This Baileys Cheesecake blends rich, creamy cheesecake with the cozy flavor of Irish cream. With an Oreo cookie crust, a smooth Baileys-spiked filling, and a glossy chocolate ganache topping also infused with Baileys, it's a dessert made for celebrating. Whether it's St. Patrick's Day or a special indulgence, this cheesecake serves elegance in each bite.
My favorite crust for cheesecakes is an Oreo cookie crust so naturally, I chose that for this St. Patrick Day cheesecake. This cheesecake boasts the classic Irish cream flavor in two ways; first, the cheesecake itself is baked with a generous serving of Baileys then the cheesecake is topped with a chocolate ganache that has been spiked with Baileys. Talk about heaven on earth! If you are not looking for a cheesecake that has a boozy flavor then check out my classic vanilla bean cheesecake or chocolate cheesecake recipe! Check out all of my cheesecake recipes here.
Baileys + Chocolate + Cheesecake = Magic
I am not going to lie cheesecakes take some love and effort. Once you're used to making them they get much easier but if it's your first time take your time with making sure ingredients are at room temperature and do not rush the cooling process.
- Oreo Cookie Crust: Crushed Oreos pressed with melted butter form the base and add a chocolaty contrast to the creamy filling.
- Cheesecake Filling (Cream Cheese + Baileys Irish Cream + Sour Cream + Eggs + Vanilla): The Baileys infuses flavor, sour cream adds tang and softness, and room-temperature cheesecake components ensure a smooth, lump-free texture.
- Chocolate Ganache Topping (High-quality Chocolate + Heavy Cream + Baileys Irish Cream): This adds a glossy, indulgent finish; the Baileys at the end enhances the Irish cream character.
Featured Review
"5 Stars This cheesecake is the favorite of many your cheesecakes I have made!"
Judith
Create the Crust, Bake the Cheesecake, Finish with Ganache
To ensure you have pretty slices use a hot clean knife to cut slices of cheesecake and clean the knife in between each slice.
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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Baileys Cheesecake (Irish-Cream Infused)
This Baileys Cheesecake blends rich, creamy cheesecake with the cozy flavor of Irish cream. With an Oreo cookie crust, a smooth Baileys-spiked filling, and a glossy chocolate ganache topping also infused with Baileys, it's a dessert made for celebrating. Whether it's St. Patrick's Day or a special indulgence, this cheesecake serves elegance in each bite.
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Crust
- 30 Oreos
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 24 oz (1 ½ lbs) Cream Cheese, completely softened to room temperature
- 200 grams (1 Cup) Granulated Sugar
- 4oz (½ Cup) Baileys Irish Cream
- 2oz (¼ Cup) Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs + 2 Large Egg Yolks, at room temperature
Topping
- 7oz ( Just over 1 Cup) Chocolate Callets, or Finely Chopped Chocolate
- 4oz (½ Cup) Heavy Whipping Cream/ Double Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 Recipe Whipped Cream
- Good Quality Chocolate Bar
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9-inch springform pan then set aside.
- Ina. food processor pulse the Oreos until a fine crumb is formed or you can place them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush the Oreos.
- Once evenly combined add melted butter to crumbs. Mix until a wet sand texture is formed. Press into the bottom and slightly up the upsides of the prepared pan. Bake for 5-8 minutes to set the crust. Let cool on a wire rack and reduce oven temperature to 325F/ 163C.
Cheesecake
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes at low speed. It should be smooth with no lumps. Add the granulated sugar and beat for another 2 minutes at a low speed. Add the Baileys, sour cream, and vanilla extract- mixing until fully combined. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps. Pour into the prepared pan. Place 9-inch springform pan in a 10-inch cake pan- place cake pan in roasting pan and fill roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don't have to wrap everything with foil.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes, the middle 2 inches of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit. I like to use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature is 140-145F.
- Turn the oven off and open the door so it is cracked open, let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour then take it out of the roasting pan and cool on a wire rack for another hour. Then wrap cheesecake with plastic wrap. Let chill in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours.
Topping
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat warm the heavy cream. In a bowl add the chocolate, after the cream is warmed pour on top of the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk everything together until evenly combined and glossy whisk in Baileys until fully combined.
- Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and use an angled spatula to gently release the crust from the sides of the springform pan, then release the pan and use the spatula to gently release the crust from the bottom of the pan, if you wanted to serve it on a different plate.
- Pour chocolate ganache on top and pipe whipped cream around the edge, use a Microplane zester to grate chocolate on top of the whipped cream, if desired. Let chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Use a hot clean knife to cut slices of cheesecake and clean the knife in between each slice. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- To freeze a whole cheesecake I suggest freezing without the toppings. After the cheesecake has chilled in the fridge wrap it tightly in plastic wrap twice, then wrap it in aluminum foil. To make sure the cheesecake stays in its best shape I will often place the cheesecake on a cake board before wrapping it in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to a month. To thaw take the cheesecake out of the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight.
- To freeze slices of cheesecake take a slice of cheesecake and place it on a plate or tray and flash freeze for an hour or two. Then place frozen slices of cheesecake in a freezer-safe container. Or you can wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap, twice.
- To thaw a slice of cheesecake let it sit on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Jan Davis says
I am a housewife who is almost always in the kitchen cooking and baking. I make LOTS of different dishes, and all of my baking and cooking is from scratch. All that to say - I use so many different recipes that I find online that it is not reasonable time-wise for me to leave a review for each one. This time, however, I absolutely HAD to make time! I prepared this cheesecake to take to a Galentine's Wine Swap & Cheesecake Bake-off Party last weekend. This cheesecake came in first place. Fortunately, there was enough left to take home to my husband and two teenage boys. Now they love my baking and compliment me often, but the reaction I received from this cheesecake was way above any feedback I typically hear from them. My (VERY) picky husband said it was "amazing" - HIGH praise from him! My oldest teenage son was speechless. I also shared with my next-door-neighbor who is from NJ and has eaten lots of cheesecakes over her lifetime. She couldn't believe I made it - she thought I got it at a restaurant. She said it's in the top 3 that she has EVER tasted. So way to go Elizabeth! You knocked it out of the park with this recipe! Just one technical note for you. In section 1 under "Topping", you say "...Let sit for 5 minutes then add butter." There is no butter listed in the ingredients section for the topping, so I'm assuming that no butter was actually supposed to be added at this point. I did not add butter to the topping at this point and still received rave reviews. Thank you so very much for sharing this amazing recipe!
Judith says
5 Stars This cheesecake is the favorite of many your cheesecakes I have made!
One question in making the topping it calls for adding butter, but doesn’t say how much.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Judith, sorry for the confusion. I actually don't add butter into this ganache because of the Baileys in it! You totally could add a tablespoon but you don't need to!! Hope that helps!! XX Liz