Smooth, creamy and sweet Mint Milkshake is also known as a Shamrock Shake and the epitome is the St. Patrick’s Day celebration! This homemade version of the copycat milkshake features vanilla ice cream and two types of mint flavor.
For more sweet treats, try my adult or kids version of the Grasshopper.
Table of Contents
We all have our favorite holidays and kids especially love to celebrate as many holidays as they can. While we’re all fans of all things Halloween and Christmas… St. Patrick’s Day is right at the top of favorite and most fun holidays of the year! I can’t get enough of Corned Beef, Reuben Sandwiches and some boozy Irish Coffee. And of course, we must make shamrock shakes for kids and adults!
Wondering what is a shamrock shake? It is a popular mint milkshake that McDonald’s features around St. Patrick’s Day every year. Essentially, it’s a vanilla milkshake that’s all dressed up with mint flavors and a dash of green food coloring just for fun (to help you feel the Irish spirit).
All you need to make a homemade shamrock shake is some ice cream, milk, mint leaves, peppermint extract and green food coloring. Oh, and don’t forget the whipped cream on top of course! It’s a simple recipe that always makes me smile. My kids beg for it every year!
Ingredient Notes
Vanilla Ice Cream – choose your favorite brand of vanilla ice cream because it is the base for the whole milkshake. (If needed, you can use a milk alternative vanilla ice cream like oat milk or casher milk ice cream.)
Green Food Coloring – It’s an optional little addition to make the milkshake fun and festive for the holiday.
Whole Milk – This helps to create the best smooth, creamy consistency. (If needed, use oat milk as a milk alternative.)
Mint Leaves – Fresh mint is great to enhance the flavor of mint in the ice cream. If you have any left over, use them to make Honey Mint Green Iced Tea or a batch of Mojitos.
Peppermint Extract – A little goes a long way! Measure with care because it’s quite potent.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make a Mint Milkshake
Measure. Measure everything with care and add to a blender (1).
Blend. Blend everything together until smooth (2).
Topping Options
There are so many ways to top off your mint milkshake! Here are just a few of my favorites:
- Whipped cream
- Cherries
- Green and/or orange sprinkles
- Chocolate shavings
- Chocolate syrup
- Green decorating sugar
- Thin mint cookies (crushed)
Variations to Try
Change up this mint milkshake recipe with any of these fun variations:
- Mint Chocolate Chip: Mix in 1/2 cup of either semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips and make sure to blend well.
- Oreos: Add 6-8 Oreo cookies to the blender and blend well. Add the amount of Oreo cookies based on personal preference.
- Thin Mint: You can add about 6-8 thin mint cookies and 3-4 tablespoons of dark chocolate syrup to the blender with the other ingredients to create a delicious thin mint milkshake.
- Boozy: Some great liquors to add are vodka, rum, creme de menthe (check out my Grasshopper recipe) and cream the cocoa (if you’re making mint chocolate chip shake).
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Simply use plant based or lactose free vanilla ice cream as the base. Personally, I love oat milk ice cream. It’s rich and creamy and makes great milkshakes. As far as milk, use a milk alternative like oat milk or almond milk. Or, to make it lactose free, use lactose free whole milk.
While fresh mint is totally optional here, it adds a great natural mint flavor! I highly recommend it.
Yes, you can use gel food coloring instead of regular food coloring but it will take more of it.
More Fun St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
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Shamrock Shake – Mint Milkshake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 5-6 fresh large mint leaves
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 8-10 drops green food coloring
- 3/4 cup whipped cream topping
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in the blender and pulse until completely smooth.
- Divide the milkshake mixture among glasses and top it off with some whipped cream if you wish.
Notes
- Dairy Free/ Lactose Free Alternative – use plant based or lactose free vanilla ice cream as the base. I recommend oat milk ice cream because it is creamy, rich, and usually nut-free. As far as milk, use a milk alternative like oat milk or almond milk. Or, to make it simply lactose free, use lactose free whole milk.
- Topping options: Whipped cream, cherries, green and/or orange sprinkles, chocolate shavings, chocolate syrup, green decorating sugar, thin mint cookies (crushed).
Caroline says
As I’m reading this recipe again, I noticed that you have added the whipped cream to the other ingredients and combined them together in the blender. Is that correct? Then top with additional whipped cream?
Caroline says
Thank you for this recipe. I love McDonald’s shamrock shake and the reason is because it’s not overly powered by the mint. Could I leave out the fresh mint leaves as I don’t use them so I don’t have any readily available and I’m afraid it would be too minty. Thank you again for posting this. Your presentation is beautiful.