Quick Answer
Irish desserts have a deep history of combining simple ingredients into a dessert with complex flavors and textures. They typically use ingredients like potatoes, apples, and alcohol.
When it comes to Irish desserts, they are made to be just as hearty as their savory meals which is why they pair so well together.
Since the Irish culture spreads across the globe, a lot of other traditions have been passed through into their desserts.
This creates unique dishes that include Irish staples like potatoes and apples with ingredients from other countries.
Most of these recipes involve alcohol such as Irish cream, whiskey, and stout. While it is rarely enough to get you drunk, you can replace them with non-alcoholic versions if you don’t cook with alcohol.
We have compiled a list of our favorite desserts that show how unique and delicious Irish desserts can be.
| Recipe | Calories | Preparation Time |
| Guinness Brownies With Irish Cream Frosting | 466 | 25 minutes |
| Mini Rum Cake | 149 | 1 hour 3 minutes |
| Traditional Irish Potato Boxty | 243 | 40 minutes |
| Irish Potato Candy | 81 | 45 minutes |
| Irish Apple Cake | 273 | 1 hour 10 minutes |
| Malted Chocolate & Stout Layer Cake | 821 | 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Baileys Chocolate Truffle | 139 | 30 minutes |
| Chocolate Pots De Crème | 197 | 7 minutes |
| Chocolate Mincemeat Bars | 142 | 35 minutes |
| Mini Sweet Potato Pies | 484 | 1 hour 30 minutes |
28 Irish Dessert Recipes (Traditional And Authentic)
Irish desserts have a deep history of combining simple ingredients into a dessert with complex flavors and textures. They typically use ingredients like potatoes, apples, and alcohol.
Ingredients
- Guinness Brownies With Irish Cream Frosting
- Mini Rum Cake
- Traditional Irish Potato Boxty
- Irish Potato Candy
- Irish Apple Cake
- Malted Chocolate & Stout Layer Cake
- Baileys Chocolate Truffle
- Chocolate Pots De Crème
- Chocolate Mincemeat Bars
- Mini Sweet Potato Pies
1. Guinness Brownies With Irish Cream Frosting
This recipe creates the fudgiest brownies that are chewy and rich.
They are made from a Guinness syrup, which gives the brownies a slight malt taste and enhances the flavor of the chocolate. If you aren’t a fan of Guinness, don’t panic, these brownies don’t taste too much like the iconic Irish beverage.
The whole brownie is topped with Irish cream frosting which gives it another layer of flavor and an almost creamy texture. The frosting is completely optional, but we highly recommend it.
2. Mini Rum Cake
These bite-sized rum cakes are perfect for a buffet or just to snack on.
They are quite alcoholic with the cake including rum and also being soaked in rum, this gives it a rich flavor and keeps it incredibly moist. So we recommend only serving these to adults.
Each mini bundt cake is decorated with powdered sugar and cherries to make them look even cuter.
Since the cakes are soaked in rum, they will only get better after a couple of days when the flavors fully develop.
For best results, we recommend using spiced rum so that you can a slight cinnamon taste to your rum cakes.
3. Traditional Irish Potato Boxty
Now, this recipe isn’t technically a dessert but you can serve them with syrup and icing sugar so it gets a pass because they are so tasty.
These are a type of potato pancake and are quintessentially Irish. The pancakes are made from mashed potatoes which are then fried to create a crispy outside with a soft inside.
Since they are so simple you can serve them with essentially anything. Some good recommendations are honey or apple sauce.
4. Irish Potato Candy
These simple candies may look like potatoes, but they don’t actually contain any.
This recipe was created by Irish immigrants who went to Philadelphia. So there is a deep history to these candies that only have 6 ingredients.
The inside of the candy has cream cheese and flaked coconut to give them a fresh taste and also a distinct texture. The whole filling is then rolled in cinnamon to make it look like a tiny potato.
Since they are supposed to look like potatoes, you don’t need to perfectly form them. In fact, they will look even better with their imperfections.
These potato candies are perfect as a year-round treat.
5. Irish Apple Cake
In Ireland this cake is more commonly known as Kerry apple cake and it is delicious.
It is closer to bread than a cake but it is still moist and sweet. The top is crunchy after being dusted with sugar to give it an almost caramelized texture.
You want to select the tangiest apples possible for this recipe. Granny smiths are the most readily available but if you have access to Bramley apples then you should choose those since they are what the Irish usually use.
The flavor of the apple is enhanced with ground cloves and nutmeg. This makes the cake have a warming taste to it.
