Indulge in the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day treat with these exquisite Irish Car Bomb Brownies. Featuring a decadent trinity of flavors – rich Guinness Stout Chocolate Brownies, a silky Jameson Whiskey Ganache, and a dreamy Baileys Irish Cream Buttercream frosting – these brownies are a true celebration of Irish spirits. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of dark chocolate, robust stout, warm whiskey, and creamy liqueur, guaranteeing to satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth. Prepare for a dessert experience that’s both deeply flavorful and wonderfully festive!

If you’re a fan of the classic combination of Guinness and Baileys, you’ll also adore our Chocolate Guinness Mini Cakes with Baileys Buttercream – another perfect treat for any celebration.

A Note on the Name: This recipe title is in no way meant to be offensive or to trivialize any historical events. It bears no relation to the car bombings in Ireland in 1972. Instead, it directly references the popular American beer cocktail, famously created by Charles Burke Cronin Oat. This iconic cocktail involves dropping a shot glass filled with Baileys Irish Cream and Jameson Irish Whiskey into a pint of Guinness stout, creating a mini “explosion” of flavors as the liquids mix. Our brownies capture the essence of this beloved drink in a delicious, layered dessert format, paying homage to its unique flavor profile.

Embracing the Spirit of St. Patrick’s Day

There’s an undeniable magic in the air as St. Patrick’s Day approaches. It’s a time for joyous celebration, vibrant green hues, lively festivities, and, of course, delicious food and drink. For those of us with a connection to Irish heritage, or simply anyone who loves a good party, this holiday is a highlight of the year. It’s a chance to honor traditions, share laughter, and indulge in treats that pay tribute to the Emerald Isle’s rich culinary spirit. These Irish Car Bomb Brownies are designed to embody that very essence, bringing a taste of Ireland’s famed libations into a delightfully sweet dessert.

My own family roots run deep in Ireland, a heritage I cherish, especially around St. Patrick’s Day. From stories passed down through generations about the “Mc” being dropped from our Gaelic maiden name upon arrival in a new land, to my own red hair, pale skin, and blue eyes – hallmarks of Irish ancestry – it’s a part of who I am. Even my son, Aiden, bears a Gaelic name meaning “Little Fire,” a nod to our lineage, complete with a touch of red hair that graced him in infancy. This personal connection fuels my passion for creating recipes that celebrate Irish culture, and these brownies are truly a labor of love, crafted to bring a piece of that festive Irish spirit into your home.

Crafting the Ultimate Boozy Brownie: The Irish Car Bomb Revelation

While my Irish family history is dear to my heart, let’s turn our attention to what truly brings us here today: these phenomenal chocolate brownies. More precisely, we’re diving into the creation of this extraordinary Irish Car Bomb Brownie recipe. These brownies aren’t just good; they are, quite literally, “the bomb”! For years, I’ve enjoyed making other iterations, like the popular Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, but it was time to unleash my own unique version of this decadent chocolate boozy triple threat in brownie form. The result is a dessert that captures all the robust, creamy, and slightly bitter notes of the famous cocktail in every single square.

What makes these brownies so special is the careful layering of distinct, yet perfectly complementary, flavors. Each element – the rich, dark Guinness brownie, the smooth, whiskey-infused Jameson ganache, and the light, airy Baileys buttercream – plays a vital role in creating a truly unforgettable dessert. This isn’t just a brownie; it’s an experience, a miniature culinary journey that celebrates the iconic flavors of Ireland in a surprisingly accessible and utterly delicious way. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this recipe is designed to guide you through creating a show-stopping treat that will impress everyone.

Essential Ingredients for Your Triple-Layered Treat

To create these sensational Irish Car Bomb Brownies, you’ll need a carefully selected array of ingredients that come together to form each delicious layer. Quality ingredients are key to achieving the depth of flavor and perfect texture that makes this recipe truly stand out.

Ingredients for the Guinness Brownie Layer

• All-purpose flour: The foundational structure for our dense, chewy brownies.
• Granulated sugar & Packed brown sugar: A combination that provides sweetness and contributes to the brownies’ moist texture.
• Unsweetened cocoa: For that deep, rich chocolate flavor that forms the base.
• Baking powder: To give just the right amount of lift without making them cakey.
• Salt: A crucial ingredient that balances sweetness and enhances all other flavors.
• Bittersweet chocolate chunks: Melted and folded in for an intense chocolate experience and pockets of gooey delight.
• Butter: For richness and moisture.
• Vanilla extract: To round out the chocolate and provide aromatic warmth.
• Guinness Stout: The star ingredient, adding a subtle bitterness, complexity, and incredible moistness to the brownies.
• Large eggs: Act as a binder and contribute to the fudgy texture.

Ingredients for the Jameson Whiskey Ganache Layer

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: The base for a smooth, pourable ganache.
• Salted butter: Adds richness and a touch of savory balance.
• Jameson Irish Whiskey: Infuses the ganache with its distinct, smooth, and slightly spicy notes, elevating the flavor profile.
• Powdered sugar: To sweeten and help achieve the ideal ganache consistency.

