St. Patrick's Day Desserts

Lucky Charms Cookies Recipe

Hearts, stars, horse shoes, clovers, and blue moons, pots of gold, and rainbows, and the red balloons… all stirred into a buttery, cereal inspired cookie dough. In addition to all of the signature marshmallow charms, these Lucky Charms cookies have ground cereal incorporated right into the dry mixture for the sugar cookie dough. In other words, yes, they are magical.

Guinness Brownies with Irish Whiskey Frosting Recipe

Although few treats are more fitting for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration than rich Guinness brownies, we’d suggest that you go ahead and whip up this Guinness brownie recipe any time you need a decadent hit of chocolate. In fact, given the dangerously scrumptious whiskey buttercream used to frost them, these fudgey brownies are truly the perfect treat to enjoy at the end of an exceptionally long day. 

Luck of the Irish Shake Recipe

Feeling lucky? With a milkshake like this, you may just find the pot of gold after all. With Bailey's Irish Cream and some Irish whiskey blended into minty ice cream, this frozen St. Patrick's Day treat is the perfect way to celebrate. 

Irish Coffee Jell-O Shots Recipe

If you’re looking for an easy way to get the St. Patrick’s Day party started, look no further than these Irish coffee inspired Jell-O shots, featuring layers of Kahlúa-spiked coffee, Baileys Irish cream, and Irish whiskey. We also included a bit of pecan liqueur (because it’s delicious), but feel free to replace it with an additional 1/4-cup Baileys. 

Guinness Chocolate Cake Recipe

This might just be the most decadently delicious Guinness chocolate cake recipe a St. Patrick’s Day celebration has ever seen. If nothing else, it serves as further proof that Guinness and chocolate are a match made in dessert heaven. As impressive as it may look and taste, this is a surprisingly easy cake to prepare. We opted for a bundt in developing this Guinness chocolate cake keeps in order to keep it simple to make and to ensure a perfectly moist final product. Guinness stout in the cake better makes for an added layer of rich chocolatey depth, while two boozy glazes—an Irish cream chocolate glaze and an Irish whiskey drizzle—really take this chocolate bundt cake to the next level. 

Lucky You, This Copycat Shamrock Shake Is Perfect for Breakfast Recipe

You’ve been waiting all year, and now the McCafe Shamrock Shake is finally here. The green peppermint milkshake makes an annual appearance at McDonald’s around St. Patrick’s Day and has a cult-like following that dates back decades before Starbucks’ PSL stormed the beverage scene. This year, McDonald’s is rolling out four new chocolaty flavors, but we’re still obsessing over the original, because it’s just that good. But you could make your own copycat Shamrock Shake recipe at home that tastes pretty close to the real deal and might help you save cash, an ice cream coma, and yet another trek through the Mickey D’s parking lot. 

The base of our copycat recipe is yogurt rather than ice cream, so the end product is a little more like a lassi than a milkshake. Lassi is an Indian yogurt-based drink that’s cool and refreshing without being too heavy, which means you can sip through the whole thing without feeling like you need a nap afterward. Also, because we are who we are, we’ve breakfast-ified the heck out of this slightly lighter Shamrock Shake by adding Lucky Charms cereal milk into the mix. The minty milkshake is traditionally topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, but in our version, the glass is rimmed with marshmallow fluff and adorned with clover marshmallows from your Lucky Charms box. Food coloring is optional, but delightful. If you prefer to have your shake with booze, swap peppermint extract for two tablespoons of creme de menthe. Blend a batch of minty shakes for St. Patty’s, or enjoy all year round.

A Breakfast-Friendly McDonald’s Copycat Shamrock Shake

Mint Chocolate Pudding Shots Recipe

Mint meets chocolate in a dessert shot. What could be better than your favorite sweet combo with a boozy added bonus? These shots are perfect for your next holiday or New Years Eve party. 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake Recipe

This decadent ice-cream cake is truly a mint chocolate lover's dream!  Top layers of mint chocolate chip ice cream and devil's food chocolate cake with a rich chocolate ganache and chopped crème de menthe chocolate mints. Make the whole cake ahead and freeze until ready to serve.

