These Irish Cream Brownies are dark, rich, and fudgy, with a butterscotch-like Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream on top. 

Irish Cream Brownies on Cutting Board with Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream

Between the Irish Cream in the brownie batter and the caramelized buttercream, there are so many amazing flavors here that make this my favorite brownie recipe.

I remember discovering the Irish Cream flavor via a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream when I was a kid and thinking it was the best thing in the world.

Mind you, I had no idea until many years later that Irish Cream was a type of liqueur and not simply a flavor of ice cream, but the flavor is what we’re all after, right?

I’ve mentioned here before that I’m not a big drinker but I’m a big fan of cooking and baking with spirits. It’s such an easy way to elevate food with a flavor component AND an aroma component.

Irish Cream Brownies on Wooden Board with White Chocolate Buttercream

These brownies are very moist and fudgy, dark, and rich.

While they could definitely be enjoyed on their own, they are so much better with caramelized white chocolate buttercream on top.

The brownies themselves aren’t overly sweet, so the sweetness that white chocolate has goes perfectly.

And if you’ve never had caramelized white chocolate before, you’ve got to try it. It takes white chocolate from cloying to incredible and complex. It’s so good.

How to Make Brownies:

Start by melting together chocolate and butter in the microwave:

Melted Chocolate in a Bowl

Set this aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, whisk to combine sugar and eggs:

Granulated Sugar and Eggs in a Bowl

Mix until you get a frothy and pale yellow mixture:

Whipped Eggs and Sugar in Mixing Bowl

For the dry ingredients, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, and salt:

Flour and Cocoa in a Mixing Bowl

Return to the wet ingredients, and add the chocolate butter mixture to the sugar egg mixture, along with Irish Cream:

Swirled Cocoa and Egg Mixture in Mixing Bowl

It will be a treat for your eyes to swirl it all together…it’s so pretty!

And eventually it should be a smooth chocolate brown:

Combined Egg Mixture with Cocoa in Stainless Steel Bowl

Now add the dry ingredients:

Wet Ingredients for Brownies In bowl with Cocoa Mixture On Top

Stir together until you get a thick brownie batter with no streaks of flour, and spread evenly into a nonstick 8×8 square pan:

Brownie Batter Spread in Metal Baking Pan

Bake for 17 minutes, then let the brownies cool.

How to Make White Chocolate Buttercream:

If you’ve never had caramelized white chocolate, I will tell you that it is one of the most exquisitely delicious things I’ve ever tasted.

Here’s a full post on how to make it step-by-step, but basically you roast white chocolate chunks in the oven for about 45 minutes at 250F, stirring every 7-8 minutes, until the white chocolate is the color of butterscotch.

It’s quite easy, and white chocolate is a hundred times better when its sugars are caramelized and toasted.

To make the buttercream, combine caramelized white chocolate with whipped unsalted butter:

Butter in Bowl with Caramelized White Chocolate Pouring In

Whip together until smooth:

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting in Bowl with Beaters

Then add a touch of confectioner’s sugar, about 1/3 cup:

White Chocolate Brownie Frosting in Bowl with Confectioner\'s Sugar

Whip again until incorporated.

White Chocolate Buttercream - Whipped in Bowl with Beaters

Don’t you want to dip your finger into there? So luscious!

Flip the brownie square out of the pan and frost the top of the (cooled) brownies with the caramelized white chocolate buttercream:

Spreading White Frosting on Baked Brownies with Offset Spatula

Refrigerate the brownies to firm up the buttercream, then they can be cut into squares:

Irish Cream Brownies - In Squares on Wooden Board with White Chocolate Buttercream

Brown Butter BlondiesCoconut Oil Brownies, and Cookies and Cream Brownies are all great as well. Happy baking!

Irish Cream Brownies on Cutting Board with Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream

Irish Cream Brownies with Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream

These Irish Cream Brownies are dark, rich, and fudgy, with a butterscotch-like Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream on top. 
10
reviews

Leave a Review »

Ingredients

For the Irish Cream Brownies:

  • 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (5 ounces by weight)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (1.5 ounces by weight)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 tbsp Irish Cream

For the Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 6 oz high-quality white chocolate caramelized*
  • 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar

Instructions 

To make the Brownies:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
  • Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted. It should only take 2-3 intervals. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, whip together the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and frothy, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the chocolate butter mixture to the whipped eggs, then add the Irish Cream. Whisk until combined. Then stir in the dry ingredients until no flour streaks remain.
  • Pour the batter into the square pan, and bake for about 17 minutes. The top should be shiny and set, but slightly squishy to the touch, to indicate that it’s not overbaked. Let cool completely.

To make the White Chocolate Buttercream:

  • Whip the butter in a bowl for 30 seconds, then whip in the caramelized white chocolate. Add the confectioner’s sugar and whip until smooth. Spread the frosting all over the cooled brownie square.
  • Refrigerate the brownies for about 1 hour to allow the buttercream to firm up. Then cut into squares and enjoy!

Notes

*To caramelize white chocolate, set the oven to 250F. Cut the white chocolate into chunks with a knife and spread on a baking sheet. Cook for a total of 45 minutes, stirring every 7-8 minutes. The white chocolate will get smoother and smoother, and darker and darker, each time. By the end of the cooking time it should be the color of butterscotch and completely smooth. NOTE it is very important to use a real white chocolate that’s high-quality and high in cocoa butter. Buy brands such as Valrhona, Scharffenberger, or Callebaut. A full post on it is here.

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 64mg, Potassium: 125mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 305IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Posted updated in February 2019. Originally published in October 2016.