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Festive cookies and creamy icing come together in a fun, seasonal treat that’s perfect for baking fans. St. Patrick’s cookies and buttercream dip combine buttery sugar cookies with a sweet, fluffy dip that makes every bite extra special. The cookies bake until golden around the edges while the green-speckled buttercream adds color and flavor. The result is a playful, homemade dessert that’s easy to make, fun to share and might even bring a little Irish luck into your kitchen.
St. Patrick’s cookies and buttercream dip pair buttery sugar cookies with a fluffy green buttercream for a festive treat that’s simple, sweet and fun to make.
You might also like air fryer lucky charms donuts, rainbow rim green Irish whiskey cocktails and frosted Lucky Charms cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
Festive look: The green sprinkles and icing make these perfect for celebrations.
Easy recipe: Straightforward steps mean no complicated techniques.
Customizable: Change the color or add decorations to match any holiday.
Tasty combo: Soft cookies and sweet dip balance textures and flavors.
St. Patrick’s Cookies and Buttercream Dip Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness to both cookies and icing.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies with a crisp edge.
Eggs: Bind the cookie dough for structure and softness.
All-purpose flour: Creates the base for the cookies.
Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise lightly as they bake.
Sprinkles: Bring color and a festive touch to the dough and icing.
Icing sugar: Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
Vanilla extract: Adds warm flavor to the icing.
Milk: Thins the icing slightly for a smooth texture.
Food coloring: Optional for making the icing green.
How to Make St. Patricks Day Cookies with Dip
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make dry mix: Stir flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
Cream butter and sugar: Beat together until light and fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla.
Combine dough: Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until a dough forms, then stir in sprinkles.
Chill dough: Wrap and refrigerate before rolling out.
Shape cookies: Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.
Bake: Place on baking sheets and bake until edges are lightly browned.
Cool cookies: Let cool completely on a rack before icing.
Make icing: Beat icing sugar, butter, vanilla and milk, then add coloring and sprinkles.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: Use a gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour.
Color changes: Switch the green food coloring for other holidays or themes.
Flavor swap: Add almond extract or citrus zest to the icing for a twist.
Sugar alternative: Try coconut sugar for a slightly different flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your Irish feast with Irish nachos or green goddess salad.
Main dish: Next, serve up a Crockpot corned beef hash au gratin or these fun Irish style tacos.
Dessert: Enjoy these St. Patrick’s cookies and buttercream dip, perhaps with a honeydew margarita or shamrock shake.
How to Store St. Patrick’s Cookies and Buttercream Dip
Store: Keep baked cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Don’t refrigerate the cookies because that can dry them out faster. Store buttercream dip separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 or 6 days. Let the icing come to room temperature before serving, so the dip softens enough for dipping.
Freeze: Baked cookies (without dip) can be frozen in a sealed container for up to 2 months.
Thaw: Leave frozen cookies at room temperature until fully thawed.
Top Tips
Chill dough fully: It makes rolling and cutting easier.
Use fresh sprinkles: Old ones can bleed color into the dough.
Cool before icing: Warm cookies will melt the buttercream.
Add milk slowly: Too much at once can make the icing runny.
St. Patty’s Day Cookie FAQs
Yes, chill overnight and bake the next day.
In my experience, having anything left over from this recipe is unlikely! If you do have some dip icing left over though, use it as an ice cream topping, spread it on graham crackers or mix it with cream cheese and dip fresh pieces of fruit in it.
No, you can leave it white or choose any color you like.
St. Patrick’s Cookies and Buttercream Dip Recipe
St. Patrick’s Cookies and Buttercream Dip
Equipment
- Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Shamrock Cookie Cutter or Preferred Shape
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ½ Cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ Cups all purpose flour
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ Cup sprinkles
For the Buttercream Icing
- 1 ½ Cups icing sugar
- ½ Cup unsalted butter
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- ¼ Cup sprinkles
- 3 to 5 Drops green food coloring, optional
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet and beat, starting on low speed, until a dough is formed. Mix in sprinkles
- Form the dough into a ball, cut in half, Wrap in Saran Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out, a portion at a time, to ⅛ inch thick. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter of choice. Repeat with remaining dough
- Place cookies on baking sheets and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.
- Wait 5 minutes and then place cookies on cooling rack. Cool completely before dipping in icing.
- While cookies cool, make icing by creaming together all ingredients. If icing is too thick, add milk in small amounts at a time. If too thin, add additional icing sugar. Stir in food coloring (if using) and sprinkles.
- Place icing into a bowl and serve with cookies on the side.
Notes
Use fresh sprinkles: Old ones can bleed color into the dough.
Cool before icing: Warm cookies will melt the buttercream.
Add milk slowly: Too much at once can make the icing runny.
Nutrition
With soft cookies and creamy icing, St. Patrick’s cookies and buttercream dip delivers color, flavor and fun in one recipe. The dough is simple to make and the buttercream whips up in minutes, so the whole dessert comes together easily. It’s festive enough for celebrating but easy enough to bake on a whim. This St. Patrick’s Day cookie recipe makes a batch of cookies and dip that will disappear fast.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
can’t wait to make these for the kids