DIY Baileys Irish Cream Recipe

While you might only drink a splash of Baileys once a year on Saint Patrick’s Day, the creamy drink is actually so easy to make you could feasibly always have a jar of it in your fridge. Although, you’ll want to save this particular creamer for a morning when you have time to get a little buzzed. You ready? Put on a pot of coffee and pull out the blender.

Start with a hefty pour of Irish whiskey in a blender, then stream in sweetened condensed milk, nondairy creamer (regular cream or half-and-half will also work), hot cocoa mix, instant coffee powder, and a bit of vanilla extract. Cover the beaker with a lid and blend the mixture well. Fill a mug with coffee, pour in the Baileys, and relax. Your morning is about to be very chill.

Copycat Baileys Irish Cream

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes Recipe

Stretch your baking muscles with these decadent mint chocolate chip cupcakes.  Top homemade chocolate cupcakes with a rich chocolate ganache, mint frosting, and chopped creme de menthe chocolate mints for cupcakes that your friends and family are sure to love. 

Matcha Baked Doughnuts Recipe

These bright green baked goods will give you all the delight of a doughnut without any of the regret afterwards. Baking makes these vegan doughnuts delicate and soft without excess oil and the matcha has a range of health benefits. 

Thin Mint Whoopie Pies Recipe

Inspired by the favorite Girl Scout Cookie, these mint-chocolate whoopie pies are a Thin Mint lover’s dream. The addition of crushed Thin Mints to the soft and fluffy dessert sandwiches delivers the perfect element of crunch. In other words, here’s yet another fine reason to fully stock your freezer with these iconic Girl Scout Cookies this season.   

Matcha-Glazed Donuts Recipe

These easy baked donuts benefit from matcha in the batter and in the glaze, where it lends beautiful color. If you’re unfamiliar with matcha, it’s high-quality green tea that’s ground into a fine powder. Matcha has a powerfully earthy, bitter flavor, so a little goes a long way. For the most vibrant color, seek out a reputable brand (some lower-quality brands have a dull, olive-green color). We recommend Maeda-en Matcha Green Tea Powder, culinary quality; Aiya Matcha, ceremonial grade; or Eden Matcha. We love the color and flavor of the coconut and goji berry garnishes; if you can’t find goji berries, you can use dried cranberries instead.

Irish Cream Brownies Recipe

Flavor homemade chocolate brownies with Bailey's Irish Cream for a spiked, fudgy dessert that's got out-of-this-world flavor.

Shamrock and Gold Coin Cookies Recipe

You'll luck out making these charming St. Patrick's Day cookies because all the ingredients are pantry staples. Let your little lepricons help decorate with green icing or sprinkles.

St. Patrick's Day Crème de Menthe Cupcakes Recipe

Celebrate the luck of the Irish with St. Patrick's Day Crème de Menthe Cupcakes. Rich chocolate cake surrounds a dense filling of minted fudge, topped by a beautiful swirl of fluffy green buttercream. St. Paddy would approve.

Coconut-Irish Cream Truffles Recipe

Coconut-Irish Cream Truffles make for beautiful gifts or party bites.These coconut-tinged truffles hit the sweet spot.

Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake Recipe

Category Finalist, Desserts. "This cake is even better on the second day." --Anna Ginsberg, Austin, TX

Pistachio-Chai Muffins Recipe

These healthy muffins get their unique flavor from chai tea blend and roasted chopped pistachios.

Irish Cream Cake Recipe

The Irish cream liqueur in this cake makes the recipe extra-special. Butterscotch filling and a cream cheese frosting make it divine.

Chocolate-Mint Bars Recipe

You'll love these if you're a big fan of the thin chocolate mint Girl Scout cookies. The dense base layer is like a rich, fudgy brownie, so don't overcook it or the dessert bars will be dry. Refrigerating the mint bars allows the chocolaty top layer to set properly. You can make the dessert up to one day ahead. For a more grown-up taste, you can also use dark chocolate chips for some or all of the semisweet chocolate chips in the glaze.

Key Lime Bars Recipe

These Key Lime Bars are a delicious twist from the classic lemon bar desserts, plus the perfect summer treat. According to one online reviewer, "These are delicious! Make them once a week!"