Food Recipe Collections & Favorites 19 Classic Irish Dessert Recipes You'll Love Keep your pot of gold. We want one of these desserts at the end of our rainbow. By Grace Elkus Grace Elkus Grace Elkus is a food writer and editor with over a decade of experience in culinary media. Highlights: * Associate food editor at Real Simple, where she developed recipes, wrote food stories, and assisted with styling * Deputy food director at Kitchn, where she and her team were responsible for 100 recipes a month * Currently the content lead for JOKR Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 16, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: VICTOR PROTASIO If you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day (perhaps by wearing green or making an Irish coffee), you ought to try one of these satisfying, traditional Irish dessert recipes as well. You could even sample one after serving classic slow-cooker corned beef and cabbage. Keep in mind that you can indulge in Irish desserts year-round, whether you have Irish heritage or not. Trust us, there are plenty of other occasions to serve chocolate truffles. 01 of 19 Chocolate Truffles Samantha Seneviratne Ireland is famous for their excellent chocolates, so a few truffles would be the perfect dessert to share on St. Patrick's Day. You can whip up a batch of the basic recipe and dress it up with green sprinkles or bits of toffee, or try a variation by infusing the ganache with Irish cream, whiskey, or stout. get the recipe 02 of 19 Slice-and-Bake Lemon Shortbread Victor Schrager Buttery shortbread cookies are another Irish dessert staple. This tweak on the classic cookie is infused with lemon and is just the right thing to pair with a cozy cup of tea and a good book. get the recipe 03 of 19 Irish Coffee Getty Images Who says you can't sip your dessert? Irish coffee is one of the most iconic cocktails to come out of the Emerald Isle (specifically, Foynes in the County Limerick). This sweet and strong drink features coffee, brown sugar, whiskey, and a touch of whipped cream on top. get the recipe 04 of 19 Sheet Pan Apple Crisp Caitlin Bensel Apple cake and crumble are favorite Irish desserts, and this easy apple crisp gives you the same vibes in a larger format to feed a crowd. Pair it with a custard sauce in lieu of ice cream for a more authentic Irish vibe. get the recipe 05 of 19 Irish Cream Hot Chocolate Getty Images Irish cream can make almost anything even better (and you can even make your own creamy version of Irish cream). Put a generous slosh of it into your hot chocolate to make it even more decadent. get the recipe 06 of 19 Irish Soda Bread Lisa Hubbard Studded with raisins and spiced with caraway seeds, this classic bread is great toasted and served with butter. The best part of the recipe? It only requires 10 minutes of hands-on time to whip up this traditional Irish food. get the recipe 07 of 19 Shortbread Wedges David Prince While shortbread is technically a Scottish creation, the Irish have their own take on it. Often, that involves using soft and creamy Irish butter. But you can use any butter you like in this easy recipe, which involves pressing the dough into a round cake pan and slicing it into wedges. get the recipe 08 of 19 Apple Spice Donut Bread Pudding Fred Hardy This super simple dessert features two Irish dessert favorites—apples and bread pudding. (Though in this case, donuts take the place of stale bread.) get the recipe 09 of 19 Mint Chip ice Cream Pie Yunhee Kim Warning: Mint is not a traditional Irish dessert ingredient, but thanks to Shamrock shakes and other mint-green delights, it's become a traditional part of American St. Patrick's Day celebrations. If you want everyone seeing green for St. Patrick's Day, opt for a little food coloring in your mint chip ice cream, if the ice cream you bought isn't green enough for you. get the recipe 10 of 19 Frozen Cold Brew Coffee Cocktails wmaster890/Getty Images This potent cold-brew cocktail features both Bailey's Irish Cream and vodka for a sweet finale to your meal (or the perfect accompaniment to your brunch). get the recipe 11 of 19 Lemon-Thyme Rhubarb Bread Pudding Victor Protasio Custardy bread pudding is the perfect sweet treat for a cold evening—and it's so easy to put together. (Just soak chopped pieces of bread in a sweet, eggy batter, and bake.) It's a popular Irish dessert—especially when paired with a hearty ice cream topping. get the recipe 12 of 19 Chocolate-Earl Grey Cake Susie Cushner This Earl Grey chocolate cake has a rich, moist flavor profile. This is the perfect grand finale for your St. Patrick's Day dinner (or the satisfying sweet after a hearty beef stew). get the recipe 13 of 19 White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Scones If you've ever been to Ireland, you probably sampled a scone or two. In this recipe, the popular Irish baked good gets a sweet twist by adding a combination of white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Covered in a buttery caramel glaze and sprinkled with sea salt, these elegant scones are a delicious spin on a classic Irish treat. get the recipe 14 of 19 Easy Irish Iced Coffee Wendy Granger This Irish coffee is both boozy and heavily caffeinated, making it a doubly indulgent treat. It features coffee, whiskey, simple syrup, and heavy cream. To make it even sweeter, add some homemade whipped cream on top. get the recipe 15 of 19 Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding Allrecipes Magazine Is there anything more delicious than bread pudding? Why yes! Bread pudding made from croissants! The Irish love their puddings, and this decadent chocolatey one comes together in just three steps. Combine all the ingredients, bake, and enjoy! get the recipe 16 of 19 Mini Irish Soda Bread Dawn Perry This recipe may dole out Irish soda bread in pint-sized portions, but the winning flavor remains the same—especially if you slather yours in creamy Irish butter. If you've got lots of little leprechauns to share a snack with, this might be the way to go. get the recipe 17 of 19 Apple Spice Cake Victor Protasio This tasty apple cake cooks low and slow in the slow cooker. (So go ahead and pop it in while you're at the St. Patrick's Day parade and enjoy warm cake when you get home.) get the recipe 18 of 19 Chocolate Peppermint Shortbreads Johnny Miller Start with that Irish favorite: shortbread. Infuse it with cocoa and peppermint extract. Then coat it with chocolate and sprinkle it with crushed peppermint candies. If you're making this for St. Patrick's Day, use green-colored peppermints. get the recipe 19 of 19 Lemon Pudding Cake José Picayo This sweet-and-simple take on a lemon pudding tart takes just 15 minutes of prep to make. For this pudding cake, skip the traditional shortbread crust and opts for a crisp and creme brulée-like crust on top instead. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit