For many Ireland feels like the perfect country. It has a coast, cliffs, fields, and cities, no matter what your appetite for adventure craves there is a beautiful locale in Ireland for you. The most appetizing thing you will find in Ireland is their irresistible Irish desserts. Desserts in Ireland are as warm and welcoming as the Irish people and have been cheering the spirits of locals for decades.
What Is Special About Desserts In Ireland
The cool climate in Ireland has done little to dampen the spirits of local dessert makers. The Irish people understand the importance of enjoying the sweeter side of life, and they have truly mastered the art of desserts in Ireland. Their sweets and treats are crafted with a balanced form that marries style and substance.
Desserts in Ireland tend to feature local ingredients whenever possible. Some favored local flavors are Irish dairy, Irish whiskey, chocolate, and apple. Unsurprisingly, things that Ireland is famous for. Irish desserts are often paired with Irish breakfast tea or a small sipper of local whiskey.
Most Famous Irish Dessert
Irish Apple Tart
Apples are one thing that Irish locals are very proud of. Delicious varieties of apples grow on this cool-weather island, and even in lean times, Irish bakers have been able to turn local apples into extravagant desserts. The most famous of all these apple-packed Irish desserts is the Irish Apple Tart.
This traditional Irish dessert may seem familiar to Westerners because it looks a lot like apple pie. What sets these Irish sweets apart from other apple treats is the flavor. You will not find American apple pie spice in this tart. The simply sweet flavor of Irish apples paired with sugar and a flakey crust is all you need!
Often this Irish pastry is decorated with gorgeous pie crust leaves and served warm with creamy vanilla ice cream.
Traditional Irish Desserts
Guinness Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate and Guinness were made for each other! Enjoying Guinness Chocolate Mousse for desserts in Ireland is an authentic taste experience that you won’t want to quit.
This luxurious Irish dessert is constructed with a lush chocolate mousse that has been infused with Guinness. The chocolate Guinness mousse is topped with an airy whipped cream that balances the richness of the mousse.
You will find this Irish dessert on gourmet dessert menus.
Oat Flapjacks
These classic desserts in Ireland are satisfying to crunch and taste great! Irish oat flapjacks are almost like a granola bar; they are made of oats and golden syrup to make a bar that holds up.
Since they’re easy to grab and run, this dessert is great for getting your sweet fix in the middle of the day. Many variations of these Irish sweets exist, some will include dried fruits or other grain, while others will top the treats with chocolate.
Irish Scones
No tea time is complete without scones, and Irish scones are a special treat! This authentically Irish dessert is made differently from other countries’ scones. Here in Ireland, bakers like to use a little more sugar in their scones for sweeter scones that eat more like a treat.
Irish scones are served at all times of day, but what makes them distinctly dessert is not just their sweeter flavor but the way they’re served. Irish scones are often served split with lush clotted cream and tart berry jam.
Rhubarb Fool
Irish dairy makes Irish desserts so delectable you won’t believe your tastebuds. These beautiful Irish sweets that feature the great local dairy are the rhubarb fool.
This nostalgic Irish dessert combines the dreamy flavor of freshly whipped cream with awesome local rhubarb. The rhubarb is cooked with bright citrus to make a popping flavor that balances the cream. Pair rhubarb fool with a warm cup of black tea for the perfect after-dinner delight!
Irish Mince Pie
Many locals rejoice when winter comes around because that means it’s Irish mince pie season! This misunderstood dessert may sometimes be called a “mince meat pie,” but there is no meat in this Irish treat!
The filling of this Irish Christmastime treat is made of a mixture of fruits, liqueur, spices, and sweetener. The warm-flavored filling sits inside flaky individual-sized pie shells to make a festive and grabbable Irish dessert!
Irish Pastries And Cookies
Chocolate and Caramel Shortbreads
Shortbread is a staple of Irish sweets and treats, and the only things that can make those buttery biscuits even better are decadent toppings like chocolate and caramel.
Chocolate and caramel shortbreads are a delectable twist on the classic Irish dessert of shortbreads. These cookies are topped with buttery caramel and dark chocolate and then finished with a touch of salt. These Irish sweets are gorgeous to look at and impossible to stop eating.
