Any holiday or occasion gives me the perfect opportunity to make a fun themed dessert. With St. Patrick’s Day in a few days, all I see is green and at first, all I thought about was mint. While I am a huge fan of mint (especially paired with chocolate), my three kids are not.
I wanted a green kid-friendly dessert for them to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day, so I turned to my trusted food coloring and pudding pairing. Last year I made a No-Bake Valentine’s Day Dessert which inspired this one. The kids loved it and it takes a simple pudding dessert to the next level. Before I started the dessert, I made some candy toppers.
This is simple with green candy melts (melted following instructions on the package). Once melted, placed them into a sandwich bag, clip a corner (very small) and piped some shamrocks and designs on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Just 5 minutes in the freezer and they are all set.
While they were in the freezer, I made the layered dessert with the help of the boys. They love helping in the kitchen and this is a simple dessert that they can do most steps on their own.
I did try a few different layer orders. There really is no preference to which works best. You could even let the kids pick their own order.
- 1 Box of Vanilla Instant Pudding
- 3 Cups Milk (or amount called for on pudding package)
- Green Food Coloring
- Crushed Oreos
- Whipped Cream
- Green Sprinkles (optional)
- Candy Melts (optional)
- If making topping decorations with candy melts, do that first. Once they are melted, placed them into a sandwich bag, clip a corner (very small) and piped some shamrocks and designs on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in freezer and they will be hardened by the time you are done with recipe.
- Make pudding, make according to packaging.
- Once the milk and mix are combined, add a couple drops of green food coloring. It doesn't take a lot. Let set for about 5 minutes.
- Layer pudding and crushed Oreos on bowl or dessert cups.
- Top with whipped cream, sprinkles, etc.
If you are looking for more St. Patty’s Day recipe ideas, check out these below:
1. St. Patrick’s Day Chocolate Truffles from Random Mommy
2. Luck of the Irish Cream Brownies from Maryland Momma