‘Tis the season for all things St. Patrick’s Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate that with Baileys. And chocolate. And dessert in general. Say hello to Baileys Irish Cream Truffles. These truffles are rich and decadent, just a hint of boozy, and they’re fun to make.
Making Baileys Irish Cream Truffles
There are three main components to these truffles. First, the cake. Second, the frosting, which binds the cake crumbs together to form the truffle. Third, the chocolate coating, which locks all the goodness in.
The cake itself is a healthier, made with minimal sugar, unsweetened applesauce, and a few pantry staples. Its pretty dry, which is what you want. Since the frosting has liquid in it, you want a bit of a dryer cake to hold it all together. Plus, a dryer cake is much easier to crumble.
The cake is made of:
- Flour
- Cocoa powder
- Sugar
- Egg
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Espresso Powder
- Vanilla
- Baking soda
- Milk
And that’s it! Just mix it all together, throw it in the oven, and you’ve got a solid base. You’ll want to let it cool completely before mixing it with the frosting so that it doesn’t melt. I let mine cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then threw it in the fridge for 30 to cool before crumbling it with my hands.
Next is the frosting, which is just 3 ingredients but SO GOOD. Seriously, I’ve been eating it with a spoon since I made it. It’s a basic buttercream but I used Smart Balance in place of butter, which is lower in WW points (and, as a bonus, doesn’t require much time to thaw unlike butter). Then powdered sugar for sweetness and stability, and real Baileys Irish Cream. Just combine them in a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) and you’ve got an incredible, fluffy frosting that’s great on anything from cupcakes to cakes to a spoon.
The last step is to freeze the balls and then dunk them in chocolate (and decorate if you choose to do so). I used Lily’s dark chocolate baking chips, which melt beautifully and taste great. They’re sweetened with Stevia and they’re lower in calories and points.
Variations and Storage
There are lots of ways to mix up these truffles. You can use your favorite cake mix, prepare according to the instructions, and crumble it up for the base. I would just recommend adding the frosting a few spoonfuls at a time, to ensure your truffle dough is the proper consistency. Vanilla cake would work great as well.
Store these in the fridge, and let them sit at room temperature for 10 or so minutes before enjoying. They’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Baileys Irish Cream Truffles
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- 9×5 Loaf Pan
- Oven
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup flour all purpose
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk can substitute plant milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp Smart Balance
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips Lily's Dark
- 1 tsp Smart Balance
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- In a small bowl, combine egg, applesauce, milk, vanilla and mix thoroughly. Pour into dry ingredients and stir to combine fully.
- Pour into greased 9×5 loaf pan and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely before crumbling into find crumbs.
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat Smart Balance for 20 seconds until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and combine. Add Baileys and mix on medium speed until fully combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Combine 3/4 cup frosting with cake crumbs and mix until you have a thick mixture that you can easily form into balls.
- Measure out 32 balls, 1/2 tablespoons each, and place on parchment paper lined plate. Put in the freezer for 15 minutes to solidify.
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals until fully melted. Add 1 tsp Smart Balance and mix thoroughly.
- Coat each ball in chocolate, carefully removing any excess. Place dipped balls on parchment lined tray. If you plan to add sprinkles, add them while the chocolate is still wet so they adhere. Once all of the truffles are dipped, allow them to set in the fridge for 30 minutes, and then enjoy!
1 thought on “Baileys Irish Cream Truffles”
What an amazing and easy recipe!!! Made it for my small party and everyone loved it. Thank you