If you’re a parent, party-thrower, or anyone else trying to capture the spirit of Ireland through good ol’ American consumerism, don’t forget a crucial aspect of St. Patrick’s Day: indulging in sweets! From the best buttermints to the best chocolate coins, take a peek at our taste test-approved St. Patrick’s Day candy ideas.
Ah, St. Patrick’s Day, the holiday when everyone’s 4% Irish DNA suddenly becomes their entire personality. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to really stake a claim to Irish culture, this might be the time of year to revive the fantasy of moving to Dublin to rediscover your roots, meet a few fairies in the Marilyn hills, and get whisked away by a tall, burly, mildly incoherent Irishman. (It’s just so charming, how confidently they speak with that accent, and how little of it I can really understand.)
As fun as that sounds, though, we should be honest with ourselves: We’re not making the pilgrimage to Ireland any time soon. Your St. Patty’s Day plans realistically won’t go much further than the nearest Irish pub, and that’s okay! We can be festive in less expensive, life-altering ways. Like with candy! We found some of the best St. Patrick’s Day candy, including Irish candy and chocolate to stuff in your kitschy green leprechaun hats.
- Sunny Island Chocolate Candy Variety
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These candy assortment bags from Sunny Island include Rolo Milk Chocolate Creamy Caramels, mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Matcha Lindt truffles, and a smattering of festive gold coins. I’ll say it: This sort of feels like buying candy from a sketchy old lady trying to sell you the leftover chocolate she’s hoarded from her grandchildren over the years. I know that doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, but hear me out—it’s a little strange to see name brands like Reese’s repackaged in green foil and sold to me in a big plastic bag off Amazon. But you know what? At the end of the day, I have a pound of festive name brand candy to hand out to my friends with minimal effort on my part. I’d call this a win in terms of St. Patrick’s Day candy ideas, wouldn’t you?
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Candy Envy St. Patrick’s Day Buttermints Candy
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These Irish buttermints by Candy Envy are lightly minty with a touch of sweetness. My only complaint here is that the shape is a bit bulky to keep in your mouth—but they do say “Shake Your Shamrock” on the mint wrappers, which I think more than makes up for it. (A few also say “Luck o’ the Irish,” which I think was a missed opportunity for a “Lick o’ the Irish” pun, but whatever! Take or leave my notes, Candy Envy.) Are they the best buttermint candies in the whole world? Who knows—St. Patrick’s Day candy is harder to track down than you think. But these are easy to find on Amazon, and they have a nice, balanced mint flavor that isn’t overpowering, so we were pretty pleased.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Moser Roth St. Patrick’s Day Chocolate Truffles
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This assortment from Moser Roth includes four chocolate truffle flavors: chocolate cream, Irish coffee, salted caramel, and “lucky” vanilla. We grabbed a box from Aldi, and, you guys, these are a find. There are two of each flavor per box, so eight chocolates in total—not exactly something you would buy in bulk, but still one of the best St. Patrick’s Day candy ideas for gifting. They’re perfect party favors, and since chocolate truffles are always a little romantic, a great gift for your significant other. (Men, buy her these, and she won’t be fantasizing about moving to Dublin to find a burly Irishman, okay?)
Credit: Liv Averett
- Trader Joe’s Chocolate Coins
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When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day candy ideas, this cute mesh bag of chocolate coins from Trader Joe’s really reels you in. I’ve never felt more like a greedy little leprechaun than when I poured these into a bowl and ran my hands through them like they were treasure in a pot of gold. The varied bronze and gold wrappers are so bright and shiny, they practically call to you. Since this is a mixed bag of euros, Irish mint coins, and U.S. quarters, authenticity is really key here. Aesthetically, it’s easy to say these are some of the best chocolate coins on the market. But taste-wise, it’s not the best Irish-themed chocolate we tried. In fact, we found another gold coin we liked even better.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- First Street Milk Chocolate, 25 Cents Coins
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There’s something so exciting about peeling off bright gold foil to reveal smooth, embossed chocolate underneath. (I blame that gold wrapper scene from Willy Wonka.) But it’s also important for the chocolate to actually taste like it’s worthy of its shiny presentation—which is definitely the case here. The real cocoa flavor and nice snap of First Street’s 25-cent milk chocolate gold coins set them apart from the rest. The texture of the chocolate isn’t too waxy—even Trader Joe’s coins were a bit waxy. Flavor-wise, these are the best chocolate coins we tried in our taste test. But hey, if aesthetics are more your thing, grab the TJ’s bag instead.
Credit: Liv Averett / Smart & Final
- Madelaine Chocolate Solid Premium Milk Chocolate Shamrocks
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These chocolate shamrocks by Madelaine taste like high-quality chocolate! When you unwrap them, you’ll be pleased to see a lovely shamrock shape and detailed leafy imprint. This might sound contradictory, but the chocolate itself is thick and pleasantly hard to sink your teeth into—it has a great snap and tastes almost handmade. It’s the best Irish-themed chocolate we tried, hands down. Party-throwers can win major aesthetic points by scattering these around a table or displaying them in glass jars. The best St. Patrick Day candy ideas should look and taste great, which is why Madelaine is our #1 pick.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
Best Variety
Best Buttermints
Best Chocolate Truffles
Best Festive
Best Chocolate Coins
Best Chocolate Shamrocks
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!