Top 38+ green desserts to make your St. Patrick's Day extra sweet

Trying to avoid getting pinched this St. Patrick’s Day? Looking to add a little color to your holiday dessert spread? We’ve got you covered. Whether you prefer a more natural green or want your treats to look radioactive, we’ve got something here for everyone. These green desserts are sure to bring fun and joy to you and whoever you share them with. Who wouldn’t smile when presented with some mint chocolate chip cookies, a homemade Key lime pie, or a copycat Shamrock Shake?

When you’re looking for green desserts, there’s two ways you can go: 1, investing in some green food coloring, or 2, looking to nature for inherently green ingredients that’ll add just a touch of color to your recipes. If you’re looking for bright colors that’ll make any Pinterest board jealous, you’ve gotta go with the former. Our leprechaun bark, our checkerboard cookies, and our mint chocolate chip pie all use it to great effect, and are great examples as to how you can incorporate green into any of your favorite recipes. Our best tip? Start SMALL—you can always add more green dye, but you can’t take it away once it’s in there.

More of a naturalist? Ingredients like pistachios, Key limes, avocados, and matcha powder are all naturally green, and are easy to incorporate into baked goods. Check out our Key lime pie mousse, our pandan pops, our pistachio brownies, or our mochi donuts (with a hazelnut matcha glaze) to see what we’re talking about. Many of these are admittedly more subtly green than their dyed counterparts, but are just as lovely.

We’ve also included some clever green dessert cocktails on this list. Our Shamrockaritas, our appletinis, our Midori sours, and our spiked sparkling basil lemonade are all varying shades of green, and are great for toasting with, whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or just the return of spring.

Want even more St. Patrick’s Day ideas? Check out the rest of our St. Patrick’s Day desserts and our St. Patrick’s Day appetizers too.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

You could make a regular chocolate chip cookie, but why would you keep it basic when you can add a minty green twist? Mint chocolate chip fans, it's time to skip the pint of ice cream—these cookies are the easy dessert you should be making.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

Don’t just make plain old cupcakes for your St. Patty’s Day bash—make these adorable rainbow-topped cupcakes that taste as good as they look! They’re nothing more complicated than a moist, vanilla cupcake with a rich buttercream frosting, but with some green food coloring, a rainbow candy belt, and clever piping, you can turn these into a super-festive treat.

Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies

These brownies really double down on the mint with Andes candies (on top and in the brownies) AND mint frosting. They don't need to be green if you're anti-food coloring (or used it all up for your green beer), but we think it adds some extra holiday fun.

St. Patrick's Day Cookies

Our easy sugar cookie recipe always keeps its shape while baking so you can relax in knowing all of your leaves will come out perfectly round and defined. We love decorating with royal icing, but you could use a simple buttercream frosting for a quick and easy way to frost these cookies too.

Pistachio Brownies

These fudgy, chewy brownies are packed with melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder, then studded with chopped roasted pistachios, and topped with homemade pistachio ganache. The combination of brown butter and almond extract amp up the nuttiness of the pistachio, making these the perfect blend of flavors for an anytime decadent treat.

Key Lime Pie Mousse

When you're not in the mood to make a whole Key lime pie (or are looking for the cutest shareable treat), then this mini dessert is the one for you. This mousse is every bit as refreshing, with a fluffy texture and a crispy oat crumble we could eat on its own.

Leprechaun Bark

Is it the luck o’ the Irish, or is this leprechaun bark exactly the sweet treat we all need to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Full of colorful Lucky Charms, mint M&M’s, and white chocolate, it doesn’t get much easier to prepare this festive St. Patrick's Day dessert.

Shamrockaritas

Margarita lovers, rejoice! The Shamrockarita has arrived. Backed with tequila and lime, then spiked with sour apple liqueur, this festive take on the classic cocktail will add the perfect flair to your St. Patrick’s Day party.

St. Patrick's Day Cake

We think we found our pot of gold with this epic top hat-shaped rainbow cake. While it does take a bit of time to assemble, it's actually pretty straight-forward. Once you start assembling the layers, the tricky part is done—just don’t forget to fill your cake with Lucky Charms before putting the top layer on!

Checkerboard Cookies

These checkerboard cookies look far more complicated to make than they actually are. Really, they're just a classic vanilla and chocolate sugar cookie, with the two colors being made from the same dough. One gets a little cocoa powder added, the other half some food coloring, and there you have it—a cute way to add some green to your holiday spread.

Copycat McDonald's Shamrock Shake

If your St. Patrick’s Day tradition involves a stop at the nearest drive-through for a cold minty milkshake, this is your lucky year: You can now whip up your favorite fast-food order right at home.

Green Mimosa

Have the (liquid) luck of the Irish with our shamrock version of a brunch classic! This festive St. Paddy’s Day cocktail has all the flavors of the classic Champagne drink, but the added green color and rainbow candy garnish will have you feeling like you struck your own pot o’ gold.

Pistachio Cake

To make this cake, ground pistachios are added in with the flour, giving it a nutty flavor, a little extra texture, and a slightly green springy hue. It's made perfect with a touch of cardamom and a light amount of cream cheese frosting. Mmm.

Mint Chocolate Chip Pie

This no-bake pie tastes just like the beloved ice cream flavor. Looking for more no-bake mint chocolate goodness? Give our mint chip lasagna a try too!

Green & Red Grape Sorbet

This simple sorbet is the perfect easy dessert: all you need to make it are grapes, a little sweetener, some lemon juice, a food processor or blender, and some patience. Hot tip: keep some grapes in your freezer at all times, and this will come together in no time!

