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Gemma’s Best Irish Recipes

From Irish Soda Bread to Irish Scones, Ireland has so much amazing food to offer that I hope you're eager to try all of my Best Irish Recipes, easily located here in one place!
A collage of Gemma's Best Irish Recipes

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Hi Bold Bakers!

For obvious reasons, Saint Patrick’s Day is near and dear to my heart. Not only do I have fond memories of going to the parade in Ireland but also of the traditional food we would have around this time. Today, I’m excited to share my Best Irish Recipes!

Baking In Ireland

Ireland is known for the amazing produce we have available to us. Although the rain can seem like a curse at times, it is a blessing for animals to graze on such lush green grass. This, in turn, makes the animals very happy, and happy animals mean delicious butter, cheese, and meat.

I consider myself lucky to have grown up in Ireland. I am an eighties baby so luckily when I was young there were no iPads and iPhones to be glued to. With 4 other siblings, we spent our days outside in fields, making huts, horse riding, and so on. They were pretty innocent times that we were fortunate to have.

Being from a large family also meant my mum cooked a lot. She is an amazing cook. My dad wasn’t one for leftovers so my mum would make new dinners every single night. She never did things by halves either. The same care and attention are still put into every meal today as she did back then.

As a young child, I followed my mum around the kitchen watching while she baked. Some of my earliest memories are actually food memories. She always had us help out in the kitchen. We did jobs that little hands were good at like standing at the mixer as egg whites whipped for pavlova, slowly adding in spoonful after spoonful of sugar as instructed. She had us down on the kitchen floor with a rolling pin and digestive biscuits in a bag bashing them until you got crumbs. Food is a big part of my culture and I use the same traditions and techniques I have carried with me to this day. 

My Best Irish Recipes

1. Best-Ever Irish Scones

Best Ever Irish Scones - Thee only recipe you will need this St. Patrick’s Day!

Let’s face it, anything served with butter, jam, and cream is going to be delicious. Enjoy my Best-Ever Scones recipe!

2. Irish Soda Bread (and White Version)

Traditional Irish Soda Bread baked, topped with oats.

A whole-wheat bread that will be eaten just as fast as it was to whip up. Make my Irish Soda Bread today — and try my White Soda Bread version while you’re at it.

3. Perfected Millionaire’s Shortbread 

3 Caramel Squares cut and stacked.

A dessert my Mum used to make when I was a kid, with layers of shortbread, caramel, and delicious milk chocolate. My Millionaire’s Shortbread, also known as Caramel Squares, has been perfected!

4. My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake

Sliced Irish Apple Cake

Another one of my Mum’s recipes that uses apples better than almost any other dessert! This one is also a fan favorite — make My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake!

5. Waterford Blaas 

Waterford Blaas Recipe, in half, with butter.

Technically you can’t get a Waterford Blaas roll outside of Waterford in Ireland, but my mum’s rolls recipe is as close as you’ll ever get without visiting!

6. Irish Flapjacks

Irish Oat Flapjacks - The perfect traditional Irish treat, stacked, topped with chocolate.

Homemade Oatmeal Bars that will transport you back to your childhood, if you grew up in Ireland.

7. Irish Bread and Butter Pudding

A bowl of Traditional Irish Bread and Butter Pudding

Serious comfort food, this dessert is perfect for a cold Winter’s night. Try my Traditional Irish Bread & Butter Pudding.

8. Barmbrack

Sliced, traditional Irish Barmbrack.

Classically made closer to Halloween, this fruitcake-like recipe is filled with gorgeous flavors that can really be made all year round. Make my Traditional Irish Barmbrack.

9. Banoffee Pie

Banoffee Pie - A no-bake pie that is an amazing combo of bananas and caramel

If you love bananas and caramel, you have to try this Banoffee Pie that I grew up with.

10. 5-Minute Irish Brown Bread

A quick, 5-minute Irish Brown Bread, topped with seeds.

It takes no time at all to make this quick and rustic Irish Brown Bread!

11. Irish Shortbread

Sticks of Irish Shortbread from the Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook.

A recipe straight from my Bigger Bolder Baking cookbook, which you can buy for over 100+ more desserts!

12. Irish Apple Crumble

Gemma Stafford with her mom, Patricia Stafford, holding bowls of authentic Irish Apple Crumble.

Another wonderful recipe I’ve made with my Mum for years, my Irish Apple Crumble!

13. Bailey’s Chocolate Pudding

Bailey's Chocolate Pudding Recipe in a Glass

Enjoy my Bailey’s Chocolate Pudding recipe, a rich chocolatey dessert with a touch of Irish for Saint Patrick’s Day or any time of year.

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Charu Gohel
Charu Gohel
4 years ago

Gemma you look so similar to your mom.

Sophia sofia
Sophia sofia
4 years ago

Hi Gemma,
Thanks for having all your Irish recipes in one place .. I have tried 3 of these and they were perfect : your mum’s Apple cake the Irish soda bread and the banoffe pie. I’m looking forward to see your video today.

Ps. Send my greetings to Kevin, baby George ,waffles and the bbb team . Have a great day !!

Sofia

Marilyn Daugherty
Marilyn Daugherty
4 years ago

We had an Irish restaurant in town for a few years and they made these rolls made with potato water. They were tasty. Do you have anything like this in your repertoire? Thanks so much. We, I for one, feel like part of your family. Love everything you do. Marilyn O’Daugherty (but hubbie’s fam dropped the O long time ago). I like it.

Karen Smith
Karen Smith
3 years ago

Gemma, do you ever make pasties? Our local pub has one with ham, mushroom, chicken and bechamel that I just love. I would really like to know how to make them if that is one of your dishes.
Thanks!

Sharon Foley
Sharon Foley
4 years ago

Love your recipes!

Margaret Lawson
Margaret Lawson
4 years ago

Oh Gemma there is such a lot to choose from, but i will have a go. Thank you for all those recipes. Youre an amazing baker. ❤️

Kiana
Kiana
1 year ago

Good Morning Gemma! I will be visiting Dublin I am so glad you have shared so many Irish recipes as I am looking so forward to trying the many goodies and of course the sites! Thank you for all that you do and share and I have made several of your recipes. All have been tremendously enjoyed!!

June Dempsey
June Dempsey
1 year ago

Gemma have you got a recipe for Irish treacle bread please, it’s my husbands favourite but I can’t find a recipe xx

Gary Jonathan
Gary Jonathan
3 years ago

Hi Gemma. I want to try some of these. My wife is Northern Irish from Belfast so the food she grew up with might be little different from what you did xxxx

hellono
hellono
4 years ago

Looks nice!

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About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

Weeknight Family Favorites Chapter from the Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook