Bailey's Irish Cream and my arteries

[luvmysuper]

I am a big fan of Bailey's Irish Cream, but since my last physical, I have had to really scope back on those great things that I love, and yet are so bad for me.
Bailey's is one of those.

Here's the Nutrition label from Bailey's;



As you can see, a single serving of 1.3 ounces (and who drinks just 1.3 ounce of the stuff in a sitting?) contains 94 calories, over 50% of which are from fat.
With 17% of your daily recommended allowance of saturated fat, and a whopping 45% of the daily recommended allowance of cholesterol, I had to face the fact that it would be a rare occurence when I'd get to have some of this stuff, particularly when the wife was watching!

So I was browsing around and found a recipe for home made Bailey's, and I checked on what would happen if I substituted no fat or low fat products for the "fatty" ones in the Commercial product and was quite amazed at the results.

Here's a recipe which makes a little more than a liter of a Bailey's equivalent;

1 cup Fat Free half and half
1 14 oz can Fat Free sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cup Irish Whiskey
1 tsp instant coffee
2 TBS chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

When you break it down by ingredient, it looks like this for the entire liter plus;

1 cup Fat Free half and half - 160 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 14 oz can Fat Free sweetened condensed milk - 1100 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 1/3 cup Irish Whiskey - 766 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 tsp instant coffee - 4 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat -0 cholesterol
2 TBS chocolate syrup - 50 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 tsp vanilla extract - 12 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 tsp almond extract - 12 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol


That means the same 1.3 ounce serving is roughly;
53 calories per ounce
0 calories from fat
0 saturated fat
And most importantly - 0 cholesterol

I'm going to make up a batch and try it. I am told that the "fat free" version seems a bit sweeter than standard genuine Bailey's, but for the trade off, I think I'm willing to give it a try.

 

[slugg77]

Hmmmm......I only use it in the winter in coffee type drinks, but I usually prefer to make my own ingredients when reasonable, this could be something to try.

Please be sure to post results!

 

[Techichi]

I have confidence that you will enjoy this alternative, Phil. Let us know what you think.

 

[Jeff C]

Maybe you should be concerned about the sugar in Baileys rather than the saturated fat. I eat a diet very high in saturated fat feasting on bison bone marrow, tongue, liver and whole milk kefir, my cholesterol scores get better and better over time with a good cholesterol higher than the bad one and triglycerides in the upper 30s. Anything that is fat free but tastes more sugary means your body is going to have an insulin spike that jacks your blood sugar level and might cause your body to store more fat in an environment when you are also feasting on refined carbohydrates and sugars. Perhaps you should learn to appreciate a relatively sweet tasting and smelling distilled spirt like brandy or a Scotch like Glemorangie? These have no sugars at all.

I also have to say as a completely objective factual matter (if you are not believing my take on paleo diets) your calorie count for 1 1/3 cup of irish whisky is completely erroneous. Looking around on the internet, most sources say that I jigger (1.25 oz) of 40% alcohol has about 100 calories. 1 and 1/3 cups is about 10.5 ounces or roughly 8 jiggers which is around 800 calories, not the 73 calories, maybe if it was low proof it could be 730 calories but no way is it 73 calories.

 

[EL Alamein]

Jeff C said it all - it's the sugar, not the fat. That's my opinion based on the new (old) theory regarding heart disease. It is HIGHLY controversial so follow the advice of a qualified physician who is familiar with both theories rather than anything here (including my own opinion). That's all I can offer. I hope you find what works for you, Phil, and enjoy in good health.

Best of luck!

Chris

 

[luvmysuper]

Thanks fellas, but I'll follow the advice of my own physician who tells me not to worry so much about sugars, everything in moderation.
I'm 6 feet tall and weigh about 155 lbs but my cholesterol is high and I am specifically addressing that issue.

Quite right about the calorie count for whiskey. That's the calories for one ounce, not 1 1/3 cup. Appreciate your catching it for me. That means the total calorie count for the whiskey is 766.
Which raises the calorie count to 53 per ounce by about 1/2. Still better than commercial Baileys, and the cholesterol is much better.

 

[cb91710]

Soooooo.............



How's it taste?

 

[luvmysuper]

Soooooo.............



How's it taste?

Have ingredients.
First batch to be made tomorrow. I'll let you know.

By the way - just to clarify;
I'm not making this post as a suggestion that this recipe is good for you.
Of course not.

What I am saying here is that I feel better about the quantity of calories and cholesterol in this recipe versus commercial Bailey's.

Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[cb91710]

Oh man....

And I was going to heist your formula and sell it at the juice bar at my local 24 Hour Fitness!
Way to dash my hopes and dreams

 

[Jim]

1 cup Fat Free half and half
1 14 oz can Fat Free sweetened condensed milk

Both the half and half and the sweetened condensed milk have corn syrup in them.
As a lower "sweet" option you could use un-sweetened condensed milk.

Good luck Phil!

 

[sychodelix]

Or...just drink Jamesons?

 

[malocchio]

I love the Amarula cream from South Africa,and the Baileys as well.I also found out about the enormous amount of cholesterol in them. I actually thought they were using imitation cream of some sort,since liquor is exempt from ingredient labeling.How can real cream mix with alcohol ,sit on a shelf for months,unrefridgerated,and still be wholesome ?

 

[luvmysuper]

Both the half and half and the sweetened condensed milk have corn syrup in them.
As a lower "sweet" option you could use un-sweetened condensed milk.

