This Baileys and Eggnog cookies recipe celebrates this amazing combo in a delicious and festive frosted cookie! These cookies have a unique flavor and are easy to make. They are ideal for dessert, snacking, adding to cookie platters, holiday parties, potlucks, or cookie exchanges.
These cookies are popular during the holiday season but great any time of year. This cookie creation was inspired by my Mocha Eggnog Cheesecake Bars recipe and my Easy No Bake Baileys Cheesecake.
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If you enjoy Baileys with eggnog as a delicious holiday drink, you'll love these holiday cookies! They are that delicious combo, but in cookie form! And if you are looking for a more traditional Christmas cookie, try these Classic Thumbprints!
🥘Ingredient Notes
You will need the following ingredients for these Baileys Eggnog cookies.
Baileys and Eggnog Cookies:
- All-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is ideal for cookies because it is fairly high protein and adds structure to the cookie.
- Baking powder. Baking powder is the leavener and makes them rise.
- Salt. Salt balances the sweetness of these cookies.
- Ground nutmeg and Ground cinnamon. These spices pair perfectly with eggnog!
- Unsalted butter. Butter gives them a nice soft crumb. I prefer to use unsalted butter in my baking so I can control the salt.
- Brown sugar. Gives a nice, rich, deep sweetness to these cookies.
- Eggs (you only need the yolks) *See TOP TIP. Egg yolks bind the cookie and provide structure.
- Vanilla extract. Adds flavor.
- Eggnog and Baileys Irish Cream liqueur. This combo is delectable and gives the cookies that unmistakable baileys and eggnog flavor.
- Toffee bits (I use Skor toffee bits). Toffee bits add some texture to the cookies and a hint of toffee flavor!
Frosting (see Variations and substitutions)
- Frosting. * I used store-bought whipped white frosting to make life easier!
- Rum extract (optional). Gives this frosting a welcome hint of rum, reminiscent of rum and eggnog. It pairs perfectly with the eggnog and baileys flavors!
🔪How to Make Baileys and Eggnog Cookies (with frosting)
Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/176 C and lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg then set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a large separate bowl with an electric mixer (or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment) on medium-high until light and fluffy.
Add the Baileys, eggnog and vanilla to the butter mixture, then add the egg yolks in one at a time while mixing on medium .
Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients in while mixing on low and mix until you can not add anymore with the mixer.
Finish adding the flour mixture with a wooden spoon.
Stir in toffee bits.
Roll cookie dough balls and place on a prepared baking sheet, leaving 1.5- 2 inches between each cookie. Flatten dough balls with the palm of your hand or a spatula
*Alternatively you could use a cookie scoop.
Bake for 11-13 minutes in prepared oven.
The bottom should be golden brown and the centre should be cooked and cakey (see photo below)
Let cool on pan for 2 - 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling for at least another 5 minutes
While the cookies are baking, mix the rum extract into the frosting
Cakey center of cookie (this is how these frosted eggnog cookies should look when split in half after cooling)
Once the cookies are completely cooled, add frosting to each cookie with a butter knife. Then add sprinkles. You can also add a few toffee bits (optional)
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Frosting - you can use any type of frosting you prefer, but for best results, a vanilla or white works best: I recommend using my Whipped Cream Buttercream Frosting (with shortening) if you want to make homemade icing (then you don't have to worry about refrigerating it). You could also use a cream cheese frosting.
- Butter - you can use salted butter - just skip the salt in the recipe
- St. Patrick's Day cookies- these are also great for st. patrick's day - just leave out the eggnog, double the Baileys, and use green sprinkles or a Baileys frosting instead
- Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies - swap the toffee bits for chocolate chips
- Irish Cream - you could use a homemade Irish Cream instead of store-bought Baileys Original Irish Cream
- Eggnog- you could use homemade eggnog instead of store-bought eggnog
🥗 What to serve with Baileys & Eggnog cookies
These are my favorite treats to serve on a baking tray with these eggnog and baileys cookies:
👪 Serving Size
This Eggnog cookie recipe makes 30 cookies. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🌡️How to Store Frosted Baileys & Eggnog Cookies
Store these soft cookies in an airtight container. If you are using a perishable frosting (like the Betty Crocker whipped frosting) then you need to store the cookies in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Unfrosted cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
You can leave them on a tray covered in plastic wrap for up to 24 hours (if you are NOT using a perishable frosting).
They can be frozen in single layers for up to 3 months. Once frozen, iced cookies can be stacked with parchment paper between the layers (if you need the storage space).
If you are only freezing the cookies to frost when they are fully defrosted, they can be stacked and frozen.
Top tip
Freeze your leftover egg whites for up to 3 months in a Ziploc bag or portioned out in ice cube trays. If using ice cube trays, remove egg white cubes from trays once fully frozen and transfer to a freezer bag or container before placing them back in the freezer.
*Frozen egg whites should be used within 24 hours of thawing in the refrigerator.
If you are looking for eggnog and Baileys recipes, you will love these Eggnog Baileys Irish Cream cookies! And if you are in search of more eggnog desserts, try my Eggnog Trifle recipe.
🍪More Christmas Cookies
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Baileys and Eggnog Cookies (with frosting) Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup eggnog
- ¼ cup baileys
- ¼ cup Toffee bits * I use Skor Toffee bits
- 1 ½ cup frosting (340 g container) * I usedBetty Crocker whipped white frosting
- ½ teaspoon rum extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/ 175 degrees C and lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg then set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high until light and fluffy.
- Add the Baileys, eggnog and vanilla, then add the egg yolks in one at a time while mixing on medium .
- Add the flour in while mixing on low and mix until you can not add anymore with the mixer.
- Finish adding the flour mixture with a wooden spoon
- Stir in toffee bits.
- Roll cookie dough and roll into balls and place on a prepared cookie sheet, leaving 1.5- 2 inches between each cookie. Flatten dough balls with the palm of your hand or a spatula*Alternatively you could use a cookie scoop
- Bake for 11-13 minutes in a preheated oven
- The bottom should be lightly browned and the centre should be cooked and cakeyLet cool on pan for 2 - 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling for at least another 5 minutes
- Cakey centre of cookie (this is how they should look when split in half after cooling)
- While the cookies are baking, mix the rum extract into the frosting
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, add frosting to each cookie with a butter knife. Then add sprinkles
Terri GIlson
These Eggnog and Baileys Irish Cream cookies are such a fun twist on holiday flavors! I love how they take that classic festive drink combo and turn it into a delicious frosted cookie. They're super easy to make, which is always a plus during the busy holiday season.