A homemade spin on the iconic fast food Shamrock Shake made with vanilla ice cream, milk, mint extract, and green food coloring. So easy to make!
It’s that time of the year again – Shamrock Shake season! I confess that although I’m not a huge fan of fast food, I will happily make the trek to my local McDonald’s for one of their famous Shamrock Shakes. Creamy and minty, these shakes are synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day and are only sold in the spring.
McDonald’s recently announced that they’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary Shamrock Shake. In honor of this historic event, we’re sharing our copycat Shamrock Shake recipe.
This homemade version is made with just four simple ingredients, so skip the drive through and make your own milkshake at home.
What Is A Shamrock Shake?
The Shamrock Shake was created in 1967 by the owner of a McDonald’s franchise in Connecticut in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. In 1970, McDonald’s starting selling the drink nationwide. Their shake was an instant success.
Ingredients
This is not McDonald’s Shamrock Shake recipe. According to McDonald’s website, they use vanilla soft-serve ice cream, “Shamrock Syrup”, and whipped cream.
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- vanilla ice cream
- milk
- green food coloring
- mint extract
How To Make A Copycat Shamrock Shake
- Place ice cream in a blender.
- Add milk.
- Add extract and food coloring and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a tall glass
- Top with whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, and green sprinkles for a festive appearance.
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Pro Tip: This recipe can be doubled, tripled, and quadrupled if you’re serving more than one.
Tips For Making A Shamrock Shake
- For a super creamy shake, use the richest ice cream you can find.
- You can substitute lower fat milk or almond milk in this recipe. The shake won’t be as rich and creamy but it will still be delicious.
- Be sure to use mint extract for a true authentic Shamrock Shake flavor. Using peppermint extract will make the shake taste more like a candy cane.
- A little extract goes a long way. We recommend starting out with 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract and add more, a drop or two at a time if you would like a more minty flavor.
- Add crushed Oreo cookies to the ingredients in your blender and create a copycat Shamrock McFlurry.
Can You Add Alcohol?
Yes, you might like to add Creme De Menthe or Baileys Irish Cream for a boozy milkshake.
Do I Have To Use Ice Cream?
This recipe is made with full fat ice cream and as with milkshakes, using ice cream is pretty essential. You could go for a reduced fat ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt instead.
Other St. Patrick’s Day Inspired Recipes
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this recipe, you might consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Ice cream: Knickerbocker Glory, Bananas Foster, Cherry Pie Topping
- Food coloring: Small Batch Sugar Cookies, Mardi Gras Meringues
- Milk: Panna Cotta, Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Pudding, French Toast
- Mint extract: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 10 drops green food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon mint extract , feel free to add a drop or two more if you prefer a more minty flavor. Just be careful, a little goes a long way.
Optional Ingredients
- whipped cream
- a maraschino cherry
- green sprinkles
Instructions
- Add the the ice cream, milk, food coloring, and extract to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
- Top with whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, and green sprinkles if desired.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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That color is absolutely amazing! And the recipe is perfect for this time of the year – makes you want to crave warmer days so much!
Best idea ever to give my kids an extra special treat. I’ve never thought of making these at home!
We’ve already made these twice since finding the recipe! They are delicious and SO much better than McDonald’s!
My son loves Shamrock Shakes but is always disappointed when they are gone. With this great recipe we make them all year long!
We love this copycat version of the Shamrock Shake!! So good and we can have it whenever we want, no need to get in the car!
Shamrock Shake “season” is one of my favorites of the year. Thanks for sharing your version of this classic!