Vegan St. Patrick’s Day
By KD Angle-Traegner / Last Update: February 2020
If you’re looking for information about celebrating a vegan Vegan St. Patrick’s Day; you’ve come to the right place.
St. Patrick’s Day — named after Saint Patrick — is celebrated on March 17th. Observed for more than 1,000 years, the Irish view it as a religious holiday to celebrate the saint’s sacred feast day and the anniversary of Patrick the Saint in the fifth century.
Although not a legal holiday anywhere in the United States, celebrations including prominent displays of the color green, feasting, copious consumption of alcoholic beverages and cocktails, and parades are had throughout the country.
Luckily, celebrating a vegan St. Patrick’s Day has never been easier. Need help planning the perfect menu? Would you like some vegan cocktails?
Let me show you how.
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DIY Green Food Coloring
Because everything is green on St. Patrick’s Day.

How to Make Green Food Coloring
Green is the official color for St. Patrick’s Day.
Stores pack their shelves with green hats, glasses, beads, cups, and t-shirts. Bars serve up mugs of green beer and other green-hued cocktails. Grocery stores serve up green frosted cookies, cakes, and cupcakes with impossibly cute green sprinkles on top.
Green, green, everywhere you look. Generally speaking, these food and drinks get their colors from artificial food colors.
I am not a fan of artificial food colors.
These toxic chemicals masquerading as food are possible through the wonder of chemistry and the industry of oil drilling. Studies have shown various adverse health effects from ingesting them. And, did you know that artificial food colors undergo animal testing to ensure their safety as a food additive?
It’s true.
Relatedly, animal testing sucks and can yield dangerous results when physicians treat patients using medicine based on the results of these studies.
Artificial Food Colors Are Everywhere
Every time a holiday approaches, the artificial colors go on sale. Magazines, blogs, and videos feature impossibly cute and creative treats made with a variety of unnatural colors achieved through the magic of artificial colors.
There’s a better way; make bright, vivid colors at home.
A Better, Plant-Powered Rainbow
Look at those colors! Yellow, red, purple, green, and even blue. Easy to make, these colors come from everyday ingredients found in your fridge or pantry. Trust me, it’s not complicated or expensive.
Click here for the full step-by-step homemade food coloring tutorial.
Buying Vegan Food Dyes
Here are a few dyes that are colored with vegetable juice or spices, and contain no synthetic dyes.
Color Kitchen Food Colors from Nature
This brand started popping up at my local markets, so I picked up a few packets to test out on my favorite sugar cookies. I’m a fan.
First, the colors come packaged in individual packets, which means I don’t over-buy. Second, the colors mix easily and create beautifully, even colors. I don’t even mind that they’re more pastel than bright. Lastly, they’re budget-friendly. Here’s a 10-pack, Color Kitchen Food Colors from Nature, that makes a perfect starter pack.
McCormick Nature’s Inspiration Food Colors
By far, these colors from McCormick are the cheapest and the most widely available in mainstream grocery stores everywhere. These plant-based powdered colors come in a pack of three colors (Sky Blue, Berry & Sunflower), which you can mix for an infinite amount of color options. And I know this is a small thing, but I really like how they’re packaged in resealable dry powder pouches. That makes for easy storage, and more importantly, easy re-use.
I bought this McCormick Nature’s Inspiration Food Colors pack for these unicorn sugar cookies, and I love how vivid the colors turned out. I would absolutely buy these again.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Affiliate Policy for more details.

