25 Green Desserts For St. Patrick's Day

Updated March 06, 2020
Jennifer Davick

It is easy being green. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with one of our favorite emerald desserts. Whether you're in the mood for mint (you'll love this Mint Oreo Icebox Cake), matcha (these Matcha-Glazed Donuts are real showstoppers), or lime (Margarita Cake, anyone?), find what you're looking for in this collection of green desserts. 

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Copycat Shamrock Shake

Credit: All Photos by Teresa Sabga

Copycat Shamrock Shake Recipe

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.

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Matcha-Glazed Donuts

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

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.

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Matcha Profiteroles

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

Matcha Profiteroles Recipe

Vanilla is, well, vanilla. Give it an injection of sweet, vegetal matcha powder to really enliven the timeless combination of puffy choux pastry, ice cream, and chocolate ganache.

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Mint-Chocolate Chip Shake

Credit: Christopher Baker; Styling: Linda Hirst

Mint-Chocolate Chip Shake Recipe

We jazzed up our Mint-Chocolate Chip Shake with a few drops of green coloring for a faint tint of color.

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Mint Oreo Icebox Cake

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Mint Oreo Icebox Cake Recipe

This decadent Oreo icebox cake is incredibly easy to make and requires only six ingredients. It’s a perfect dessert for kids birthday parties that doesn’t require heating up the kitchen. As is, this cooling cake offers a delightful mint-chocolate flavor profile, but feel free to switch things up by using your favorite Oreo cookie flavor (and leaving out the fresh mint). 

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Mini Vegan Key Lime Icebox Pies

Mini Vegan Key Lime Icebox Pies RecipeThis “custard” has an insanely rich and silky mouthfeel born from a partnership between avocado (which also provides the natural green coloring) and tofu. The blend of fats released from the ground nuts and a bit of added coconut oil combined with the sugary moisture of the dates create not only a cohesive crust, but one that is deep in flavor and wonderfully crisp once chilled. 

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Andes Mint Brownies

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Andes Mint Brownies Recipe

These decadent layered Andes mint brownies are the ultimate indulgence for any mint-chip lover. In order to create clean layers, it’s important that you’re working with cool ingredients—so be sure to allow the brownies to cool completely before spreading the icing on, and then chill before adding the chocolate ganache so that it will set quickly. 

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Triple Mint Cookies

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Triple Mint Cookies Recipe

Mint lovers will fall head over heels for these rich, brownie-like cookies filled with chopped mint candies and topped with minty icing.

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Matcha Whoopie Pies

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Emma Star Jensen

Matcha Whoopie Pies Recipe

"I grew up inhaling whoopie pies, bless my mother's soul," says Bay Area cookbook author Eric Gower, the creator of these fantastic, tender little cakes. "While I would like to offer her recipe, I'm afraid that just reading the quantities of trans fats (Crisco) called for might incite immediate cardiac arrest! This relatively healthier version tastes even better."

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Easy Key Lime Pie

Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe

Dessert doesn’t get easier, or more delicious, than a no-bake key lime pie. Requiring just a handful of ingredients, this easy pie is a great recipe for less experienced bakers. Perfect for the hot summer months when you’d rather reduce your oven use, the luscious key lime filling sets up to creamy perfection with the help of Cool Whip.

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Key Lime Pie Milkshake

Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Key Lime Pie Milkshake Recipe

Chick-fil-A’s Frosted Key Lime has nothing on this. This summery dessert is refreshingly tart and creamy, and the crunch and aroma from the graham cracker makes it taste just like Key lime pie. In other words, it’ll wow all your guests and is the perfect “light” way to round out barbecue or a backyard cookout.

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Oreo-Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches

Credit: Emma Crist; Styling: Emma Crist

Oreo-Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe

This 3-ingredient, no-cook summer treat is the perfect dessert when it's too hot to turn on the stove (or oven). The crushed chocolate sandwich cookies form a firm yet moist crust when mixed with store-bought fudge topping and put in the freezer to firm up for several hours.

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Key Lime Ice Pops

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Key Lime Ice Pops Recipe

This frozen treat offers all you love about Key lime pie in a neat handheld package. Ripe avocados are the key to making these pops rich and indulgent, and they make the texture creamy and smooth instead of icy. The avocados also plump up the dessert with heart-healthy unsaturated fats, which keep you satisfied.

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Lime Bars

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Lime Bars Recipe

Together, the bars make for a bright presentation that’s the perfect sweet treat to pair with lunch, afternoon tea, or even as a no-fuss after-dinner dessert. Bars are a great bake and take treat for picnics, bake sales, and road trips.

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Key Lime Tassies

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Key Lime Tassies Recipe

If you love Key lime pie, then you must make these. The best part is they're truly make-ahead: The tart shells can be made and frozen up to a month in advance, and the Key lime curd can be made up to two weeks ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

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Salted Melon Margarita Pops

Credit: Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Karen Rankin

Salted Melon Margarita Pops Recipe

The tequila is subtle in these beautiful light green ice pops, but don’t underestimate it: They pack a punch. The lightly sweetened, subtly salty flavor almost feels like Gatorade, but these are nothing like a recovery drink. 

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Lime Sherbet Cupcakes

Credit: Hector Sanchez Styling: Heather Chadduck

Lime Sherbet Cupcakes Recipe

Spring has officially sprung with gorgeous Lime Sherbert Cupcakes. Throwing a baby shower? What great (gender neutral) dessert to surprise the mom-to-be! 

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Pistachio Tahini Cinnamon Rolls 

Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Pistachio Tahini Cinnamon Rolls  Recipe

Delicious and not too sweet, the flavors of tahini, pistachios, and cardamom combine beautifully in a fluffy, light roll. These cinnamon rolls take a little extra time, but they’re so worth the effort—especially since most of the work is hands-off. Working with yeast is nothing to be afraid of.

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Margarita Cake

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Margarita Cake Recipe

It’s everyone’s favorite refreshing tequila cocktail… in cake form. Truly, what could be better? With tart lime curd and tequila syrup, this festive show-stopper cake does justice to the flavors of an authentic margarita. 

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Classic Caramel Apples

Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Classic Caramel Apples Recipe

It’s not fall without caramel apples. Instead of paying too much for them at the state fair, make your own at home with family or friends. Our recipe starts with homemade caramel and Granny Smith apples, making for the perfect combination of sweet and tart. 

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Apple Rose Tarts

Credit: Photos by Teresa Sabga

Apple Rose Tarts Recipe

This easy Pinterest-inspired dessert recipe is amazing and, despite your skepticism, it will NOT fail. Phyllo dough cups are filled with apples drowned in caramel. If you’re not into phyllo dough, a buttery and flaky pie crust will work too. We tried this apple recipe with a few varieties and found that Granny Smith were our favorite.

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Lucky Charms Cookies

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners.

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.

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Luck of the Irish Shake

Credit:  Kelsey Harrison

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. 

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Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro

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. 

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Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake

Credit: Jennifer Davick

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.

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