How to Make a Shamrock Shake

How to Make a Shamrock Shake – Today you can learn how to make a Shamrock Shake in less than 5 minutes. Oh, and if the dairy-filled McDonald’s Shamrock Shake doesn’t make your tummy feel good, then don’t you worry.

Because this healthier version of the Shamrock Shake is going to make you feel amazing with no heaviness in the gut.

- Table of Contents -

1. Inspired by McDonald’s Shamrock Shake
2. Shamrock Shake Flavor
3. Kitchen Favorites

Inspired by McDonald’s Shamrock Shake

Every year in March, McDonald’s Shamrock Shake appears on the menu. And my growing son, Jack just loves these shakes. At least 2-3 times during the season, I’ll hit the drive-thru and let him indulge. Our house rule is that if you eat healthy 90% of the time, then we can be flexible on some of these special treats.

Unfortunately, for our daughter and I – we cannot have the McDonald’s Shake, even occasionally. (According to Abigail, “It’s just so sad.”) Because we are both severely lactose intolerant… and we know that milk does NOT do a body good, we skip it.

Of course, we have loads of milk alternatives here on the site for this very reason. Click here to check them out.

How to Make a Shamrock Shake without Ice Cream

So, unfortunately we can’t have the famous McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. Which means, another new recipe to think up at home. And to share with you!

There are three must-haves when it comes to teaching you how to make a shamrock shake. It must be creamy, minty and green! So, here’s how we did that with healthy ingredients.

#1: Make it Creamy:

To make it creamy, we put a few cans of coconut cream in the fridge overnight. You can also pop this in the freezer for about 1 hour to get the same effect. The “cream” part is the thick, rich and non-watery part of canned coconut.

So, once the coconut milk is cold, carefully remove the top with a can opener. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the hardened coconut “cream” off the top. The “cream” is how to make a shamrock shake creamy and rich tasting. You can reserve the liquid water for other smoothies. Two more to go!

#2: Make it Minty:

A delightfully mint flavor is imperative when you are learning how to make this recipe. Too much is not good and too little isn’t enough. So, we suggest you measure out 1/8 of a teaspoon of mint extract. Blend! If it’s not minty enough add another 1/8 of a teaspoon.

If you have access to fresh mint, go ahead and toss in a few mint leaves. You can always add more – but once you add the mint, you can’t take it away.

#3: Make it Green:

To be honest, this is my FAVORITE part. Only because I know it makes the kids curious how healthy the dish is that I’m making. Well, if you want to learn how to make a shamrock shake that is both delicious and nutritious – then you must use this for your naturally green coloring.

Spinach. Yep, just a handful will do you. Baby spinach is better because it’s tender and has less flavor. But, skip the artificial flavors an go right for the bright green natural color provided by nature.

Shamrock Shake Flavor

Now for that delicious Shamrock Shake Flavor. Of course, I’m not going to stretch the truth and tell you that it tastes exactly like McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.

But, the best I can tell you is to envision a big tall chilled glass of frothy minty cream. Our recipe is definitely delicious, perfectly flavored with mint and it is very rich and creamy, which makes it rather filling.

Thin Out or Thicken Up Your Shake

If you want to thin it out a bit, the best way to do so is to add a bit more ice rather than more water. You can also freeze the smoothie and make Shamrock Shake Popsicles.

Speaking of popsicles… be sure to try my recipes for Fudgesicles,  Pina Colada Pops, and 4-Ingredient Blackberry Popsicles!

For those of you with food allergies and food sensitivities, it’s helpful to know this recipe meets the following dietary restrictions: dairy free, egg free, nut free, gluten fee, vegetarian and vegan.

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