sat for about 15 minutes, it really firmed up a lot for me which made the balls even easier to make. Did that not happen for you? I’m really trying to figure this out. I’d like to be able to update the instructions so that people don’t keep having trouble. So thank you for your responses. And I’m sorry for all the trouble you’ve had with it.
I had the same problem that Patricia had. 🙁 I ended up with a bowl full of sticky mess that would not form balls. I even tried adding more powder sugar and freezing them…. I currently have what looks like very flat cookies in my freezer. I keep hopping for a way to save them. I was so excited about these! 🙁
I’m sorry to hear that Megan! After a few comments about having trouble, I tried making them again myself last night and while the mixture was certainly moist and sticky, after sitting for about 15 minutes, it really firmed up and was quite easy to shape into balls. I hope you were able to use them. I’ll be updated the recipe soon to make the instructions more clear.
I just love the idea of using cookies instead of cake – looks so good!
Thanks Summer! Yea, it’s nice to not have to bake a cake sometimes 🙂
[…] No Bake Irish Cream Cookie Balls from Life, Love and […]
I’ve been making these for a while using my rum ball recipe, also different alcohols . Dipping in chocolate is a new thought, I usually roll in a coco powder and 10x
They’re tasty, aren’t they? Yum!
I was wondering, do you dip then , then let them sit overnight? Or make the balls, let them sit overnight, then dip them?
Dip them, then let them sit overnight. The chocolate coating holds in the moisture and the flavors really soak into the cookie crumbs.
Could you use Bailey’s coffee creamer instead of the real stuff?
I haven’t tried it, but it shouldn’t mess anything up. The taste of Baileys may not be as strong though. Also, you might want to refrigerate the balls, since they’ll have the creamer in them.
I’m in the UK and wanted to know what vanilla wafer cookies are? I’ve googled and found the wafer sandwiched fingers which we have here in the UK and also little circular biscuits which we don’t have here like Nilla wafers.
The vanilla wafer cookies I used were Nilla Wafers. I’m not sure what you have available there to suggest the best substitute, but I’d think graham crackers would work. The flavor might be a little different since Nilla Wafers have more of a vanilla flavor to them, but the texture should be similar.
I was just going to ask if they were the “Nilla Wafers” or some other sort of vanilla wafer.
Yes, I use Nilla Wafers.
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i am giving them a try for St. Paddy Day.. Yummy
do you leave them overnight at room temp or in the fridge?
Hi Laura – I left them at room temperature. There’s nothing in them that will spoil if left out of the fridge and I think things like cake pops and these cookie balls taste best at room temp.
[…] from this post from Life Love and […]
What a great idea to use nilla wafers. I’m SO doing that!
Lindsay these are adorable!! And sometimes no-bake is just what I need when a hectic week hits me. 😀 YUM.
Thanks Jess! I love no-bake stuff. Sometimes I just want something quick and easy 🙂
Looks like a great treat!!
Thanks Bernice!
You can never have too much Bailey’s! These sound amazing!
Thanks Elise!