6 St. Patrick’s Day Desserts to Make the Day Even Sweeter

Sure, you can spend all your time turning your beer greenon St. Patrick’s Day, but why not buy a little extra green food coloring and make vibrant emerald cupcakes too? It’s the perfect excuse to dye desserts, and we have some delicious St. Patrick’s Day desserts rounded up for you to choose from.

From cake pops to cocktails, these sweet tweets are just as fun to look at as they are to eat.

Luck-o’-the-Irish cake pops recipe

Yields 4 dozen

Ingredients: 

• 1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 2 teaspoons McCormick Green Food Color
• 3/4 cup marshmallow créme
• 1 (14-ounce) bag white confectionary coating wafers
• Lollipop sticks
• Green sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare the cake mix as directed on the package, adding food coloring. Pour the batter into a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and bake as instructed for that pan size on the package. Cool completely on wire rack.
2. Into a large bowl, crumble the cake. Add the marshmallow créme and mix until well blended. Shape into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate 2 hours.
3. Melt coating wafers as directed on the package. For each cake pop, dip 1/2-inch of lollipop stick into melted coating. Insert the dipped end of the lollipop stick halfway into the cake ball. Let it stand until the coating is set. Dip each cake pop into melted coating. Shake gently to remove excess coating. Sprinkle or roll the cake pops in green sprinkles if desired. Place the cake pop stick-side-down in Styrofoam blocks and let them stand until the coating is set.

More: 21 St. Patrick’s Day Appetizers That Will Win Any Party

Irish cream swirl brownie recipe

Serves 16 

Ingredients:

• 1 (18-ounce – 20-ounce) package fudge brownie mix
• 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Green Food Color

Directions:

1. Prepare the brownie mix as directed on the package, adding vanilla. Reserve 1 cup of the batter. Spread the remaining batter into a greased 9-inch-square baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl with the electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, flour and sugar until smooth. Add Irish cream liqueur, egg and food coloring; beat until well blended. Pour the mixture over the brownie layer in the pan. Drop the reserved 1 cup of batter by the spoonful over cream cheese layer. Cut through the batter with a knife several times for a marble effect.
3. Bake as directed on the package for a 9-inch-square baking pan. Cool in the pan before serving.

Easy green velvet cupcake recipe

Yields 24

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25-ounce) package German chocolate cake mix with pudding
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (1-ounce) bottle McCormick Green Food Color
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 (16-ounce) container cream cheese frosting
• Green sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, beat the cake mix, sour cream, water, cocoa powder, oil, food coloring, eggs and vanilla just until moistened, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. Line the cups of 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Remove from the pans; cool completely on a wire rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.

Next: More Gorgeous Green Treats

A version of this article was originally published in February 2012.