Midori Sour

Midori is a neon green, melon-flavored Japanese liqueur that made its way to U.S. popularity in the neon-crazed 1980s. It’s light and a little sweet, with plenty of bubbles to keep each sip interesting. This fizzy, tangy, bright green drink is as refreshing as it is fun to look at—expand your repertoire with this classic cocktail today.

Pandan Pops

When you steep fresh pandan leaves in water, you get the most fragrant tea with notes of both vanilla and almond. Combined with sugar, it’s a refreshing beverage that can also be turned into ice-cold popsicles. A drizzle of white chocolate and a sprinkle of shredded coconut flakes lends a nice touch of sweetness too.

Macarons

When it comes to French desserts, you can’t get more classic or classy than a macaron. Featuring crisp, shiny shells sandwiching a luscious rich filling, these classy French cookies are sure to impress and delight anyone who tastes them.

Andes Brownies

These are the ultimate indulgence, for St. Patrick's Day and beyond. Fudgy brownies, a peppermint buttercream, and a luscious ganache layer combine into a mint chocolate lover's dream come true.

Key Lime Pie

With the signature citrus flavor, fluffy whipped cream, and a buttery graham cracker crust, classic Key lime pie is the perfect tangy treat that is all too easy to devour slice after slice. This no-bake dessert is not only bright and packed with just enough Key lime flavor, but couldn’t be easier to make ahead too.

Grinch Cookies

We created these adorable sugar cookies for Christmas (they're based on everyone's favorite, the Grinch!), but we think they'd be perfect for St. Patrick's Day too. Swap that heart for a rainbow or shamrock sprinkle, and you'll be in business.

Mochi Donuts

Get ready for your next food obsession. Mochi donuts, also called pon de ring donuts, are a crispy, springy, sweet treat that combines the chewy texture of Japanese mochi with the crispy fried goodness of the American donut.

Spiked Sparking Basil Lemonade

Basil-infused vodka? Sign us up! Steeping basil in alcohol overnight brings out the sweetness of the herb and turns the spirit a vibrant green. Add lemonade (homemade or store-bought) and seltzer, and you’ve got a springy, fresh cocktail you'll want to sip on all day long.

Grinchy Christmas Cake Bites

These bite-sized delights are the perfect combination of rich red velvet cake and the mischievous charm of the Grinch, but we think they'd ALSO be so adorable for St. Patrick's Day! Just swap that heart for a little shamrock and replace the red velvet with another flavor!

Appletini

Apple schnapps brings sweet-tart green apple flavor, while a splash of calvados (apple brandy) gives it a fiery kick. These martinis may look light and fruity, but these babies are STRONG.

Andes Chocolate Cake

Layers of green, mint goodness can be all yours. You can cover the whole thing in ganache, or just drizzle it on top—whichever, we say the more Andes chocolates, the better.

Keto Avocado Pops

These avocado popsicles are delicious even if you're not keto, but feel free to sub real sugar, maple, or agave if you don't need these to be low-carb.

Baked Alaska

Basically a glorified ice cream cake, this towering retro dessert will be the talk of any dinner party you serve it at (especially when you cut into it for the very first time—be prepared for ooh’s and aah’s). With a brownie base, three layers of ice cream, and homemade meringue, this dessert has something for everyone.

Shamrock Smash

This St. Patrick’s Day, let’s all shamROCK and roll with a Shamrock Smash in hand. This minty green apple is the perfect St. Patrick's Day cocktail to cheers with this holiday: It's so easy to make, but uses some of our favorite bartender tricks to make it extra special.

Leprechaun Bait

We went with Lucky Charms and green M&M's for added St. Paddy's Day flair, but like any party mix, this is completely customizable! Feel free to get creative with this mix, but whatever you do, don't forget the green. 😉

Mint Chip Lasagna

We used mint Oreos, but if you already have the classic kind on hand, feel free to use those instead. Adding mint extract (and a little green food dye) to the cheesecake layer is what's absolutely key for this dessert lasagna.

Baby Yoda Chocolate Bark

The tiny green creature with the big eyes (and even bigger ears) captured our hearts as soon as he peered out of his levitating bassinet in The Mandalorian. Now you can bring a little Baby Yoda joy to your kitchen with this adorable DIY chocolate bark.

Thin Mint Cheesecake

Not that you need another excuse to snag more Thin Mints from your local Girl Scout troop, but...this cheesecake is IT. Everyone's favorite minty cookies are in the crust, the cheesecake, and the topping. 😍

Grasshopper Poke Cake

All you need are a couple store-bought ingredients—Andes mints, a chocolate cake mix, and some hot fudge—and you'll be well on your way to this delicious minty cake. We made our own buttercream here, but feel free to use store-bought for that too to keep things even easier.

Chocolate Mint Buttons

Who doesn't love a good mint & chocolate collaboration? These little bites are jam-packed with minty flavor and rich, semisweet chocolate. Perfect for when you're craving something sweet but don't want a whole slice of cake. (DO want a whole slice of cake? Then this Andes Cake is all you. 😉)

Avocado Pancakes

If you love avocados, these soft, vibrant pancakes will be your new love at the breakfast table. Top 'em with blueberries, bananas, or chocolate chips, or, eat them plain—it's good any which way!

Grasshopper Pie

Whether you’re looking for a festive-ly green addition to your St. Patrick’s Day spread or the dessert version of your favorite classic cocktail, this frozen Grasshopper-inspired pie will be a hit wherever it’s served.

Key Lime Pie Poke Cake

It's not that we don't love a classic, but everything is just more exciting when it's new and fresh, so we decided to combine our obsession with the easiest dessert ever—poke cakes—with the summer must-make, Key lime pie. We regret nothing.