Vegan Mint Matcha Shamrock Shake / Photo: Minimalist Baker
Vegan Breakfast Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
- Crispy Whiskey Pancakes
Namely Marly
- Super Green Smoothie Bowl
Minimalist Baker
- Raw Vegan Shamrock Shake
My Darling Vegan
- Healthy Shamrock Shake
Project Kale
- Real Ingredient Shamrock Shake
The Organic Dietitian
- Shamrock Shake with Cacao
Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen

Vegan Shepard’s Pie / Photo: Simply Quinoa
Vegan Main Dish Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
- Corned Jackfruit
Fried Dandelions
- Corned Seitan and Cabbage
Robin Robertson
- Vegan Corned Beef and Cabbage
FatFree Vegan Kitchen
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Minimalist Vegan
- Stew, Brown Bread, and Stout Cake
Vegan Miss
- Dublin Coddle with Vegan Irish Sausage
FatFree Vegan Kitchen
- Quinoa & Mushroom Gravy Shepard’s Pie
Vegan Sparkles
- Irish-ish Soda Bread
Manifest Vegan
- Irish White Bean & Cabbage Stew
FatFree Vegan Kitchen
- Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower-Millet Crust
Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen

Rustic Rosemary Thyme Mashed Potatoes / Photo: Strength & Sunshine
Vegan Side Dish Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
- Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes
Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen
- Roasted Cabbage with Lemon
Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Pesto Potato Chickpea Salad
Keepin’ it Kind
- Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
Isa Chandra
- Colcannon Puffs
Fat Free Kitchen
- Roasted Broccoli + Creamy Basil Dressing
Vegan Richa
- Irish Corned Cabbage
Zsu Denver
- Crispy Cabbage
Cadry’s Kitchen

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Cream Frosting / Photo: Wallflower Kitchen
Vegan Dessert Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
- Philadelphia Irish Potatoes
Plant Power Couple
- No-Bake St. Patrick’s Day Cheesecake
Unconventional Baker
- Green Matcha Cupcakes
PeaSoup
- Vegan Lucky Charms Cereal
Fork & Beans
- Key Lime Icebox Pie
Vegan Test Kitchen
- Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie
Unconventional Baker
- St. Patty’s Mint Patties
Bittersweet Blog
- Mint Chocolate Fudge Pie
Chocolate Covered Katie
- Baileys Ice Cream
Wallflower Kitchen
Can Vegans Drink Beer, Wine, or Spirits?
If you’re unfamiliar with vegan foods, it might surprise you to learn about animal ingredients hiding in your favorite beer or wine. Some beer and wine go through a clarifying process that uses animal products such as isinglass (fish bladders), egg whites, or gelatin. And because alcohol is commonly exempt from labeling requirements that other food products have, these ingredients are rarely listed on the packaging.
Luckily, there’s an easy-to-use website for that. Without a doubt, Barnivore is the go-to website to check the vegan status of most beer and wines.
Thankfully, you can find vegan-friendly beer, wine, and liquor at almost any store. Especially important for those wanting to celebrate a vegan St. Patrick's Day!
Here are a few popular brands that are suitable for vegan imbibers.
Vegan St. Patrick's Day Beers & Stouts
- Barney Flat's Oatmeal Stout
- Harvest Moon Paddy’s Irish Stout
- Harvest Moon An Irish
- George Killian’s Irish Red
- Guinness (Yes, it's vegan now!)
- Michelob Irish
- Rogue Irish Lager
- Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout
Find more options by visiting vegan beer on Barnivore.
Whiskey
- Black Velvet Whiskey
- Jim Beam Whiskey
- Jameson Irish Whiskey
Find more brands by visiting vegan-friendly shiskey brands on Barnivore.
Make Your Own Vegan St. Patrick's Day Cocktail
- Cashew Coconut Irish Cream
Healthy Slow Cooking
- Irish Whiskey Ice Cream Beer Float
Vegan Yack Attack
- Irish Coffee with Coconut Whipped Cream
Kitchen Treaty
- Irish Buck Cocktail
PopSugar
- Irish Hot Whiskey
Irish American Mom
- Wicked Little Leprechaun
Genius Kitchen
- Aquafaba Whiskey Sour
The Black Label
A plea to all vegan imbibers: Go, have fun. Meet up with friends. Dance with people and have a good time. When you are ready to leave, don’t drink and drive. Plan ahead. Get a designated driver, call a cab, get an uber or lyft, call a friend, or call your mom. All it takes is one accident to change lives. It’s not worth it. Drink Responsibly.

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