6 easy but impressive rainbow desserts for a lucky St. Patrick’s Day

I’m not one for fruity candy, so “taste the rainbow” never sounded like such a good thing to me. But now, as the mom of a preschooler and a school-aged kid, I have a new appreciation for the appeal of all those rainbow recipes and rainbow-colored snacks we see all over Pinterest. My kids love multicolored treats any day of the year, but I’m especially eager to try these gorgeous rainbow recipes on St. Patrick’s Day as an alternative to everything green.

The rainbow cake has gotten all of the internet glory, but if you ask me, these Rainbow Frosting Cupcakes (and above) from Sprinkle Bakes win the pot of gold. Besides being totally gorgeous, this recipe calls for a single cupcake batter and the simple task of dividing your icing between 7 bowls, each for a quick mix of color. Heather even provides step-by-step photos that show you how to get your icing picture prefect.

If you’re still sold on rainbow cake, why not try a twist on the traditional? This gorgeous rainbow cheesecake from Eating Richly takes a bit of work, but once you get the cheesecake batter colored with all of its lovely pastel hues, it’s a simple matter of pouring layers. (And sprinkles. Don’t forget those sprinkles.)

A batch of Rainbow Pudding is a perfect no-bake holiday treat. Most rainbow pudding recipes call for store-bought instant pudding, but I love how this one by Katie of Good Life Eats, spotted on Make, uses a very simple and quick scratch pudding. If you want to keep the whole thing natural, substitute natural food coloring for the traditional variety.

Starting St. Patrick’s Day with these clever sheet pan rainbow pancakes from Emily Enchanted could make any kid feel like the luckiest. Emily’s idea of baking these in a sheet pan is so clever and easy! Prep the batter overnight, and they’ll bake up in just a few minutes for a magical St. Patrick’s Day breakfast.

Finally, these rainbow slice-and-bake sugar cookies at Good Life Eats are big-impact with no decorating skill required. Again, grab some of that natural food coloring to get these beautiful colors!