Is Baileys Irish Cream Gluten-Free?

Baileys Original Irish Cream takes a cautious approach when it comes to gluten: the company says the ingredients it uses to make the popular cordial are gluten-free, but it urges people to talk to their doctors about whether it's safe for them to consume the product.

Is Baileys Gluten Free?

According to a statement from the British manufacturer Diageo plc., the ingredients used to make Baileys are gluten free. They do indicate that they are not qualified to give medical advice and suggest that you consult with a healthcare provider before consuming Baileys." Of course, Irish whiskey—the alcoholic ingredient in Baileys Irish Cream—normally is made from three ingredients: water, corn, and barley. Barley is one of the three gluten grains. 

Now, many (but not all) authorities on the gluten-free diet say that distilled alcohol sourced from the gluten grains wheat, barley, and rye will be gluten-free since the distillation process removes the gluten protein. Some people following a gluten free diet still have reactions to alcoholic beverages made from gluten grains, so you need to consider your personal medical history and sensitivity levels before making a decision.

Calories and Nutritional Information

The following nutrition information is provided by CalorieKing for 1 fluid ounce (30g) of Baileys Irish Cream.

• Calories: 98
• Fat: 4.7g
• Sodium: 24mg
• Carbohydrates: 6.3g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugars: 5.9g
• Protein: 0.8g

You probably won't be surprised to learn that Baileys Irish Cream is fairly high in calories, carbohydrates, and fat, given that it's made from cream and alcohol. A 1 ounce serving of Baileys contains 98 calories, 4.7 grams of fat, and 6.3 grams of carbohydrates.

Baileys Irish Cream also is relatively high in carbohydrates when compared to other alcoholic drinks, although it ranks similarly to other cordials and after-dinner drinks. Baileys contains 10 grams of carbs per jigger (about 1.5 ounces. For comparison, Kahlua (coffee liqueur) contains 22 grams of carbs for a similarly-sized serving.

Should You Drink Baileys?

If you're someone with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity who does tolerate alcohol made from gluten grains, can you drink Baileys? It looks like the answer is yes.

Anecdotally, Baileys is a mixed bag — some people report that it's fine, but others say they have had reactions to it. It's not at all clear whether those reactions were due to the distilled gluten-based alcohol, or to something else. Based on all this, you'll need to use your own judgment on whether to consume Baileys Irish Cream when you're following the gluten-free diet.

Potential Substitutes

Baileys offers another product which actually carries a "gluten-free" label: Baileys Almande Almond Milk Liqueur. It's not clear whether Baileys Almande contains alcohol distilled from gluten grains or not (again, Baileys doesn't disclose the ingredients, beyond saying it's "gluten-free" and "contains no dairy"). It does contain soy, and obviously, almond.

There's also a Baileys alternative that might work for you if you find you have problems with original Baileys but can handle distilled gluten grains: Carolans Irish Cream.

Note that the whiskey in Carolans is still made from distilled gluten grains (as mentioned above, Irish whiskey most commonly is made from barley). However, if you don't react to distilled gluten-grain-based alcohol, you should be fine, since Carolans has verified the rest of its Irish Cream ingredients to be gluten-free.

A Word from Verywell

Many people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity can drink alcoholic beverages distilled from gluten grains without any problem. Some people, however, do get badly glutened from these beverages. Unfortunately, there's no way to know which group you fall into without experimenting. If you do decide to try Baileys Original Irish Cream, go slowly until you see how you react to it.