Irish Lace Cookies
Incredibly light and tasty Irish lace cookies are desserts in Ireland that locals love. These Irish cookies can be found at most local Christmas celebrations, and they are too delicious to be missed.
This traditional Irish dessert is an extremely thin cookie made from oats in a caramelly batter that is baked to crisp perfection. Don’t worry if you’re visiting outside of the holiday season, because these Irish sweets are so beloved that bakeries carry them all year round.
Pair this sweet cookie with a warm tea or coffee for a lovely afternoon pick-me-up.
Shamrock Shortbreads
You will find shamrock shortbreads everywhere in Ireland. The shortbread may be Ireland’s favorite cookie and cutting them into fun shamrock shapes is a local tradition. The thing that makes these cookies an Irish dessert favorite is their simple yet irresistible flavor.
Shortbreads have a very short list of ingredients and use a lot of butter, so the resulting cookie is crumbly and creamy. Irish butter helps contribute to the amazing flavor of these Irish sweets.
Irish Soda Bread Cookies
Soda bread is a huge point of national pride in Ireland and traditional Irish Food.
This fun Irish dessert twist on classic soda bread is a tasty update. These fluffy cookies have an excellent texture. They bring the flavor of traditional Irish soda bread by incorporating caraway seeds and raisins. These fun cookies are the perfect Irish sweets to pair with afternoon tea.
Irish Desserts: Puddings
Carrageen Moss Pudding
Carrageen moss puddings serve some tasty surprises for desserts in Ireland. This unique Irish pudding features a special local ingredient, carrageen moss or seaweed.
This dessert is composed of a simple yet delicious vanilla pudding; the pudding is topped with dried carrageen moss. The moss adds a briny and almost spiced flavor that is in perfect balance with the vanilla. This Irish dessert is supremely local and awesomely delicious!
Plum Pudding
Plum pudding is a beautiful bombe of an Irish dessert that locals wait all year for! This classic dessert is a Christmastime favorite in the Emerald Isle. No winter celebration is complete without these decadent and fruity Irish sweets.
Every Irish family has their own recipe for plum pudding, but they generally include plums, apples, carrots, almonds, and cherries in a delicious bread pudding. The pudding commonly includes brandy, but some variations use different liqueurs. This traditional Irish dessert is sometimes topped with a tasty brandy sauce for a festive treat.
Bread and Butter Pudding
Locals love to warm their winters with delicious Irish sweets, and none are as hearty, luscious, and delicious as Irish bread and butter pudding.
This delightful Irish take on bread pudding almost eats like French toast with its custardy flavors and warm spices. Raisins and perfectly buttery bread make this Irish dessert out-of-this-world! Try this delicious treat with a warm coffee on a cool Irish evening.
Irish Cream Trifle
Locals love a little Irish cream with their desserts in Ireland, so an Irish cream trifle is an ideal treat. This decadent Irish dessert hits all the notes with layers of Irish cream-soaked chocolate cake, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. This is the chocoholic’s answer to Irish dessert, and it pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee on a cool Irish day.
Irish Sweets And Candies
Irish Clove Rocks
Many countries in Europe and the U.K. love to get their sweets in a mixed bag known as pick-’n-mix, and Ireland is no exception to this sweet craze. Irish sweets shops carry a colorful array of confections that are sure to delight anyone’s inner child, but one local favorite shines above the rest, clove rocks.
Spicy and sweet clove rocks are an Irish dessert classic. These hard candies have the sharp flavor of cloves to keep you warm even on the coolest Irish day.
Irish Toffee
Irish toffee is a real triumph of Irish desserts. It is crafted with the best local dairy Ireland has to offer and has a decadent sweetness that never sticks to your teeth!
Delicious Irish toffee is from caramelized butter and sugar then topped with delicious chocolate and nuts. These Irish sweets are so irresistible you will want to make space in your bag to bring this Irish dessert home!
Irish Whiskey Truffles
Whiskey is a key component of Irish culture; it employs people and brings revenue to this small island nation. Nothing pairs with whiskey like chocolate and that is why whiskey truffles are a favorite Irish dessert.
