Let’s be honest, shall we? St. Patrick’s Day is a straight up boozy holiday. And just the thought of packed bars with drunken revelry makes me want to hide. (Or maybe it’s just that the beer is green, because blech!) And by hide, I mean stay home to eat and drink in peace. I can think of no better way to do that on St. Patrick’s Day than with these boozy dessert recipes. They get in the spirit, they won’t get me drunk (because, um, hello 6:30 am alarm), they’re sweet, and I can eat them at home in my PJs.
See? I can get in the St. Paddy’s Day spirit!
Related: How to pour the perfect pint (and even turn it into cake).
One more thing before we get to the recipes: These aren’t all totally inappropriate to share with kids. There are some safe recipes here for them, too, but if you’re pregnant or abstaining, you might check out our favorite rainbow recipes instead. Either way, hard to go wrong.
I admit it: I prefer blondies to brownies. Especially if they’re boozy, like these Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies at Wholefully. I’m not sure how I didn’t know about Cassie before, because she’s clearly my hero.
Pecan, Bourbon, and Butterscotch Bread Pudding | photo by Marcus Nilsson for Bon Appétit
Irish whiskey, whiskey, bourbon: it’s all related enough. If you’re with me, then the Pecan, Bourbon, and Butterscotch Bread Pudding that I spied at Bon Appétit is the St. Patrick’s Day dessert for you — if you can wait that long to make it.
I’m not big into beer, but somehow, I’m all for this Guinness Milkshake at Lemons for Lulu. Adapt the first batch for the kids by substituting milk for the alcohol, then make a second batch for the grown ups as directed.
Related: DIY Oreo Shamrock Shake recipe you’ll make way beyond St. Patrick’s Day.
I made this recipe for this Chocolate Guinness Cake exactly for this purpose: The get in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. You know, that and to use up the rest of the Guinness six-pack we bought (and didn’t finish) for a St. Patrick’s Day toast at home. But, honestly, it’s so delicious, that I’ve made it other times during the year, and venture to say that you will too.
Boozy Shamrock Shake | Sugar and Cloth
If you want to go classic for St. Patrick’s Day, then the Boozy Shamrock Shake we found at Sugar and Cloth while rounding up dye-free Shamrock Shake recipes. The recipe might askew the green color of the traditional version, but all the flavor and spirit is there. Oh yea.
Shakes are delicious — and easy — so I get if that’s the direction you want to go, but I’ve got to admit, it’s going to be hard to resist making this Bailey’s Salted Caramel Chocolate Pie at She Wears Many Hats. Holy deliciousness. Amy kindly notes that this recipe contains 0.6 fl. oz. of alcohol per serving, in case you’re wondering about sharing with the kids or giving it to a friend who abstains.
Related: No magic required: 5 Lucky Charms recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
This recipe for Baileys Cookies and Cream Parfaits at Homemade Hooplah falls between whipping up a shake and making a pie. It’s simple, easy, and calls for pairing Oreos and Baileys Irish Cream, so yea, I’m in.
To those of us of Irish descent, Saint Patrick’s Day is a day to celebrate our hertiage. How disappointing that you too fall into the category of making it about drinking. Maybe you could have broken the stereotypical mold, of it being about drinking, and put some traditional Irish recipes like Irish soda bread on your blog instead of alcoholic desserts. Or even better informed people of what happens in Ireland on Saint Patrick’s Day. Reveal the true meaning of the day.
Thank you for this, Kris. We meant this as a lighthearted joke and, mostly, we just like boozy desserts. St. Patrick’s Day is just one excuse for them. We have a fantastic recipe for Corned Beef on the site and have more traditional recipes coming up this week, so we hope you’ll stay tuned. As for the real meaning of the holiday: My understanding is that it’s largely a cultural celebration on the day when the patron saint of Ireland is honored. Even in Ireland, it’s marked by parades and other such jubilations. And — the root of the St. Patrick’s Day-alcohol connection — it’s celebrated on the first day when lenten restrictions (like abstaining from alcohol) are lifted. So it’s a real thing that people celebrate by drinking! This all said, let us know if there’s anything other than traditional recipes you’d like to see for St. Paddy’s day in the future!
Maybe you could let people celebrate however they want o. Any day they want for what ever reason they want! Are you catholic? Cool who cares. Do you celebrate Christmas or xmas… yeah nobody cares. You do you… let everyone else do whatever the flack they want!