You are able to serve this dessert cold or warm depending on preference.
6. Malted Chocolate & Stout Layer Cake
If you enjoy chocolate malt balls then this is the dessert for you. It is super rich and chocolatey while staying moist and spongey.
The malted taste comes from the use of stout in the cake batter. The flavor of the stout doesn’t come through and instead enhances the taste of the chocolate. Sour cream is also used in the batter to keep it extra moist.
This recipe is the ideal dessert to bring to a party since it is a show-stopping layer cake. The dark cake layers contrast perfectly with the light frosting layer.
The frosting itself is made from Irish cream and malted milk powder to marry with the flavors already found in the cake.
You can decorate the cake with chocolate malt balls to give anyone who tries it an idea of what flavors to expect.
7. Baileys Chocolate Truffle
Truffles are some of the easiest treats to make since they require no baking at all. In fact, you don’t even need to use a double boiler to melt the chocolate since you are able to do that slowly in the microwave.
If you are melting your chocolate in the microwave make sure you are doing so in 10-second intervals and stirring in between. Stop microwaving when there is still a small amount of solid left in the chocolate as that will melt in the heat of the rest of the chocolate and you can be sure that none of it burnt.
The inside of the truffles includes cream liquor in them so that they have a slight alcoholic taste but they are mainly creamy and decadent.
You coat each truffle with your melted chocolate and you can use white, milk, and dark chocolate to create some interesting designs and patterns on your truffles.
8. Chocolate Pots De Crème
This recipe is super quick for something that tastes as if it took you hours. In the end, you get a creamy chocolate dessert that you were able to make in your blender in less than 10 minutes.
The dessert involves a silky smooth chocolate pudding that is served in decorative porcelain cups. However, when making the dessert substitute the cream for Irish cream for a boozy kick and create a richer dessert.
You can use a swirl of whipped cream to decorate or serve as is.
9. Chocolate Mincemeat Bars
Nothing says the holiday season more than mincemeat. Don’t panic, mincemeat doesn’t contain any animal parts (apart from the occasional beef suet). Instead, mincemeat is made from dried fruits and spices such as raisins, currants, and nutmeg.
These bars are made from semi-sweet chocolate and mincemeat so that they are wonderfully tender and will fill your heart with that holiday spirit.
10. Mini Sweet Potato Pies
Here we have another holiday dessert, only this one is more bite-sized. These sweet potato pies and terribly delicious and addictive. The best part is that you can make them year-round, not just during the holiday season.
The sweet potato filling consists of 2 different sugars, pure cane sugar, and brown sugar so the pies will have a slight caramel taste to them. The filling is then further flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg.
You are able to cook these pies in a homemade pastry shell or buy pre-made ones. This will depend on your preferences and convenience but we will always recommend homemade pie shells.
11. Irish Cream Pie
Very few things can beat a classic cream pie, a Irish cream pie is one of those things. This is because everything is improved with Irish cream.
It is super easy to make requiring no baking. In the end, you get a pie with a smooth texture and will cut into the perfect slice.
The shell itself is made out of chocolate wafers so that it is sweet and flavorful. The Irish cream filling also has marshmallows in it so that it sets up nicely and produces a fuller taste.
12. Easy Shamrock Shake
Of course it is impossible to do an Irish dessert recipe list without including a shamrock shake. While they aren’t particularly popular in Ireland, globally they have become some sort of St Paddy’s Day phenomenon.
People cannot get enough of these bright green drinks that are sweet and tasty. You are able to get alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties but a ‘traditional’ shamrock shake would have Irish cream in it.
The use of mint extract not only makes the shake taste fantastic, but it also fits in with the green coloring of the drink.
You can serve each one with a swirl of whipped cream and some green sprinkles.
13. Orange-Scented Whiskey Soufflé Pie
This is the perfect dessert to make if you are having a fancy afternoon dinner.
The use of orange zest and whiskey creates a bold flavor that makes you forget that the cake is made from mashed potatoes. The whole cake batter is whisked thoroughly so that it creates a light and airy texture.
Since it is made into an almost souffle with whiskey being involved, the taste of the pie will increase over time with the flavors deepening.
Serve a slice of this pie with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
14. Baileys Coffee Mini Cheesecakes
Another bite-sized dessert and this time we have one of the best with tiny cheesecakes. Not only are they adorable, but you get the perfect amount of cookie base with the cheese topping.
The cheesecake topping is unique in that not only is it made from Irish cream, but it also has instant coffee powder. This creates a strong bold flavor that works perfectly with the oreo cookie base.
