Here are 10 foods that are sure to be a hit for your St. Patrick's Day celebration!
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If you're trying to plan some fun foods for St. Patrick's Day, here are 10 great choices that both kids and adults will enjoy!
We definitely love to treat ourselves (see Ice Cream Club post!) but we also try to be healthy too! We've included vegan and plant-based dishes as well!
These St. Patrick's Day foods are perfect for celebrating the holiday that are easy to prepare, kids will absolutely enjoy and are filled with fruits and veggies too!
If you're looking for some more St. Patrick's Day fun, check out our 17 St. Patrick's Day Books for Kids that are filled with a fun variety of fiction, history, games and more!
Classic Irish fare are perfect to accompany some pre-St. Patrick's Day fun!
At our last St. Patrick's Day family gathering, we enjoyed some tasty holiday-themed snacks, a little Leprechaun craft and plenty of fun photos to preserve the memories!
Well, it's hard to pick a fave food for St. Patrick's Day, so don't be afraid to stretch out the holiday!!
Make the easy stuff during the week and save the more elaborate recipes for a weekend or day when you are feeling particularly motivated!
(Need a good recipe for cut sugar cookies? Two Sisters Crafting has a tried and true recipe!
10 St. Patrick's Day Foods that are Easy, Delish
and Kids Will Love!
1. Leprechaun Vegetable Snack Board
photo: thebakermama.com
At our St. Patrick's Day Craft gathering last week, Cenzia and I joined my sister-in-law, niece and her two young 'uns for an afternoon of crafts and snacks!
This Veggie Leprechaun Platter my niece found on Pinterest came together in about 10 minutes! It was definitely a hit and everyone agreed it was a tasty and guilt-free snack board! The above bit of brilliance is from The Baker Mama!
2. Shamrock Shake
photo: chocolatecoveredkatie.com
Shamrock Shakes are so yummy and definitely a St. Patrick's Day fan favorite!
This healthy shamrock shake is super easy to make and can be made vegan too!
With frozen bananas, milk of choice, a little peppermint extract and some spinach leaves (if you want that nice emerald green), just blend and within a few minutes you have an all natural and St. Patrick's Day dessert to enjoy!!
Top it off with some chocolate chips or cacao nibs along with whipped topping for a festive Shamrock Shake! Get the full recipe at Chocolate Covered Katie for a healthy take on the McDonald's classic!
3. Irish Soda Bread / Muffins
I think the very first Irish food we enjoyed as a family was Irish Soda Bread! It's tasty and is a great choice for trying an authentic Irish food without it being too tricky!
Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread (no yeast) that comes together quickly and you can add raisins or currants or leave them out if you're not a fan of the dried fruit.
Irish Soda Bread is always a hit and we love how it's perfect for any time of day! Enjoy it for breakfast, for a mid-day pick-me-up, or with some Kerry Gold cheddar and fruit for a quick lunch!
We've made Irish Soda Bread many times and there are endless variations of this Irish classic! Here's one Irish Soda Bread recipe that readers agree is a hit!
This year we'll be trying Irish Soda Bread Muffins!
We've never tried this twist and can't wait to taste them!! Here's a recipe from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen and they look so good!!
4. Rainbow Fruit Salad
above photo: ourlifewith13kids.com
This Rainbow Fruit salad is a fun and easy addition to the St. Patrick's Day inspired menu!
Making this Rainbow fruit salad was my contribution to the family crafting get together (mentioned above) and it was sweet and refreshing! Thank you to Our Life With 13 Kids for the cool photo and idea!
With minimal prep, this Rainbow Fruit spread is perfect for kids to help put together- if you're running late or if they just want to be part of the culinary fun!
If you're trying to minimize the sugar (like us!) you can swap out the whipped cream and Rolos for popcorn clouds!
I just took some foil and formed low cups to give the popcorn some structure and so it wouldn't just roll around the tray!
5. Irish Cheddar Cheese Tasting
Have you ever done a taste testing with your kids? Our local library introduced us to the idea one summer and it's a really fun way to get boys and girls to try different foods and have fun doing it!
If you don't have a endless amounts of time and are looking for a fun way to bring a little St. Patty's Day culture to mealtime, a cheese testing is a great solution!
Well, if you enjoy trying new foods and enjoy cheese, then trying some Irish cheddar is the perfect addition to your St. Patrick's Day foods grocery list!
I couldn't decide between the above three when I shopped at a Co-op near us (they have a phenomenal cheese selection) so, I purchased them all!
Kerrygold cheddar cheese is a fave in our house! Maybe in part it's because we really want to travel to Ireland, and since we can't get there yet, this brings a little bit of Ireland to us!
Cheese also goes along nicely with the Rainbow Fruit Salad platter above and the Leprechaun Vegetable Board! Of course having a cheese tasting along with Irish Soda Bread is a perfect pairing as well!
6. Boxty
photo: nomad paradise
Boxty is an Irish potato pancake that is simple, but delicious! With finely grated potato added to leftover mashed potatoes, Boxty has a smoother texture than other versions of the traditional potato pancake.
Boxty is simple, but classic and folks rave that it's absolutely delicious! We have added it to this year's St. Patrick's Day celebration menu and can't wait to enjoy this savory option!
This Boxty recipe from ChristinasCucina.com is the one we're going to use!
7. Toad in the Hole (vegan version)
photo: BombVeg
Okay, with a name like Toad in the Hole, kids will definitely be interested in finding out more and trying this traditional Irish food!
The fact that we found an easy, vegan version was a win for us! My husband would be totally okay going with the traditional meat version, but Cenzia and I trend the vegetarian/vegan route.
I think this version of Toad in the Hole looks like an absolute win! Here's the recipe and let us know your thoughts!
If you're aiming to entice your veggie-hesitant eaters with a yummy side dish, Colcannon is a great choice! Made with mashed potatoes and either cabbage, kale or even broccoli, it's so tasty and very easy to prepare!
Champ is another variation of colcannon with scallions being the green addition to the mashed potatoes potatoes - hearty and delish!
Here's a yummy and easy-to-make Champ recipe to get you started!
photo: tasting table
Shepherd's Pie is a savory casserole that both the Irish and British claim to have invented.
Clearly it's popular and no matter where it originated and whether or not you choose a meat or vegan version, Shepherd's Pie is a hearty, filling dish perfect for warming the house on a chilly March night!
This Vegan Shepherd's Pie by the Minimalist Baker is going to be the one we go with because it takes less than an hour to make and has a vegetable shortcut!
Also, if you don't want to go with meat or beans, this Beyond Meat Plant Based meat crumble comes highly recommended and has been on my to-try list!
10. Rainbow Cupcakes or Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes
Rainbow cupcakes are so fun and cupcakes are a fun finish to the holiday meal!
Pick your favorite vanilla cake mix (or recipe), divide the batter equally and add different food coloring for the rainbow effect!
Be sure to use these cupcake liners for a non-stick rainbow cupcake!
Looking for natural food coloring? Opt for this tried and true assorted all natural food coloring option!
Okay, so these cupcakes are probably the opposite of healthy, but boy, they do look delicious!
I'm determined to try these. It's been a while since I made a decadent dessert, and these look like the perfect sweet treat to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
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Happy St. Patrick's Day!
April & Cenzia
Looking for a fun St. Patrick's Day Game? Get a free printable of this St. Patrick's Day Bingo!
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Updated 02/23/2024 Originally published 03/2024