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DIY St Patrick’s Day Menu, Party Foods, and School Snacks

The closer we get to March, the more and more excited we get for St Patrick’s Day. We might not be Irish, but we certainly love celebrating the different colours, characters, and traditions that come with March 17th in all the places where the holiday has been handed down since its origin.

Our kids adore St Patrick’s Day too and someone in our neighbourhood usually has a party, so we’ve been keeping out eyes open online lately for as many interesting and unique St Patrick’s Day themed menu items, party foods, and school snacks as we can find!

Are you feeling just as interested as we are, if not more, in trying out some new St Patrick’s Day themed foods that you’ve never made before?

Check out these 15 awesome ideas, recipes, and tutorials that we’ve come across so far in our search for inspiration and guidance!

1. Leprechaun, rainbow, and pot of gold lunch

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Do your kids actually come home from school for lunch but you’re still hoping to make them some kind of awesome themed dish on or around St Patrick’s Day, just to keep things exciting? Then we think this idea from Creating Really Awesome, Fun Things might just be the one for you right off the bat! Take a better look at their tutorial to see how they made this adorable leprechaun sandwich lunch complete with rainbow candies and a “pot of gold” pudding (and some bananas just because kids need fruit).

2. Green themed snack plate

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Are you actually sending your child’s lunch to school with them but you’d still like to stay on theme somehow even though you can’t get quite so fancy with you presentation since you know that lunch is going to get bumped around in your child’s backpack? Then maybe you’d have better luck just following the day’s main colour scheme and making everything green! We like this snack plate style lunch suggestion from Stuffed Suitcase that’s packed with healthy all-green elements.

3. Irish cream push pops

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Are you actually looking for dessert options because you’re the one bringing the sweets to the St Patrick’s Day block party we talked about before, and you’d like to make something really fun and novelty? Well, if pudding based desserts have ever been up your alley, then we’re pretty sure you’ll get a kick out of the way Hoosier Homemade outlines the steps for making these creamy and deliciously green Irish cream push pops!

4. Shamrock Lucky Charms treats

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Now, usually this kind of marshmallow and cereal based treat is made using Rice Krispies, but there is just something so exciting and delicious looking about this St Patrick’s Day version made with Lucky Charms that we think we might just make them for ourselves even if we don’t end up bringing dishes for a block party! Check out how My Frugal Adventures made these treats that are a spin on the classic idea and also unique because they’re shaped like four leaf clovers.

5. Healthy shamrock shake

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Like so many other people, do you feel most excited about St Patrick’s Day coming because you know that it means the return of the beloved mint flavoured “shamrock shake” at McDonald’s? Well, we love it too, but we tend to drink so many each year that it borderlines on unhealthy, because we know they’re going to be discontinued again for the year in no time. That’s why we were so thrilled when we stumbled across this recipe from Cook at Paleo that teaches you how to make a slightly healthier version of the shamrock shake at home!

6. Rainbow swirl waffles

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Is your favourite part of the whole St Patrick’s Day theme really that you have an awesome excuse to make rainbow coloured crafts and foods in tribute to the rainbow that leads to the leprechaun’s pot of gold? Well, if making special breakfasts are your thing then we have a feeling you and your family will get a real kick out of these super fun looking (and very delicious) rainbow swirl waffles outlined in simple steps on Sugar Bee Crafts!

7. Green mint chocolate chip cookies

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Are you still feeling rather enthusiastic indeed about the idea of making green foods in celebration of St Patrick’s Day because you love the colour so much but you’d much rather make some kind of novelty coloured sweet than cut up vegetable that are already green? Well, if you’re even half the cookie lover we are or even just a lover of mint flavours as well, then we think you’ll really appreciate this recipe from In The Lofthouse that shows you how to make green mint chocolate chip cookies!

8. Rainbow mini pancakes

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Have we actually got you feeling quite enamoured indeed by this whole idea of rainbow coloured breakfast foods that would be great for a fun St Patrick’s Day morning but your kids have always been of more a pancake group than a waffles team? Well, you’re still in luck (which is quite fitting for the theme if you ask us)! Take a better look at Ruffles and Rain Boots to see how these rainbow mini pancakes were made!

9. Shamrock pretzel pops

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Given their popularity in the dessert world, we’d be willing to bet that by now you’ve heard of cake pops and maybe even cookie pops, but did you know that pretzel pops are a thing too? If not, we’d suggest trying them immediately because they’re absolutely delicious. Mommy’s Bundle shows you how to make a multi-pretzel St Patrick’s Day version that looks like a four leaf clover, covered in green melted chocolate. They’re wonderfully sweet and salty with every bite!

10. Fruity rainbow

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Are you feeling quite intent on adding at least a little bit of nutritional value to the menu at your St Patrick’s party so you’re trying to sneak some fruit in here and there? In that case, we’d absolutely suggest taking a leaf out of Meaningful Mama‘s book and trying out this lovely fruit rainbow presentation! The cloud is made of vanilla yogurt for dipping and you can put whatever you want in a dish at the other end to be the pot of gold.

11. Upside down leprechaun ice cream cones

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Are you still totally in the market for funny themed desserts that will help you drive the St Patrick’s theme home but you can’t help noticing a lack of leprechauns on our list right now? Well, St. Patrick’s Day Pictures has a suggestion that just might save your day. Grab green ice cream cones at the grocery store (or paint plain ones with food colouring yourself), flip them upside down on a scoop of ice cream, and use Nerds candy, Twizzler pieces, and shaved roasted coconut to make the face and beard!

12. Green pepper shamrocks

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Are you still trying your absolute best to work at least a few veggies into the buffet at your St Patrick’s Day party but you want them to look at least a little bit festive? Then we’d definitely suggest giving this shamrock shaped green pepper concept from Pear Tree a try. They’re pretty simple to use in just about anything once they’re cut!

13. Matcha white chocolate cookies

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Has your favourite option on our whole list so far been the idea of making bright green cookies but you find that your taste in flavours is a little less conventional than the average person who immediately thinks of mint when they see the colour? Then we have a feeling these scrumptious and nearly gourmet sounding matcha white chocolate cookies outlined nice and clearly on It’s Yummi might be right up your alley!

14. Irish flag trifle

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Are you contributing to a potluck style dinner at the St Patrick’s Day party you’re going to but you said you’d bring the dessert, and you’re looking for a family-pleasing classic that will serve plenty of people? Then we’d recommend making something like a Jello trifle, since everyone knows and loves them! Perhaps the best part of using Jello is the colours. This tutorial from Mom Endeavours sure thinks so; they teach you how to make a trifle that looks like the Irish flag!

15. Shamrock cucumber tea sandwiches

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Is the party you’re attending for St Patrick’s Day more of a light lunch with finger sandwiches type of affair than an all out event with layered desserts? Then maybe you’d have more luck making something like this recipe from Will Cook for Smiles that shows you how to make adorable shamrock shaped cucumber tea sandwiches that are easy to munch on while you socialize!

Do you have another favourite snack idea for St Patrick’s day that you love making but that you don’t see on our list? Tell us all about the snack or link us to the recipe and photos in the comments section!

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