Ingredients for the Baileys Irish Cream Frosting Layer

• Unsalted butter, at room temperature: The creamy foundation for a light and fluffy buttercream.
• Powdered sugar: For sweetness and structure, creating a smooth frosting.
• Baileys Irish Cream: Imparts its signature sweet, creamy, and subtly boozy flavor, making this frosting truly irresistible.
• Vanilla extract: A touch to enhance the overall aroma and flavor.

This exquisite Baileys frosting is so versatile and delicious, it’s also featured in our beloved Chocolate Guinness Mini Cakes with Baileys Buttercream – a testament to its crowd-pleasing appeal.

Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Irish Car Bomb Brownies

Creating these layered brownies is a delightful process. Follow these detailed instructions carefully to ensure each component is perfect and comes together beautifully.

Guinness Brownie Layer

1. Prepare Your Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C). Prepare a 9×9 inch baking pan by coating it generously with cooking spray. For effortless removal of your cooled brownies, line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to act as “handles.”
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, packed brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Melt Chocolate and Wet Ingredients: In a separate, heat-proof bowl, place half a cup of your bittersweet chocolate chunks. Microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring well after each, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Into this melted chocolate, whisk in the melted butter, vanilla extract, and Guinness stout until well combined. Gradually add the lightly beaten large eggs, one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until fully incorporated.
4. Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl with your dry ingredients. Mix gently with a spoon or spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough brownies. A few streaks of flour are perfectly acceptable.
5. Fold in Remaining Chocolate: Gently fold in the remaining half cup of bittersweet chocolate chunks. These will create delicious pockets of melted chocolate throughout your brownies.
6. Bake the Brownies: Pour the batter evenly into your prepared 9×9 inch pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, but no wet batter. Avoid overbaking to keep them fudgy.
7. Cool Completely: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial before adding the ganache layer, as warm brownies will melt the ganache.

Jameson Ganache Layer

1. Melt Chocolate: Once your brownies have cooled entirely, start preparing the ganache. Place your semi-sweet chocolate chips into a medium-sized heat-proof bowl. Microwave in short bursts (15-20 seconds), stirring well in between, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
2. Whisk in Flavorings: Into the melted chocolate, whisk in the salted butter until it’s fully incorporated and the mixture is glossy. Then, add the Jameson Irish Whiskey and powdered sugar, whisking until the ganache is smooth, thick, and well combined.
3. Spread and Set: Let the ganache sit for just a minute to slightly thicken. Then, pour it over the cooled brownie layer and spread it evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Allow the ganache to set up at room temperature for about 5 minutes, or until it has a firm, slightly tacky surface.

Baileys Buttercream Frosting Layer

1. Whip Butter: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a large bowl and a hand mixer), add your softened unsalted butter. Whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute. This aerates the butter, making the frosting light and fluffy.
2. Gradually Add Powdered Sugar: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add Baileys and Vanilla: Reduce the mixer speed to low again and pour in the Baileys Irish Cream and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for an additional 1-2 minutes until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
4. Adjust Consistency (Optional): If the frosting appears too thick or you desire a thinner consistency, gradually add milk (starting with 1 teaspoon at a time) until you reach your desired spreadable texture.
5. Frost and Serve: Carefully spread the Baileys buttercream frosting evenly over the set Jameson ganache layer. Once frosted, use a sharp knife (wiped clean between cuts for neat edges) to cut the brownies into 12 equal squares. Enjoy your perfectly layered Irish Car Bomb Brownies!

Tips for Success & Variations

Achieving the perfect Irish Car Bomb Brownies is simple with a few helpful tips and tricks. Baking is often a precise science, and paying attention to these details can make a significant difference in your final product. Additionally, don’t hesitate to get creative with variations!

Expert Tips for Baking Perfect Brownies

• Room Temperature Ingredients are Key: Always ensure your eggs, butter, and especially the Guinness are at room temperature. This allows them to combine more smoothly and evenly, resulting in a consistent batter and a better-textured brownie.
• Accurate Measuring Tools: When it comes to baking, precision matters. Use dry measuring cups for ingredients like flour and sugar, and liquid measuring cups for wet ingredients like Guinness and vanilla extract. There’s a subtle but important difference in how these cups are designed, and using the right tool can prevent common baking mishaps.
• Don’t Overmix the Batter: Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients for the brownie layer, mix only until just incorporated. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough, cakey brownies instead of the desired fudgy texture.
• Cool Completely Before Layering: Patience is a virtue here! Ensure your Guinness brownie layer is completely cool before you attempt to spread the Jameson ganache. Applying ganache to warm brownies will result in a melted, messy disaster. The same goes for the Baileys buttercream over the ganache layer.
• Wipe Your Knife: For clean, professional-looking cuts, wipe your knife with a warm, damp cloth between each slice when portioning your finished brownies. This prevents smearing the layers and gives you distinct, beautiful squares.