Good luck Phil!

I'll look at that option, thanks for the tip!

 

[djh]

I am a big fan of Bailey's Irish Cream, but since my last physical, I have had to really scope back on those great things that I love, and yet are so bad for me.
Bailey's is one of those.

Here's the Nutrition label from Bailey's;

View attachment 272961

As you can see, a single serving of 1.3 ounces (and who drinks just 1.3 ounce of the stuff in a sitting?) contains 94 calories, over 50% of which are from fat.
With 17% of your daily recommended allowance of saturated fat, and a whopping 45% of the daily recommended allowance of cholesterol, I had to face the fact that it would be a rare occurence when I'd get to have some of this stuff, particularly when the wife was watching!

So I was browsing around and found a recipe for home made Bailey's, and I checked on what would happen if I substituted no fat or low fat products for the "fatty" ones in the Commercial product and was quite amazed at the results.

Here's a recipe which makes a little more than a liter of a Bailey's equivalent;

1 cup Fat Free half and half
1 14 oz can Fat Free sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cup Irish Whiskey
1 tsp instant coffee
2 TBS chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

When you break it down by ingredient, it looks like this for the entire liter plus;

1 cup Fat Free half and half - 160 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 14 oz can Fat Free sweetened condensed milk - 1100 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 1/3 cup Irish Whiskey - 766 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 tsp instant coffee - 4 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat -0 cholesterol
2 TBS chocolate syrup - 50 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 tsp vanilla extract - 12 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol
1 tsp almond extract - 12 calories - 0 fat - 0 sat fat - 0 cholesterol


That means the same 1.3 ounce serving is roughly;
53 calories per ounce
0 calories from fat
0 saturated fat
And most importantly - 0 cholesterol

I'm going to make up a batch and try it. I am told that the "fat free" version seems a bit sweeter than standard genuine Bailey's, but for the trade off, I think I'm willing to give it a try.

Rub some bacon on it!

 

[KodiakAttack]

I have a question regarding baileys that i cant really find an answer to.
I know baileys contains dairy... but do you think it has an expiration? I have a bottle in my fridge thats been there since last xmas... its not much of a warm weather drink. Would it be safe to drink this winter? FYI its been opened.

 

[djh]

I have a question regarding baileys that i cant really find an answer to.
I know baileys contains dairy... but do you think it has an expiration? I have a bottle in my fridge thats been there since last xmas... its not much of a warm weather drink. Would it be safe to drink this winter? FYI its been opened.

No problem to drink it at all.

 

[Jim]

I have a question regarding baileys that i cant really find an answer to.
I know baileys contains dairy... but do you think it has an expiration? I have a bottle in my fridge thats been there since last xmas... its not much of a warm weather drink. Would it be safe to drink this winter? FYI its been opened.

It may be dairy like, but I doubt it would be un-modified- such as the millk solids added to another fat like palm and the butterfat removed.

 

[luvmysuper]

I have a question regarding baileys that i cant really find an answer to.
I know baileys contains dairy... but do you think it has an expiration? I have a bottle in my fridge thats been there since last xmas... its not much of a warm weather drink. Would it be safe to drink this winter? FYI its been opened.

The manufacturer claims Baileys Irish Cream has a shelf life of 30 months and guarantees its taste for two years from the day it was made, opened or unopened, stored in a refrigerator or not, when stored away from direct sunlight at a temperature range of 0-25 °C (32-77 °F)

The alcohol and cream, together with some Irish whiskey from a number of distilleries, are homogenized to form an emulsion with the aid of an emulsifier containing refined vegetable-oil. This process prevents separation of the alcohol and cream during storage.

According to the manufacturer no preservatives are required as the alcohol content preserves the cream. The cream used in the drink comes from Glanbia, an Irish dairy company. Glanbia's Virginia facility in County Cavan produces a range of fat-filled milk powders and fresh cream. It has been the principal cream-supplier to Baileys Irish Cream Liqueurs for more than thirty years.

 

[KodiakAttack]

The manufacturer claims Baileys Irish Cream has a shelf life of 30 months and guarantees its taste for two years from the day it was made, opened or unopened, stored in a refrigerator or not, when stored away from direct sunlight at a temperature range of 0-25 °C (32-77 °F)

The alcohol and cream, together with some Irish whiskey from a number of distilleries, are homogenized to form an emulsion with the aid of an emulsifier containing refined vegetable-oil. This process prevents separation of the alcohol and cream during storage.

According to the manufacturer no preservatives are required as the alcohol content preserves the cream. The cream used in the drink comes from Glanbia, an Irish dairy company. Glanbia's Virginia facility in County Cavan produces a range of fat-filled milk powders and fresh cream. It has been the principal cream-supplier to Baileys Irish Cream Liqueurs for more than thirty years.

You sir, have gone above and beyond!
Thank you!

 

[Jeff C]

This thread jogged my recollection that I had a homemade iteration of Baileys somebody gave my family as a Christmas gift a few years ago. I have no idea what the recipe is and even though I'm not a real Baileys fan, I did like it for what it was: a sweet, rich Christmas treat. My wife is a big Baileys mint flavored fan. As much as I try to get her to drink something else like a sweet whisky or a cheaper Baileys knock off, she always insists on getting Baileys mint, drives me crazy, hence my hostility to the stuff.