If you are from anywhere around my generation, the mere sight of this milky green concoction brings back childhood memories, and the song “My Milkshake Brings All the Boys to the Yard” is humming in your head. When it comes time for Shamrock Shake season, I can’t turn one of these down, so I decided to recreate it at home.
My kids aren’t fans of mint so I omit it when I make this for them. You can do the same or feel free to add whatever flavor you want. The important part is that it’s green and looks pretty!
I also take the traditional shake up a notch with pretty sprinkles and frosting that the kids can lick as they slurp down this delicious milkshake. And don’t sleep on serving it in fun glasses! These malt glasses are perfect to keep around for any kiddy drinks!
Ingredients
You can keep these simple ingredients in your fridge, freezer, and pantry so that you can make these shakes whenever you have a craving.
- Vanilla Ice Cream – I like to make my own vanilla bean ice cream, but store-bought works just as well. You may want to leave it on the counter for a few minutes to let it soften before scooping.
- Whole Milk – Full-fat milk will give you the creamiest results but you can use other varieties if that’s what you have on hand.
- Liquid Green Food Coloring – This is what gives the shake its festive color. Feel free to add more or less to adjust the color.
- Mint Extract – Keep in mind that mint is not the same flavor as spearmint or peppermint. If you want the authentic McDonald’s version and flavor, use mint flavoring.
- Vanilla Frosting – The frosting adds another element of sweetness and helps the sprinkles adhere to the glass. Store-bought frosting will work just fine, or you can easily make vanilla buttercream frosting to use.
- St. Patrick’s Day Festive Sprinkles – I like to use green and gold sprinkles but you can use any color you like. Plain green sprinkles or rainbow sprinkles work well, too!
- Whipped Cream – The spray bottles of whipped cream from the grocery store work well for adding it to the top but you can also spoon dollops of homemade whipped cream on, too.
- Maraschino Cherries – These bright red cherries create a bright pop of color on top of the milkshake.
How to Make a Shamrock Shake
When you’re whipping up this quick shake, make sure to garnish the glass first so it’s ready when the shake is blended.
- Add icing to glass. To decorate the glass, start by applying vanilla frosting around the entire rim of the glass. Using an offset spatula or a butter knife is the easiest way..
- Roll in sprinkles. Roll the rim over the top of the sprinkles that have been poured onto a plate.
- Blend milkshake ingredients. Add all of the milkshake ingredients to a blender. Blend until all ingredients are combined and the color is consistent throughout.
- Add to glasses and garnish. Transfer to the garnished glasses. Add a dollop of whipped cream and top with maraschino cherries.
What to Serve With a Shamrock Shake
This sweet shake is a delicious drinkable dessert all by itself but you can also serve it with other St. Patrick’s Day-themed sweets. Try serving it with treats like St. Patrick’s Day dunkaroo dip, pot of gold puppy chow, rainbow cupcakes, or grasshopper cheesecake bars.
Variations
This shake is meant to be fun — play around with different flavors and textures to make it your own!
- Extract – You can switch up the flavor of the shake by using different extracts. However, adding extracts that are not clear can alter the color of the shake.
- Food Coloring – If you use professional-grade or gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring, you can use less to achieve the same color.
- Ice Cream – You can use any light-colored ice cream that you like in place of vanilla ice cream. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is a great option!
- Add-Ins – You can mix other ingredients in for more texture and sweet flavor. Crumbled Oreo cookies, mini chocolate chips (or white chocolate chips), or crushed graham crackers all work well.
- Frosting – You can use a different flavor of frosting or add green food coloring to the vanilla to make it even more festive. Go with a chocolate mint flavor by using chocolate frosting.
- Toppings – A drizzle of chocolate syrup or fudge sauce over the top of the shake perfectly complements the minty flavor. You can also sprinkle green sugar over the top of the whipped cream.
- Liquor – Transform this drink into an adult beverage by blending in vodka, whiskey, or your favorite spirit. Liqueurs like crème de menthe and Irish cream work well too.
- Vegan/Dairy-Free – To make this a vegan-friendly milkshake, use your favorite vegan ice cream and blend it with coconut milk or almond milk.
- Fruit – If you’re trying to sneak in a little fiber and other nutrients, try blending in a frozen banana or other fruits.
Storage and Freezing
Homemade milkshakes are best when you drink them straight from the blender. However, if you do wind up with leftovers, it’s best to store them in the freezer.
Storing Shamrock Shake in Refrigerator
If you store the shake in the refrigerator, it will lose its thick consistency. But, if you’re okay with that, you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Shake, stir, or blend it back together if it separates.
Storing Shamrock Shake in Freezer
You can store a milkshake in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 weeks. Let it thaw briefly in the refrigerator before blending it back together to revive its creamy texture.
Common Questions about Shamrock Shakes
The original McDonald’s shake uses a proprietary syrup along with low-fat vanilla ice cream and light whipped cream. Our version has ice cream, whole milk, mint extract, and food coloring with whipped cream and sprinkles on top.
Shamrock shakes are creamy and sweet with flavors of both vanilla and mint.
Created in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, the original Shamrock Shake gets its green hue from the proprietary syrup McDonald’s uses to make it. In this copycat Shamrock Shake recipe, we use mint extract and green food coloring to achieve the green color.
More Fun Drinks
We love a fun drink around here, whether it’s an after dinner cocktail or a fun coffee beverage!
Homemade White Hot Chocolate Recipe
Whipped Hot Chocolate
Dalgona Whipped Coffee
Homemade Shamrock Shake Recipe
Ingredients
Shamrock Shake:
- 2 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 3/4 cups whole milk
- 5-10 drops liquid green food coloring*
- 1/4 mint extract
Garnish:
- 1-2 tablespoons vanilla frosting
- St. Patrick's Day festive sprinkles
- whipped cream
- maraschino cherries
Instructions
Garnish:
- Using a butter knife, spread the vanilla frosting about 1 inch down on the rim of your milkshake glasses.
- Spread the sprinkles in a shallow dish or plate and rolling the tacky frosting in the sprinkles. Set aside until you make the milkshakes.
Milkshakes:
- In a large blender, combine the ice cream, whole milk, food coloring and mint extract. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into prepared milkshake glasses.
- Top with whipped cream and maraschino cherries.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
I made these last night and my kids were sooooo happy! They tasted great!
This was incredible! Will be making these for st patricks again!
What I love most about this copycat recipe, other than that its delicious, is that I can now make this anytime I want. Yummy!
Had a bottle of mint extract and no clue what to do with it — this was the perfect recipe for it, thank you!
So good and better than McDonald’s- I used better ice cream.