15. Traditional Irish Bread and Butter Pudding
There is nothing more staple to Irish dessert cuisine than bread and butter pudding. It is soft, weirdly creamy, and very addictive.
This recipe is a great way to use your slightly stale bread. The hardened bread means that it will absorb the flavors of the pudding better.
As well as the typical egg mixture used in bread and butter pudding, cinnamon and raisins have been added to give a slight flavor difference and some texture.
16. Irish Coffee Cake
You always get told not to combine caffeine with alcohol, well we are here to tell you that you can absolutely do that when they are also combined with a cake. You get the flavor of the coffee and Irish cream, without the effects of caffeine and alcohol.
This bundt cake is made with sour cream so it is extremely moist and is also marbled to create a fantastic effect when slicing into it.
The icing on top is also made with Irish liquor and instant coffee powder so that you can perfectly blend the flavors together.
17. Perfect Fruit Scones
Fruit scones are the perfect afternoon treat and these ones aren’t dry or crumbly. Instead, they are buttery and fruity.
Since you can make these scones year-round, you can experiment with this recipe and include any fruits that may be in season or frozen fruits that are leftover in your freezer. Whichever fruit is your favorite will be the best choice.
The scones themself have brown sugar so they have a slight caramel flavor and also heavy cream to keep them moist. The scones are then also brushed with heavy cream and sprinkled with sugar so the tops of the scones become crispy and delicious.
Scones should be served with a scoop of clotted cream and a cup of coffee or tea.
18. Lime Poke Cake
You will be hard-pressed to find a cake that is so easy and so green anywhere else. The cake itself is made out of box cake but you can use your own recipe if you prefer soon.
The green in this cake is from the green gelatine. As the name implies, you want to poke holes in the cake so that whatever you pour on top of it will sink down into the cake. The green lime gelatine in this recipe gives it a sort of striped look and also keeps the cake moist and flavorful.
To top simply use a whipped topping and also some green sanding sugar.
19. Irish Barmbrack
While it may sound odd, this recipe is actually for a traditional Irish fruit cake. Or Irish tea cake depending on the region or baking process.
This moist cake has brown sugar in it to give it a rich caramel flavor that pairs beautifully with the mixed spices.
Similar to other fruit cakes, the dried fruits are left soaking overnight in tea and whiskey so that they plump up and are ready to use in a fruit cake.
20. Irish Porter Cake
Another fruit cake, however, this one is slightly different. This version, in particular, is made from porter ale so that it is deep in flavor and tastes wonderfully rich.
Instead of the fruit soaking overnight, they are plumped in boiling porter with butter and sugar. This makes them super juicy and buttery which goes perfectly with the cake which has been flavored with spices.
This cake keeps shocking well, so don’t be afraid to make a large one to enjoy over the holidays. In fact, it is recommended you do that because the flavors develop over time as they all begin to fuse together.
We recommend serving a slice of this cake with a glass of your favorite strong ale.
21. Rhubarb Fool with Strawberries
This super simple dessert combines winter vegetables with summer fruit. This makes it the perfect recipe to enjoy year-round as you can use frozen rhubarb in the summer or frozen strawberries in the winter.
We recommend making this recipe in the summer because then you get to use fresh and juicy strawberries which give the dessert a lighter feel.
This dessert is really easy to make, all you need to do is create a rhubarb syrup which will be mixed with the whipped cream and strawberries.
Compared to other Irish desserts, this one is quite light and not overly filling. It also contains no alcohol so it is perfect for children.
22. Pecan Pie Mini Muffins
While these bitesize muffins are a perfect fit for a party, they are so good that they can be baked as an at-home snack.
The cakes are made out of brown sugar so they have a sweet caramel taste to them which enhances the natural sweetness of the pecans.
Their fluffy consistency makes them ideal to dip in a cup of coffee as they will absorb all of the flavors.
You bake these muffins in a mini muffin tray so that you create these wonderful finger desserts, but you can bake them in a regular size muffin tray. Just be wary that they are quite sweet so only do so if you have a sweet tooth or are willing to save some of your muffin for later.
23. Potato Apple Bread
Once again we see the classic Irish combination of apple and potato. This recipe is slightly more savory than some of the other recipes on this list, but it is still sweet enough that we will classify it as a dessert.
The bread itself is potato bread which has been made from mashed potatoes, flour, butter, baking powder, and salt. This makes the bread incredibly light and has a slight chewiness to it.
Sandwiched in between the potato dough are the apples. The apples have been seasoned with sugar so that way when the bread bakes the sweet juices from the apples will seep into the bread keeping it moist and delicious.
We recommend serving this layered bread with cream.
24. Irish Apple Amber
If you like meringue pie, then you will love this Irish take on this classic dessert.
This recipe is absolutely packed full of apples that have been grated so that you get a good amount of apples in every bite. While apples are naturally quite sweet, lemon juice has been added to this recipe not only to stop the apples from browning after being grated but to give them a slight tartness.
You can buy a pre-made pie crust for convenience, or make your own. Just make sure that it is super buttery and flakey.
Finally, the apple pie is topped with a thick layer of fluffy meringue which is then torched so that you get those iconic browned peaks.
25. Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread
Soda bread is one of the most iconic cuisines to come out of Ireland, and while it is usually a savory dish we found that it can be easily turned into a simple dessert.
All you need to do is add chocolate chips and some sugar to the bread dough. This recipe used brown sugar to give the bread a rich flavor that works with the chocolate chips.
For texture, rolled oats have also been added to the dough. Not only is this an amazing dessert, but you can also get away with having a slice of it for breakfast.
As a breakfast treat, we recommend toasting a slice and serving it with honey or a generous layer of butter. Or you can make it sweeter for a dessert by spreading on some clotted cream.
26. Irish Creme Chocolate Trifle
Trifles are so easy to prepare and look amazing. They are layers of delicious desserts all combined in one large glass bowl. That way you can see each layer individually which gives the dessert a stunning effect.
While trifles are typically quite light and fruity, this one is rich and chocolatey.
When we say that this trifle is chocolatey, we mean it. It has chocolate cake and chocolate pudding layered with whipped topping and it is all flavored with Irish cream. You can’t create a more luxurious trifle.
This recipe decorates with mint chocolates but you can use any ones you like. A good idea would be to use Irish cream liquor chocolates so that way you enhance the flavor of the Irish cream in the trifle.
27. Baileys Irish Cream Parfait
These parfaits are very similar to a trifle, only they are much smaller. Each parfait is served in a Maison jar so that way you get your own little dessert which makes it easy for customizing. If one person doesn’t enjoy alcohol that’s fine, their parfait has the cream before the Irish cream has been added.
This recipe makes an already easy dessert even easier by using store-bought cake instead of making one. This makes this parfait technically a no-bake dessert. However, if you do want to make your own cake then you are welcome to.
One of the best parts about parfaits is being able to decorate them, This recipe decorates with a swirl of whipped cream, shamrock sugar cookies, and green sprinkles. But you can decorate as simple or extravagant as you like.
28. Apple Crumble
We find that apple crumble is the ultimate comfort dessert. It is similar to an apple pie, but it is easier and in our opinion, tastier.
The crumble part is made from a simple dough of flour, brown sugar, salt, pecans, and melted butter. The dough becomes clumped but still loose so it doesn’t form a dough ball.
This dough is then crumbled (this is where the name comes from) on top of the apple filling.
The apple filling is sweet and delicious and is flavored with cinnamon and ginger to make it have a warming feel to it.
You serve apple crumble with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream or your favorite custard.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, most of these recipes stem from Irish culture, rather than taking other desserts and dying them green. This way on the next St Paddy’s Day you are able to celebrate like a true Irishman.
Since the desserts are made from simple ingredients, they are great to eat year-round as most of them don’t rely on seasonal fruit and vegetables.
Irish desserts are all improved by serving them with a beverage of your choice. You can have them as a midday snack with a coffee or tea, or you can have a late-night dessert with an alcoholic beverage.
Irish or not, these desserts are able to connect you with a part of history while also giving you a sweet, hearty treat.
Hi! My name is Jessica, and I recently decided to set up the site My Baking Heart, as an extension of my love for baking. It is something I have enjoyed since being a young child, when I would bake cookies and cakes with my grandma
Over the years, I have developed my skills and love to try all kinds of baking, from genoise sponges, to peach cobbler, and everything in between. New recipes are so much fun to follow and recreate.
Through this site, I hope to teach others the basics of baking, from how to use certain equipment, to the best types of recipes to follow. My site is a mixture of useful informational content, recipes, and of course, review of the best types of baking equipment.
- 25 Crispy and Healthy Taro Recipes To Boost Your Taste Buds - May 3, 2023
- 25 Best Fancy Desserts Recipes That Will Always Win - May 3, 2023
- 19 Stunning Crawfish Bread Recipes To Try Out Once - May 3, 2023