These luxurious Irish sweets infuse dark chocolate with whiskey and enrobe the whole confection in rich cocoa powder. These truffles balance bitter and sweet perfectly and they, of course, go well with a sipper of Irish whiskey.
Irish Apple Drops
Penny candies have the power to make us so nostalgic, and when the locals want Irish sweets that will bring back the flavor of childhood they choose apple drops. These colorful hard candies have the delicious flavor of local Irish apples just boiled down into a sugary sweet and irresistible confection.
These traditional Irish sweets are available on their own or sold as part of a pick-’n-mix selection.
Irish Rhubarb and Custard Candies
Rhubarb is a beloved Irish dessert flavor. Locals love this tart vegetable so much that they even eat it in their candies.
Along with other pick-’n-mix candies in Ireland, you will there delightful tart and creamy rhubarb and custards. These pink and white sweets have been enchanting the Irish people’s sweet tooth for decades, and they are authentically Irish sweet!
Irish Cakes
Chocolate Whoopie Pie
These amazing sandwich cakes are the perfect desserts in Ireland to showcase the top-tier local dairy. Whoopie pies are two small cakes sandwiching cream and in Ireland, they have truly perfected this treat.
The Irish chocolate whoopie pie uses appetizing chocolate in the cakes and the best cream the isle has to offer. Some varieties will flavor the cream filling with Irish cream liqueur or whiskey for a little heat. This fun Irish cake is perfect with a warm cup of black tea.
Irish Coffee Cake
This luxurious Irish dessert is inspired by one of locals’ favorite drinks, Irish coffee. It is a beautiful, typically dual-layered cake with all the decadent flavors of an Irish coffee. These scrumptious Irish cakes are composed of a coffee-flavored sponge cake that is layered with decadent whiskey-infused chocolate buttercream.
The frosting is made even better by the local Irish dairy and this Irish dessert really captures the flavor of the iconic Irish coffee!
Irish Cream Cheesecake
Irish cream has been a sensation in Ireland for the last several decades because it combines two of Ireland’s favorite flavors: cream and whiskey. There is no better testament to this love of all things dairy and distilled than the Irish cream cheesecake.
This sensational Irish dessert is as rich and luxurious as desserts come. These Irish cakes feature a biscuit crust and the most alluring cheese and Irish cream liquor filling. Some variations of the cheesecake include chocolate icing for a sumptuous flavor boost.
One bite of this rich Irish dessert will send you buzzing with delight!
Fifteens
This is a Northern Irish dessert delicacy. Fifteens are a nostalgic refrigerator cake that is beloved across the whole of the United Kingdom. The unusual name comes from their composition.
Fifteens are traditionally made up of fifteen digestive biscuits, fifteen cherries, and fifteen marshmallows. These ingredients are held together by a little coconut and condensed milk and then chilled to set up.
Home bakers across Ireland love to make these Irish sweets, but you can also find fifteens in bakeries around Ireland.
Irish Tea Cake
Tea time is a wonderful excuse to enjoy some sweet Irish desserts, and the Irish tea cake is a great example of Irish cakes! It follows a simple yet delicious formula that makes for a mouthwatering cake with an inviting shortcake-like texture. The Irish tea cake is typically flavored just with vanilla and served topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.
Souffle Pie
Irish desserts tend to rely on simplicity and traditional methods. One traditional Irish dessert you find on high-end dessert menus is the souffle pie.
This treat is crafted with the expert precision required to make a souffle but with the size of a pie. The insides will be soft and decadently textured, and the flavors range from chocolate to whiskey to citrus.
This delicate and delicious Irish dessert is a luxurious treat that shows the true skill of Irish bakers and chefs.
Discovering Traditional Irish Desserts
Ireland is a magical country full of history, diverse modern culture, and stunning Irish landmarks. The desserts in Ireland are a perfect reflection of the Irish spirit. They are designed to comfort you and make you warm and welcome, just like the wonderful Irish people. Let your sweet tooth reign as you discover all the bounty of Irish desserts!
