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Make a homemade Shamrock Shake – this is a copycat recipe full of vanilla ice cream and mint flavor. Making them at home means you can have them all year long – this is such an easy recipe!
What is a Shamrock Shake?
A shamrock shake is a mint and vanilla seasonal favorite that is a highly coveted treat they sell at McDonald’s during March, for St. Patrick’s Day. I think they appear sometime in February but they disappear after March. It’s creamy and probably one of the best milkshakes in the entire world – so of course I had to make my own recipe!
If you’re craving a shamrock shake but lamenting that it isn’t in season (or maybe it is, and you can’t be bothered to trek to the drive-thru), you’ve got the luck of the Irish – this copycat shamrock shake recipe tastes just like the real deal: the perfect milkshake consistency with a creamy texture and tons of mint flavor.
Shamrock Shake Ingredients
- Ice cream – Traditionally you’d use vanilla bean ice cream, but you could also use chocolate or mint chip ice cream. Use any brand you like.
- Milk – You can make homemade milkshakes with whole milk, nonfat, heavy cream, or any nondairy milk.
- Peppermint extract – This gives that telltale mint flavor – skip the mint extract and grab peppermint. To me, mint extract tastes like toothpaste.
- Food coloring – You can use liquid food coloring or gel, but if you use gel be sure not to add too much!
How to Make a Shamrock Shake at Home
- Decorate your glass: If you want to make your milkshake snazzy, pour a bit of honey onto a plate (a spot as large as the rim of your glass) and a bit of green sprinkles or sugar onto a second plate. Dip the rim of your glass into the honey, fully covering it, and then dip the rim into the sugar. Then, set your glass to the side.
- Blend: Blend ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, and a few drops of green food coloring thoroughly in a blender until completely smooth.
- Pour: Pour the milkshake into your prepared glasses. Finally, top it off with some whipped cream one (or two) maraschino cherries.
Expert Tips
- To avoid an overpowering flavor, you’ll want to do some taste tests while adding the peppermint extract. Start with 1/4 tsp and work up from there.
- Just like the peppermint extract, don’t go too wild with the food coloring. Try just a couple of drops at first, then add more as needed.
FAQs
I prefer to use regular food coloring, but gel works too. Just know that it will take more gel food coloring to get the desired color!
Yes! To make this recipe dairy-free, throw a 3.4 oz box of vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk, 2 to 3 cups of ice, ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract, and 3 drops of food coloring into a blender. Simple!
Copycat Shamrock Shake Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1-2 cups milk see note
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract see note
- 3-4 drops green food coloring
- Whipped cream for garnish
- Cherry for garnish
- Honey and Green Sanding Sugar for garnish
Instructions
- If you wish to decorate your glass, place some honey on a plate and green sugar on another
- plate. Dip the glass in the honey then the sugar to make it stick. Set aside.
- Place ice cream, milk, extract, and food coloring in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour milkshake into glasses. Top with whipped cream and a cherry.
Recipe Notes
- Taste test before pouring to see if you want to add more peppermint extract. It’s a
strong flavor so you want to be sure it’s not overpowering. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and work up from there. - Start by adding less food coloring and add more as desired. I prefer regular food coloring for this – gel will need much less to get the desired color.
- This recipe has been updated. The old recipe is a shamrock shake without ice cream. Here’s what you need to make it: 2 cups Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla
Almondmilk, 1 about 3.4 ounces box vanilla pudding mix (regular or sugar-free), 1/2
teaspoon peppermint extract, 3 drops green food coloring, 2-3 cups ice. Blend until
smooth and serve.
Recipe Nutrition
This post was originally sponsored by Almond Breeze in 2017 and it has been updated.
Substitutions + Variations
- You can use any kind of non-dairy milk, like almond milk or coconut milk.
- Use any brand or flavor ice cream. The more traditional your ice cream the thicker and more like the original your shake will be (i.e. you can use low fat ice cream but your shake won’t be as much like the McDonald’s version).
- Make a boozy shake by adding some crème de menthe. Or add some vanilla vodka, whipped vodka, or Baileys Irish Cream.
- Oreo Shamrock McFlurries are also a favorite – simply add 2 Oreo cookies to your blender with all the other ingredients. You may need a little more milk to help it smooth out.
Was 👍 great
This shake is yummy! It was exactly as I had hoped. I am on the Keto diet. After seeing an ad for a peppermint shake, I started really craving one. I went on Pinterest trying to find a Keto friendly one. This hit the spot!! And I don’t feel guilty about drinking it. Thanks SO much for the recipe! I can’t wait to make it for my kids.
I love this recipe. It’s DELICIOUS!
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