Irish Cream Layered Brownies are a decadent treat! Fudgy brownies with 2 layers of Irish cream-infused chocolate ganache and buttercream! YUM!
Top o’ the morning to ya! Isn’t that we’re “supposed” to say as it nears St. Patrick’s Day? Today I want to share an absolutely scrumptious recipe for Irish Cream Layered Brownies. Thee brownies are made of three distinct layers: a mocha brownie, topped with an Irish Cream frosting, which is topped with Irish cream chocolate ganache.
Yes… you might detect an “Irish” theme here. One of our sons gave me a cookbook for Christmas to add to my collection. I found this recipe for these sweet treats in it, and we were thrilled with the results! Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any time you want a yummy dessert to serve, I’m confident you’re gonna enjoy them. These brownies are chewy and full of flavor, and I can guarantee you no leprechauns were harmed in the making of this recipe.
Irish cream liqueur is used (sparingly, but it’s in there) to flavor the frosting and the chocolate ganache, giving it a distinctive flavor. The recipe, as written below will yield 16 delicious Irish Cream Layered Brownies. Here’s how to make them:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Make The Brownie Batter
Before mixing the batter, preheat your oven to 350°F and grease the bottom and sides of an 8″ x 8″ square baking pan. Set the pan aside while you make the brownie batter. To make the batter, first sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl, then set the bowl aside.
Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat, then remove the pan from the heat source. Immediately stir in cocoa, oil, and instant coffee powder. Stir well, to combine, then let the mixture cool a bit (4-5 minutes).
After it’s cooled, stir in granulated sugar, then beaten eggs, stirring well as the eggs are added. Add the flour mixture and vanilla extract, adding the flour mixture a little at a time. Stir well, between additions, to incorporate the dry ingredients into the batter.
Layer #1- Bake The Brownies
Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350°F. for 23-25 minutes, or until the center is set, being careful to NOT overcook the brownies. Test by inserting a toothpick into the top center of the brownies. It should come out free of batter. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool until the brownies are just barely warm.
Layer #2- Make The Irish Cream Frosting
While the brownies cool, mix together the Irish cream frosting. Beat powdered sugar and softened butter together with an electric mixer on Low setting. Add Irish cream liqueur, and beat the frosting until it becomes smooth.
Spread the frosting over the entire surface of the slightly warm brownies (if they’re too hot, it will melt frosting). Place the pan in a refrigerator and let the chill for 1 hour. This allows the frosting to firm up before adding the top layer of ganache.
Layer #3- Make The Chocolate Ganache Topping
About 15 minutes before the brownies finish chilling, make the chocolate ganache topping. Place chocolate chips, Irish cream liqueur, heavy whipping cream and instant coffee powder in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave on High temperature for 1 minute, then stir. Place bowl back into the microwave, and heat it on High another 30-45 seconds. Remove and stir the ganache until smooth. Let the ganache cool slightly (3-4 minutes), or until it is warm and spreadable.
Spread the ganache evenly over the entire frosting layer. By the way… the photo below is the same ganache. Different lighting, perhaps? Weird! Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the Irish Cream Layered Brownies until the chocolate is firmly set. This usually takes about an hour or less.
The Irish Cream Layered Brownies Are Ready To Eat!
After the Irish Cream Layered Brownies have been fully chilled, they’re ready to cut, serve, and enjoy! Cut the brownies into 16 pieces, and dig in. They taste wonderful! Store any leftovers covered in the fridge, or give some to friends and family. We gave extra Irish Cream Layered Brownies to both of our sons so they could enjoy them, too!
The brownies have a light mocha taste, and are chewy and yummy. Those two layers of frosting and ganache will taste awesome, thanks to the Irish cream liqueur infused flavor. Put all three layers together and you’ve got terrific dessert treats for St. Patrick’s Day OR any other day, for that matter! They are dense, rich tasting and oh so good!
I really hope you will give these delicious fudgy brownies a try. Remember to plan ahead, to allow for chilling two of the three layers, okay? Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’ll come back soon for more yummy recipes. Take care, and have a wonderful day.
Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some really wonderful bar cookie recipes you’ll enjoy, including:
- Lemon Bars
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
- Blackberry Pie Bars
- Frosted Pumpkin Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
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Original Recipe Source: recipe submitted by Sue Gronholz in “The Taste Of Home Cookbook”, page 486, published by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC, 2019
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Irish Cream Layered Brownies are a decadent treat! Fudgy brownies with 2 layers of Irish cream-infused chocolate ganache and buttercream!
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup butter
- 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- ¾ teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten, at room temp.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 3 Tablespoons Irish Cream Liqueur
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 Tablespoons Irish Cream Liqueur
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee powder
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom/sides of 8" x 8" square baking pan. Set pan aside.
MAKE BROWNIE BATTER (Layer #1): Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl; set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Remove pan from heat. Stir in cocoa, oil, and instant coffee powder. Stir well; let cool 4-5 minutes. Add sugar and eggs, stirring constantly as they're added. Gradually add flour mixture and vanilla, a little at a time. Stir well, to fully mix into batter.
Spread brownie batter evenly in greased pan. Bake at 350°F. about 23-25 minutes, or until center is set. Don't overcook brownies. Test by inserting toothpick into top of brownies. Toothpick should come out free of batter. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool.
MAKE FROSTING (Layer #2): While brownies cool, mix frosting. Beat powdered sugar and soft butter with electric mixer on low setting. Add Irish cream liqueur; beat until frosting becomes smooth. Spread over brownies that are only barely warm. Put pan in refrigerator; chill brownies 1 hour.
MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE (Layer #3): Approx. 15 minutes before brownies finish chilling, make ganache. Place chocolate chips, Irish cream liqueur, whipping cream and coffee powder in microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on High for 1 minute, then stir. Put back in microwave; heat another 30-45 seconds. Remove; stir ganache until smooth. Let cool 3-4 minutes until warm and spreadable.
Spread ganache over frosting layer. Cover pan; refrigerate until ganache is set (45-60 minutes). Cut into 16 pieces; serve. Store (covered) in fridge.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!