Green Velvet Cheesecake Bars Are So Decadent

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, you may be in the market for last-minute dessert options that are perfectly festive. Well, look no further. Because green velvet cheesecake bars are just as decadent as they sound, but they also happen to be super easy to make.

The green velvet in this dessert is very similar to the red velvet you know and love. The cocoa flavor will still come through; the only major difference is the use of green food coloring instead of red to give this sweet its St. Patrick’s Day flair.

This recipe from About A Mom will walk you through the steps to creating a cheesecake dessert that’s rich, creamy and colored to suit the holiday theme you’re going for. So really, what could be better than that?

You’ll start by making a graham cracker crust. Both original graham cracker and chocolate graham cracker crumbs are melted with butter and combined with green food coloring. The recipe recommends using a gel-based food coloring instead of a liquid to keep the consistency just right. Press the crust into the bottom of a baking dish.

Now it’s time for the creamy cheesecake layer. Start by mixing cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract together. Then, pour on top of the crust and bake for about 40 minutes. Top with green sprinkles.

And there you have it, as simple as that:

This dessert can be ready in an hour, bake time and all, so this is a great option for a last-minute St. Patrick’s Day treat.

If you’ve got a little more time on your hands, you might also want to keep the green velvet theme going by creating these cute little green velvet cake pops. The recipe from Love From The Oven walks you through the steps to creating the cake pops — which make the best party favors, by the way.

This process is slightly more time consuming — you have to bake a cake and then form the cake into small balls and dip them in chocolate to form the pop. But in the end, it’s totally worth the effort. Because seriously, how cute are these bite-sized themed treats?

You can’t go wrong with classic red velvet, and since these recipes only swap the food coloring and not the rich cocoa flavor, it’s the perfect excuse to enjoy a red velvet dessert on St. Patrick’s Day while still joining in on the festivities.