Best Substitutes for Irish cream

Out of Irish cream? Here are the best alternatives that work in cocktail recipes.

Irish cream — liqueur used in cocktails

Original Ingredient

Irish cream

Liqueur 17.00% ABV Creamy whiskey nose with sweet chocolate, vanilla, and warm caramel. Palate is smooth and dessert-like with cocoa and toffee richness. Medium, velvety finish with gentle spirit warmth.

Recommended Substitutes

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Baileys Irish Cream

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

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Advocaat

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

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Coffee Liqueur

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

General Substitution Tips

  • Match the alcohol level: a 40% spirit needs a similarly strong replacement or adjust volume.
  • For liqueurs, dilute spirits + simple syrup can replicate sweetness and proof.
  • Citrus substitutions: lemon and lime are mostly interchangeable at a 1:1 ratio.
  • For bitters, Angostura is the most neutral substitute for most other aromatic bitters.