I was awoken last Saturday by construction workers at 8:00 AM. I’m a morning person, but even for me 8:00 AM on a Saturday was rough. Frustrated, and with nothing else to do, I headed out to the grocery store to pick up what I needed to make something for Economical Chef. St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, so an Irish Coffee seemed right. This isn’t your every day Potato-eating Guinness-drinking Irish Coffee though, it’s Irish Coffee with Coconut Whipped Cream.
Yes, coconut whipped cream. It’s actually surprisingly easy to make. I used canned coconut cream, but I heard full fat coconut milk will work too if you can’t find it. Besides boasting a unique and tropical taste, according to the world wide web, coconut cream has a handful of benefits, most coming from its “healthy fats”:
- Prevents obesity – because eating healthy fats speeds up your metabolism
- Improves heart health – again, because of the healthy fats
- Better brain function – because of the fatty acids found in coconut
Take that for what it’s worth. If nothing else, the coconut whipped cream is a nice change of pace to typical whipped cream.
Before you start whipping your cream, make sure to put a metal mixing bowl in the freezer and the can of coconut cream in the refrigerator. While those are getting frosty, you can get your ingredients ready to make your Irish coffee base – coffee, whiskey and sugar. Since the coffee is the star of the show, I thought it best to fresh grind the beans.
I also took the time to brew my coffee in a French press using the one featured below. It’s super affordable and does a great job. You could also use a standard coffee maker if you don’t have a French press on hand.
Making the whipped cream is the most time intensive part of this recipe, but it is still really easy to do. I took my coconut cream and whipped it together with vanilla and powdered sugar in my stand mixer until it became thick and fluffy.
I surprised myself with how well this Irish Coffee with Coconut Whipped Cream turned out. It’s not traditional in any way, but the coconut flavor is a nice change of pace to give this cocktail an interesting twist.
Drink it fast if you want to keep that cream dollop on top, but honestly, as it melts into the coffee, it only gets better.
Let’s get economical with this Irish coffee with coconut whipped cream.
- 32 oz of brewed coffee (4 servings) – $1.25
- 1 can coconut cream – $3.99
- 1/2 tsp vanilla – $0.26
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar – $0.02
- 4-8 tsp brown sugar sugar (1-2 tsp per 8 oz serving, or however much you like) – $0.04-0.08
- 6 oz Irish whiskey (1.5 oz per 8 oz coffee serving, or however much you like, or none!) – $5.00
The grand total is $10.56-$10.60, or about $2.65 per drink. I live in Chicago where craft cocktails like this will run $10 to $15. The fact that I can drink Irish Coffee with Coconut Whipped Cream for $2.65 is a true steal. Drinking coffee at home is just the economical thing to do.
You’ll have leftover whipped cream, most likely, so be sure to have hot chocolate or some other dessert on the docket for later in the day/night so it doesn’t go to waste. You could also make these honey cinnamon blueberry pancakes or these whole wheat oatmeal pancakes from Budget Bytes the next day and enjoy fresh whipped cream on your cakes. You could also check out this Kitchn article if you need more ideas on how to use the whipped cream.
Two of the larger cost inputs are the whiskey and the coffee, so it’s up to you on how expensive you want to go with those. I went medium tier with both and was happy with the results.
This Irish Coffee with Coconut Whipped Cream is the perfect weekend cocktail.
Ingredients
- 32 oz of brewed coffee
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 4-8 tsp brown sugar (1-2 tsp per 8 oz serving, or however much you like)
- 6 oz Irish whiskey
Instructions
- Put your can of coconut cream in the fridge and let chill an hour.
- Place your metal mixing bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Once those are cold, start to brew 32 oz of hot coffee.
- While the coffee is brewing, take your cold metal bowl out of the freezer and coconut cream out of the refrigerator. Add your coconut cream, vanilla and powdered sugar into the mixing bowl, and whip until it gets to whipped cream consistency, about a couple minutes. Note, you can use a hand mixer or stand mixer here, or whisk together by hand if you are very determined. Put the whipped cream in the refrigerator while you prep your coffee.
- Add 8 oz of hot coffee to a cup, and add 1-2 tsp brown sugar. Stir to dissolve.
- Add 1.5 oz of Irish whiskey per 8 oz of coffee, again stirring. If you want a virgin drink, skip this step!
- Take your whipped cream from the refrigerator and dollop some on top of the coffee.
I hope you enjoy this Irish Coffee with Coconut Whipped Cream!
Don’t forget to check the list of the Best French Press Coffee Makers, Hot Chocolate Makers, Milk Frothers in 2024. For more kitchen appliances, check Kitchen Product Reviews page.
Great minds think alike! I posted a similar recipe on my site this very week. Love the addition of the Coconut Whipped Cream.
Awesome! I will have to check it out.