Irish Cream Syrup (Standard, Non-Alcoholic)

This is the syrup behind our Irish Cream Latte. Real (non-alcoholic) Irish-cream-flavored syrup isn’t built like our thin, sugar-water syrups – it’s a dairy-based syrup on a cream/condensed-milk foundation, closer in construction to a sweetened, flavored creamer than to a vanilla or caramel pump syrup. Non-alcoholic Irish cream flavoring is a real, commonly available baking/flavoring extract – the same category of product used in flavored coffee creamers and baking, not a specialty item.

Why This One Isn’t a Thin Syrup

Vanilla, caramel, and pumpkin syrups on this site are all fundamentally sugar dissolved (or browned, then dissolved) in water. Irish cream flavor doesn’t work that way – the “cream” in the name isn’t a marketing flourish, it’s structural. This recipe starts from sweetened condensed milk (already a thick, sweetened dairy base) thinned slightly with water, then flavored with a little cocoa for warmth, real vanilla, and non-alcoholic Irish cream flavoring extract. It’s a genuinely different build than a sugar syrup, and it tastes and pours differently too – richer and creamier, closer to a flavored condensed-milk drizzle than a thin pump syrup.

The Syrup

Warm the condensed milk and water together over low heat, whisking until smooth and pourable – don’t let it boil. Whisk in the cocoa powder while things are still just warm (not hot) so it doesn’t clump, same caution as our mocha sauces. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, Irish cream flavoring, and a pinch of salt, then let it cool completely.

Store the finished syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks – the concentrated sugar in condensed milk works as a natural preservative here, the same shelf life as our plain sugar syrups, unlike the fresh-cream sauces elsewhere on this site (our White Mocha family, and this recipe’s own Clean-Ingredient and Sugar-Free versions), which need to be used within about a week. It makes roughly 10 drinks’ worth at 2 tbsp per serving.

This batch (10 servings)$4.10 total

Per 2 tbsp serving~$0.41

Assumptions: sweetened condensed milk at typical grocery pricing (~$3/14oz can), unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla extract at typical grocery pricing, and a bottle of non-alcoholic Irish cream flavoring/baking extract at typical specialty-extract pricing (roughly $7-9 for a 2oz bottle – a small amount goes a long way, so one bottle lasts many batches). The extract is the single priciest line item per batch here, which is why this syrup costs more per serving than our plain cane-sugar syrups even though it’s not using an expensive sweetener.

Storage & Shelf Life

• Keeps about 2 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge – longer than our fresh-cream sauces, thanks to the condensed milk’s sugar content.
• Give it a stir before using – it can thicken slightly in the fridge.
• Double the batch if you go through Irish Cream lattes quickly – everything scales evenly.

Swaps & Notes

• Non-alcoholic Irish cream flavoring extract is sold by specialty baking-flavor makers – check the extract/flavoring aisle near the vanilla extract, or order online if your store doesn’t carry it. It’s a real, established flavoring category used in baking and flavored coffee creamers, not something we invented for this recipe.
• Watching sugar? This is the classic flavored-creamer-style version. See the Sugar-Free Irish Cream Syrup or Maple Irish Cream Syrup (Clean-Ingredient) for the other two tiers – both are genuinely different builds from this one, not just a sweetener swap, since neither starts from condensed milk.

What to Make With This

2 tbsp of this syrup, stirred into hot espresso before adding steamed milk, is the Irish Cream Latte. If you’d rather avoid the condensed milk, the Maple Irish Cream Syrup behind our Clean-Ingredient tier builds a real-cream-and-maple version instead. If sugar content is the priority, see the Sugar-Free Irish Cream Syrup.

Recipe Card Summary

Irish Cream Syrup (Standard)

• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup water, cocoa, vanilla, Irish cream flavoring, salt
• Makes ~10 servings (2 tbsp each) · Prep: 5 min · Total: 10 min (mostly warming + cooling)
• Cost: ~$4.10/batch, ~$0.41/serving

FAQ

Is this alcoholic?

No. This uses a non-alcoholic Irish cream flavoring/baking extract – the same kind used in flavored coffee creamers and baking – not an alcoholic liqueur. There’s no alcohol in this recipe at all.

Why is this syrup thicker than your other syrups?

Because it’s built on sweetened condensed milk instead of a sugar-water base – a genuinely different, dairy-based construction. See the explanation above for why Irish cream flavor doesn’t work as a thin syrup.

Do I need to make this every time I want a latte?

No – one batch covers about 10 drinks over two weeks. The Irish Cream Latte recipe assumes you already have a jar on hand.