Convenient Boxed Mix Option for Guinness Brownies

We understand that life can be busy, and sometimes there just isn’t time for baking from scratch. That’s why we tested this recipe with a boxed brownie mix, and the results were surprisingly delightful! To transform a standard brownie mix into a delicious stout brownie, simply replace the water called for on the box with an equal amount of Guinness stout.

For the best results when using a mix, we highly recommend the Ghirardelli brownie mix. Its quality chocolate base pairs exceptionally well with the stout. While homemade brownies offer unparalleled depth of flavor and texture, this hack is a fantastic shortcut for when you need a quick yet impressive dessert.

Creative Variations to Try

• Extra Chocolate Kick: For serious chocolate lovers, consider adding a handful of chocolate chips to your brownie batter before baking, or sprinkle some mini chocolate chips over the Baileys buttercream.
• Nutty Crunch: Introduce a delightful textural contrast by folding in chopped pecans or walnuts into the brownie batter.
• Different Whiskeys: While Jameson is traditional for the “Irish Car Bomb” theme, feel free to experiment with other Irish whiskeys for subtle flavor variations in your ganache. Bushmills or Tullamore D.E.W. could offer interesting nuances.
• Minty Fresh Twist: For a touch of St. Patrick’s Day flair, add a few drops of peppermint extract to your Baileys buttercream along with the vanilla, and perhaps a sprinkle of green sprinkles or chopped Andes mints on top.
• Espresso Enhancement: A teaspoon of espresso powder added to the brownie batter can deepen the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee.

Irish Car Bomb Brownies

Yield:
12 servings

Prep Time:
1 hour

Cook Time:
30 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour 30 minutes

Guinness Stout Chocolate Brownies, Jameson Ganache and Baileys Buttercream frosting are what these Irish Car Bomb Brownies are made of! Decadently sweet, these brownies will satisfy any sweet tooth, even those who aren’t lucky enough to be Irish! 

Ingredients

• Guinness Brownie Layer
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks, divided
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Guinness
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Jameson Ganache Layer
• 5 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 2 tbsp Jameson whiskey
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Baileys Buttercream Frosting Layer
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Guinness Brownie Layer

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9×9 pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. Combine flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, brown sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
3. Place 1/2 cup chocolate into a heat proof bowl and microwave until melted.  Whisk in butter, vanilla and Guinness.  Add eggs, one at a time and whisk until combined.
4. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chunks.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Jameson Ganache Layer

1. Once the brownies have cooled start by placing your chocolate into a medium size bowl and microwave until melted.
2. Whisk in butter, whiskey and powdered sugar. 
3. Let set for a minute and then spread evenly over brownies.  Allow to set up, about 5 minutes.

Baileys Buttercream Frosting Layer

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or into a large bowl, add in your softened butter and whip, scraping down the sides every minute, for 5 minutes.
2. Using 1/2 cup at a time, add in your powdered sugar.
3. Once all the powdered sugar has been incorporated add in your Baileys and vanilla extract.
4. If the frosting is not to your desired consistency and you’d like it thinner, gradually add in a teaspoon of milk until you’ve reach your desired consistency
5. Spread frosting on top of the ganache layer and cut into 12 equal squares.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12
Serving Size: 12 servings

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 463Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 41mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 2gSugar: 49gProtein: 4g

These triple-threat Irish Car Bomb Brownies will quite literally have you doing an Irish jig in delight at how amazingly delicious they are. Every year, I find myself making batch after batch, and it takes immense willpower not to devour the entire pan myself. They are truly that good! Remember, on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is honorary Irish, and you absolutely do not need to be of Irish descent to thoroughly enjoy these festive and flavorful brownies. They are perfect for sharing with friends and family, making them an ideal centerpiece for any holiday gathering or a special treat to simply enjoy on your own.

Complete Your St. Patrick’s Day Feast

Planning a full St. Patrick’s Day menu? We’ve got you covered from savory dinners to additional delightful desserts. Pair your Irish Car Bomb Brownies with one of these hearty main courses:

Shepherd’s Pie Poutine
A unique and comforting fusion dish featuring crispy fries, savory beef and vegetables, and a rich Guinness gravy.

And for even more delightful sweet endings or snacks:

Chocolate Guinness Mini Cakes with Baileys Buttercream
Rich, moist mini cakes where Guinness and Baileys create a match made in dessert heaven.

Baileys Mint Chocolate Chip Dip
A creamy, refreshing dip perfect for mint chocolate lovers and a festive St. Patrick’s Day treat.

Irish Soda Bread Scones
Buttery, tender, and subtly sweet with a delightful hint of orange zest, ideal for breakfast or tea.

This post, photos, and recipe were updated on March 13, 2018. Originally published on March 2, 2016.

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