At The End Of The Rainbow
You’ll have to hide them from the leprechauns.
Thanksgiving has pies. Christmas has cookies. But what is a sweets-loving baker to make for St. Patrick’s Day? Whether you’re making something special for a party, to share with friends, or as a way to celebrate with your kids, these green St. Patrick’s Day treats would all be perfect desserts to serve your favorite leprechauns. There are plenty of mint options in here, but don’t worry if it’s not your favorite “green” flavor — that’s where key lime, pistachio, and matcha come in.
When you’re looking up recipes for green St. Patrick’s Day desserts, you’ll notice a lot of them are inspired by the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake, which means they’re going to be vanilla and mint. But again, not everyone is a huge fan of mint in their sweets. Now that matcha is popular and easier to find in stores, definitely don’t dismiss it when picking out a recipe to try. It’s so good in pies, ice cream, cookies, cheesecake... anything, really.
So, with that in mind, here are 14 recipes for green St. Patrick’s Day treats you’ll love, from pistachio pudding Linzer cookies with shamrock cutouts to the easiest copycat Shamrock Shake you can make and enjoy at home (you can even spike it, if you want).
1Shamrock Shake Pie
Want to make a no-bake green St. Patrick’s Day treat? You’ll need to chill this pie for at least six hours before serving, but it only takes about 20 minutes to put together before you pop in the fridge.
2Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
Mint chip ice cream lovers will lose it over this cake, which includes a little hint of espresso in the batter to really nail the chocolate flavor, and cacao nibs instead of chips to perfectly mimic the chocolate pieces in ice cream.
3Matcha Sugar Cookies
Mint isn’t the only “green” flavor you have to work with when making St. Patrick’s Day treats — there’s matcha, too. At the end of this recipe, you’ll have about 17 soft, chewy green tea sugar cookies to gift or keep all to yourself.
4Pistachio Pudding Linzer Cookies
Don’t forget about pistachio either. These pistachio pudding Linzer cookies look delicious, and the little shamrock cutouts are just too cute. Linzer cookies are usually reserved for Christmas baking, but why not co-opt the traditional dessert for St. Patrick’s Day?
5Green Velvet Donuts
You’ll need a donut baking pan to nail this recipe, but aside from the one special tool, everything else you need is easy to find (and may already be in your pantry). Instructions for making the perfect cream cheese glaze are included.
6Breakfast Cereal Bars
These breakfast cereal bars are like Rice Krispies but made with Apple Jacks, and the orange and green hues are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. You could also go rogue and make them with Lucky Charms. They take around 20 minutes total to make, and they’re fun for young kids to mold and shape as they cool.
7Chocolate Mint Brownies
Chocolate mint brownies are sure to be a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re making sweets for your kid to take to a class party or you’re keeping them in the family. With two layers of frosting — one chocolate, and one vanilla mint — this one’s for the people who like their icing to cake ratio very weighted to one side.
8A Copycat Shamrock Shake
McDonald’s debuted their vanilla and mint Shamrock Shake in 1970, and it’s been a March staple at the fast food chain ever since. But you can totally make your own at home, and this recipe includes tips for making boozy, vegan, and yogurt-based versions.
9Shamrock Shake-Inspired Cupcakes
This recipe includes instructions to make these adorable Shamrock Shake cupcakes from scratch or with a box of cake mix. Either way, what you get are bright green treats that resemble the iconic seasonal McDonald’s shake.
10Chocolate Matcha Bundt Cake
This marbled chocolate and matcha bundt cake isn’t nearly as hard to make as it looks, and it’s the perfect dessert to throw together in 20 minutes. Then, it bakes on a low temp for about an hour. Your house is going to smell so good.
11No-Bake Key Lime Pie
If pistachio, mint, and matcha aren’t your thing, you can always go with lime for your green St. Patrick’s Day treat. This key lime pie takes 15 minutes to whip up and around four hours to set.
12Matcha Cheesecake
Speaking of marbled desserts, this matcha cheesecake is equally pretty to look at as it is delicious to devour. It involves a little time in the oven and then a stint in the fridge to set, but it sure does look like it’s worth the wait.
13Leprechaun Chow
Much like puppy chow, this leprechaun chow is a yummy snack blend made with kettle corn, Chex mix, and mini pretzels. But these pretzels are covered in white (green) chocolate and sprinkles, with the option of adding little chocolate-covered Oreo top hats.
14Chocolate Mint French Macarons
For the baking experts, why not try your hand at green macarons? These ones are mint with a decadent chocolate ganache filling.
So, what’ll it be? Any of these green St. Patrick’s Day treats looks like it would really hit the spot.