Can’t make it to Dublin to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day? No worries: You can still claim the luck of the Irish in your own kitchen. Even after you’ve had your fill of soda bread and corned beef, you’ll want to make room for sweet treats like green doughnuts, chocolate stout cake, Guinness brownies and a potato candy that has nothing to do with spuds. Here, 45 St. Patrick’s Day desserts that are better than a pot of gold.
food
45 St. Patrick’s Day Desserts, from Guinness Brownies to Irish Cream Tiramisu
Published Feb 22, 2023
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Erin McDowell
1. Baileys Cookies and Cream Parfait
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy
Save the yogurt and fruit parfaits for Easter. These layered desserts are just boozy enough, thanks to a generous splash of Irish cream. (Sorry, kiddos, this one is adults only.)
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
This regional confection is popular in Philadelphia around St. Patrick’s Day. The sweet bites are called potatoes because they look like potatoes—but they taste like a fancy Mounds candy bar coated with cinnamon instead of chocolate.
Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Sure, Valentine’s Day gets all the love when it comes to decadent desserts, but let’s not overlook the fact that Guinness and chocolate make a delightful pair. Luck of the Irish, indeed.
Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Essentially an “adult” slushy, we love the idea of serving this frozen treat as an alternative to after-dinner espressos. Even better, it calls for just six ingredients.
Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Requiring only five ingredients and two hours of your time, you’ll be set with a gourmet dessert and still have time to binge watch Darby O’Gill and the Little People.
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
6. No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Time Commitment: 5 hours
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, gluten free
No one will pinch you if you present them with a bowl of this minty green ice cream. And FYI, if you can make whipped cream, you’re halfway there.
A Cookie Named Desire
7. Irish Apple Cake with Whiskey Crème Anglaise
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
If you’re keen on celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in a more traditional way, this cake has your name on it. It’s a popular dessert served in Irish households, and you can top it with confectioners’ sugar, a creamy whiskey sauce or both.
Sally's Baking Addiction
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy
Before you diss a brownie made with beer, allow us to explain. Guinness stout is commonly paired with chocolate in baking for its deep, coffee-like flavor. (In other words, it doesn’t taste like beer in the slightest.)
Two Peas & Their Pod
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
These crumbly cookies made from sugar, butter and flour were actually invented by the Scottish (and leavened with yeast). Over time, the yeast was swapped for butter—an Irish staple—and that’s how shortbread as we know it today came to be.
Spoon Fork Bacon
10. Spicy Chocolate Stout Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
We were so entranced by the swoops of peanut butter frosting, we almost forgot there’s a rich, cinnamon-spiked chocolate cake underneath there.
What's Gaby Cooking
11. Double Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Mint Chex Bars
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
You don’t have to be Irish or a pro baker to whip up this quick, sweet snack. Make a batch for your kids’ lunches, your office party or just to hoard at home.
Cupcake Project
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, no cook, beginner-friendly
It might only take ten minutes to make your own Irish cream, but once you try the homemade version (made with sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream), you’ll understand why it’s a dessert.
Gimme Some Oven
13. Guinness Floats
- Time Commitment: 2 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, no cook, <10 ingredients, <15 minutes
Behold the easiest St. Patrick’s Day dessert ever: Just scoop, pour, drizzle and sip.
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
14. Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
St. Paddy’s Day means spring is on the way, and nothing says spring like a moist carrot cake doughnut with a tangy cream cheese topping. Plus, what better way to start the day?
How Sweet Eats
- Time Commitment: 6 hours, 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, special occasion–worthy
Swap the usual booze for Irish cream and voilà, a festive dessert. It tastes so good we want to dive in with a spoon, but that’s neither here nor there.
I Am a Food Blog
16. Snickerdoodle Lucky Charms Cookies
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Hearts, stars, horseshoes and the gang are teaming up with chewy, cinnamon-y cookies for the cookie of our childhood dreams.
Snixy Kitchen
17. Gluten Free Matcha Cupcakes with Matcha Frosting
- Time Commitment: 44 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
They’re as green as the rolling hills of Ireland. The cupcakes are sweetened with honey, which tames the bitter notes of the matcha and adds a ton of moisture.
Grandbaby Cakes
18. Baileys Mint Chocolate Cream Pie
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginnerf-friendly, crowd-pleaser
It looks super impressive, but the press-in cookie crust and easy pudding filling make it entirely foolproof.
So Much Food
19. Guinness Sheet Cake with Candied Pecans
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, sheet pan recipe
If a Texas sheet cake and a pint of Guinness had a very delicious baby, this would be it. We don’t always agree with nuts in desserts, but these candied pecans are *chef’s kiss.*
Foodie Crush
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Psst: You don’t have to use Guinness when the recipe calls for stout. These brownies are made with Murphy’s, but you can use any dark beer.
The Modern Proper
21. Yogurt and Olive Oil Pistachio Cake with Lemon Buttercream
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Nothing against green food dye, but there’s something much more appealing about the springy hue of a real pistachio.
Spoon Fork Bacon
22. Brown Butter Braided Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy
The key to making it holiday-ready (and mouthwateringly good) is to use the best Irish butter you can find. Thank us later.
Also the Crumbs Please
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Kiss us, we just made you a batch of these chewy, gooey, chocolate-studded cookies. Pistachios add a subtle green hue without incorporating food coloring.
How Sweet Eats
24. Lucky Charms Cereal Milk Confetti Cupcakes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly
Plan ahead when steeping your cereal milk so the rest of the recipe comes together in a flash. The edible gold leaf is optional, but we like the way it takes things over the top.
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
25. Miniature Banoffee Cobblers
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
This dessert is *technically* English, but it’s also popular throughout Ireland. And why not? It checks every texture box: gooey caramel, soft bananas, airy whipped cream and crisp graham cracker crumbles.
The Modern Proper
26. Irish Apple Cake Doughnuts with Whiskey Glaze
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Traditional Irish dessert, but make it doughnuts because why not? If you don’t already have a doughnut pan, you can find them online.
Upstate Ramblings
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
And if apples aren’t your thing, maybe green velvet (aka mildly chocolate cake with plenty of green dye) is.
Lomelino's Pies
28. Banoffee Pie with Honeycomb
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Here’s another take on banoffee, this time with a crispy, caramel-like honeycomb topping for even more texture.
Sweet Peas and Saffron
29. Guinness Chocolate Glazed Doughnut Holes
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Hot tip: You can make baked-not-fried doughnut holes if you have a muffin tin on hand.
Noble Pig
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
This pretty cake contains Irish cream in both the batter and the glaze for a double-dose of flavor.
The Recipe Critic
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, no cook, kid-friendly
Those golden arches don’t know what’s coming. You can make your shake plain or add cookie crumbles and chocolate syrup for a major upgrade.
Show Me the Yummy
32. Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats
- Time Commitment: 12 minutes
- Why We Love It: <15 minutes, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Sometimes making a festive snack is as easy as swapping in marshmallow cereal in an already-simple recipe. Pretty ingenious, if you ask us.
A Classic Twist
33. No-Bake Irish Cream Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
You had us at no-bake. This creamy cake doesn’t require a fussy water bath or an oven, and while the texture is lighter than a classic New York cheesecake, it’s no less delicious.
A Cookie Named Desire
34. Beer Truffles with Crushed Pretzels
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
You already know what we’re going to say: Use a stout-style beer (preferably an Irish one) to stick with the theme.
How Sweet Eats
35. Boozy Lucky Charms Cereal Milkshakes with Marshmallow Frosting
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Sip responsibly: These cute shakes are made with marshmallow vodka for a kick.
Sally's Baking Addiction
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
We’re a little bit obsessed with this simple recipe. The cookies come together in one bowl and call for just six ingredients, and they taste like heaven thanks to a brown butter icing.
Half Baked Harvest
37. One-Bowl, 8-Ingredient Irish Coffee Fudge Brownies
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
There’s coffee. There’s Baileys. There are pools of melted chocolate. What more could you need?
A Cookie Named Desire
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
Coconut and stout sounds unusual on paper, but one bite of these sweet, chewy, chocolatey cookies and the combination makes total sense.
Saving Room for Dessert
39. Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- Time Commitment: 33 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
It’s not easy being green…unless you’re a buttery, nutty, obsession-worthy shortbread cookie.
Broma Bakery
40. Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Pull out all the stops and make a towering, decadent chocolate cake this St. Patrick’s Day. After all, what are holidays for if not for eating?
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <15 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
We can’t promise a pot of gold at the end of this particular rainbow, but we can promise you’ll be making waffle cakes for every occasion here on out.
How Sweet Eats
42. Frozen Irish Cream Cappuccinos
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Top of the morning? On second thought, we’ll save these for dessert.
43. Vanilla Bean St. Patrick’s Day Cookies
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
You simply can’t go wrong with a classic (and festive) sugar cookie. These are flavored with vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds, so they’re lightyears ahead of any store-bought biscuits.
44. The Luckiest Rice Cereal Treats
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
By using the classic puffed rice cereal, these bars maintain the crisp texture of the original (with plenty of festive flair from the Lucky Charms ’mallows). Take your treats OTT by arranging individual marshmallows in a layer on top.
45. Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
The stout adds depth and moisture to the deeply chocolate cake, so it’s a no-brainer addition. But for even more boozy flavor, it’s also in the ganache.
Don’t Feel Like Baking? Order These Treats Instead
Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
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