There are certain days that practically demand something fun on the dessert table—something a little extra, a little festive, and guaranteed to make people hover near the platter “just to grab one more.” For me, anything St. Patrick’s Day-adjacent brings out that playful, celebratory energy: the laughter, the bright green everything, and the excuse to bake something that feels like a party in every bite.
These Baileys Irish Cream Swirl Cheesecake Bars are exactly that. They’re creamy, dreamy cheesecake squares with a bold cookie crust, a smooth Baileys-kissed filling, and gorgeous green swirls that look impressive without being fussy. Best of all? They travel well, slice neatly, and always seem to disappear fast—whether you’re celebrating in March or just craving a festive, grown-up cheesecake bar any time of year.
Why These Baileys Cheesecake Bars Are a Favorite
- Cheesecake, but portable. All the indulgence—none of the stress of slicing a whole cake at a party.
- Classic creamy texture. This filling bakes up rich, smooth, and perfectly set.
- Baileys + green swirl = instant celebration. That Irish cream flavor makes them feel extra special.
- Easy enough for any baker. No complicated steps, just simple mixing and swirling.
- Stackable and party-friendly. Great for potlucks, parties, and dessert trays.
Before You Begin – Here’s What You’ll Need :
Pro Tips for the Best Swirl Cheesecake Bars :
- Room temperature ingredients matter. Cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream blend smoother and reduce lumps.
- Use gel food coloring. It gives bright color without thinning the batter.
- Beat the cream cheese until truly creamy. If you rush this, you’ll end up with little pockets of cream cheese in the bars.
- Messy lines are totally fine. Once you swirl, it all becomes beautiful anyway.
- No food processor? Crush cookies in a zip-top bag—push out the air, seal, and crush with a rolling pin or heavy pan.
- Want a non-alcoholic version? Leave out the Baileys and the flour, then follow the recipe as written.
- Not into green? Swirl in any color you like—or skip the coloring entirely.
- Prefer a graham crust? Swap the cookie crust for your favorite graham cracker crust recipe.
- Cookie choice: Chocolate-with-chocolate-filling or dark chocolate sandwich cookies work especially well.
Baileys Irish Cream Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 Servings 1x
Description
St.Patrick’s Day Baileys Cheesecake Bars are the perfect green desserts to celebrate St.Patrick’s Day all year long. Creamy swirled green cheesecake made with Baileys Irish Cream, these St.Patrick’s Day Cheesecake Bars are the ultimate swirl cheesecake bars.
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
20–25 chocolate sandwich cookies
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
Cheesecake Filling
24 ounces cream cheese .. softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Green Food Gel Coloring
Instructions
1. To make St. Patrick’s Day Baileys Cheesecake Bars, start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees and adding a large pan of water to your bottom oven rack.
2. Begin your cheesecake bars by adding your chocolate sandwich cookies to a food processor and pulse until pulverized. Combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl and then pour the cookie mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Using your fingers or a spoon, firmly press the cookies evenly on the bottom and sides of the baking pan to make your crust. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese until creamy and then add in sugar and mix well. One by one, add in eggs and beat until each is incorporated before adding in the next one. Add in sour cream, salt, vanilla, all purpose flour and Baileys and continue mixing until you have a creamy filling. Transfer 1 cup of cheesecake filling evenly into two separate bowls and add light green food coloring to one bowl and regular green food coloring to the other. Mix the food coloring into the batter to combine.
4. Pour the white cheesecake filling on top of the cookie crust crust and smooth until even. Using a spoon, pour alternating lines of light green cheesecake filling and dark green cheesecake filling down the length of the cheesecake. Swirl the colors into the cheesecake filing using the back of knife (or a chopstick!) to create a beautiful swirl pattern being sure not to swirl all the way down the crust. The more swirls, the better..
5. Bake in oven for 50-55 minutes or until center is no longer wobbly. When baking time is done, turn off oven, open oven door and let your St. Patrick’s Day Baileys Cheesecake Bars sit for one hour in the open oven. Remove from oven and refrigerate overnight before pulling up on parchment paper and removing from baking pan. Cut into squares and serve!
Notes
Tips for Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Cheesecake Bars
Start with room temperature ingredients.
Bring your cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature before mixing. This helps everything blend smoothly and evenly for a silky batter.
Use vibrant gel food coloring.
I used neon green and classic green gel colors, but feel free to get creative! Pick any shades that fit your mood or the occasion.
Don’t skip the creaming step.
Beat the cream cheese until it’s completely smooth and fluffy. This step is key to avoiding lumps in your cheesecake bars.
Embrace the swirl.
If your green swirls look a little messy or uneven—no stress! It all blends together beautifully in the final bake.
No food processor? No problem.
Just place your sandwich cookies in a large zip-top bag, press out the air, and seal. Use a rolling pin or heavy pan to crush the cookies into fine crumbs.
Want a non-alcoholic version?
Skip the Baileys and the flour. Follow the rest of the recipe as-is for delicious green swirl cheesecake bars without the booze.
Not into green? Totally fine.
Use any color you like—or none at all! These bars are easy to customize for any celebration or mood.
Prefer graham cracker crusts?
Swap out the sandwich cookies and use your favorite graham cracker crust recipe instead.
Chocolate sandwich cookie lovers:
I recommend using chocolate cookies with a chocolate filling, or even a dark chocolate variety for an extra rich base.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16 servings
- Calories: 354.2kcal
- Sugar: 23g
- Sodium: 284.6mg
- Fat: 23.8g
- Saturated Fat: 12.3g
- Carbohydrates: 31.4g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 4.4g
- Cholesterol: 57.1mg