Healthy Shamrock Shake Recipe

4.98 from 128 votes
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A small McDonalds Shamrock Shake will set you back 460 calories and 64 grams of sugar! Do your health a favor, and make your own delicious and healthy shamrock shake recipe at home.

Vegan Shamrock Shake Recipe

How to make a healthy Shamrock Shake

The popular McDonalds Shamrock Shakes are back again.

And although those mint milkshakes might taste good for the few minutes they last, even the smallest size shamrock milkshake is full of empty calories and sugar, chemicals, additives, and food dyes.

So here is a quick, simple, thick, and super creamy recipe for how to make your own homemade healthy shamrock shake, right in your own kitchen.

Readers also love these Black Bean Brownies

Watch the step by step healthy shamrock shake recipe video above

Healthy Vegan Shamrock Shakes (Low Calorie Recipe)

Homemade healthy milkshakes

While I’ve always believed indulging in unhealthy food every once in a while is fine, I’ve also never been big on moderation.

If I enjoy something, I want it all the time!

With these healthy shamrock shakes, you don’t have to drink them in moderation.

The easy recipe takes under five minutes to make, uses natural ingredients to get that classic green hue, and it has NO refined sugar whatsoever.

Think of how much sugar you’re saving by drinking ZERO grams of refined sugar instead of 64. This healthy shamrock shake recipe is also way under 460 calories.

Trending right now: Vegan Hot Chocolate

Healthy Shamrock Shakes - A small McDonalds shake will set you back 530 calories & 73 grams of sugar... Do your health a favor and make your own healthy Shamrock Shakes at home! https://lett-trim.today/2011/02/24/raw-mint-chocolate-chip-milkshake/ @choccoveredkt
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Vegan shamrock shake ingredients

The recipe calls for the following: milk of choice, frozen spinach (or a few drops of food coloring), pure peppermint extract, chocolate chips or cacao nibs, and a frozen banana.

There’s no matcha required, and a banana free option is also included in the recipe.

While they don’t taste exactly like a McDonald’s thick shake (although if you use canned coconut milk, they are surprisingly milkshake-like), I actually like these vegan milkshakes even better. They don’t give you the lethargic consumed-too-much-sugar feeling when you’re done.

Feel free to use your favorite milk of choice here. Sometimes I use coconut milk for a more decadent shake, but more often I will use nondairy cashew milk or almond milk.

Lately when I’ve been making the plant based shakes, I haven’t bothered to turn them green. The white ones are still just as good, although admittedly not quite as fun.

*If you’re a chocoholic, try the Chocolate Shamrock Shake Recipe.

Shamrocks

Healthy shamrock shake serving suggestions

These healthy green smoothies are great for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Try serving them with a Tofu Scramble or these whole grain Banana Oatmeal Cookies, for a healthy breakfast you’ll want to make all year long.

Or enjoy one as a festive St. Patrick’s Day dessert. You can even add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to turn it into a high protein post workout treat.

One shamrock protein shake will have around 25-30 grams of protein!

Vegan Girl Drinking Green Smoothie

What’s your favorite milkshake flavor?

Mine’s always been mint chocolate chip. Although I do love the flavor, it’s the vibrant green color that enthralls me more than anything else.

Think of those gorgeously green Shamrock Shakes from McDonalds or the bright mint chocolate chip milkshakes from Baskin Robbins.

It goes back to when I was three years old and loved anything blue. Since our local Baskin Robbins didn’t make blue ice cream at the time, mint chocolate chip was the next best choice.

I went through a phase in middle school where I’d drink a Baskin Robbins mint chocolate chip milkshake every single day after school.

And now?

Well now it’s been over seven years since I first came up with this vegan and healthy shamrock shake recipe, and yet here I am still making them for myself at least once a week!

Try topping your Shamrock Shake with homemade Coconut Whipped Cream.

Secretly Healthy Shamrock Shake Recipe

The recipe was inspired by this Green Smoothie Recipe.

4.98 from 128 votes

Healthy Shamrock Shake Recipe

Do your health a favor, and make your own delicious healthy shamrock shake recipe at home!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 1 frozen banana (or make this banana-free Avocado Smoothie Recipe)
  • cacao nibs or chocolate chips, as desired
  • 1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract
  • 1 scoop protein powder, optional
  • 1/4 cup frozen spinach, optional
  • I usually add scant 1/8 tsp salt to bring out the flavor

Instructions 

  • *If you can’t get on board with the green smoothie thing, you can opt for green food coloring or just drink a white peppermint shake, which is just as delicious. Or add a pinch of spirulina!
    Feel free to use your favorite milk of choice. Canned coconut milk will give it a rich milkshake-like taste, but I also really love the lighter results of using cashewmilk or almond milk. Make sure the banana you use is at least somewhat brown so you don't get that unripe earthy banana flavor in your mint chocolate shake. To make the shake: Blend all ingredients in a blender until completely smooth. You can add the chocolate chips either before or after blending. Be sure to use pure peppermint extract, not imitation.
    View Nutrition Facts

Video

Notes

Also be sure to try these Homemade Chocolate Bars.
 
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Healthy Drink Ideas

Easy Frappuccino Recipe

Frappuccino Recipe

Strawberry Smoothies

Strawberry Smoothies ( NO banana)

Powdered Peanut Butter Recipe Smoothie

Healthy Chocolate Frosty

Chocolate Peanut Butter Acai Bowl Recipes

Acai Bowl Recipes

peanut butter banana shake

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

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More About The Cookbook

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox, The Huffington Post, and ABC’s 5 O’clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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357 Comments

  1. Albizia says:

    Although I hate mint, I must admit the color is pretty 🙂 .

    I’ve tried only the basics – strawberry and chocolate. I haven’t even tried vanilla (shame on me!). But if there was banana and coffee milkshake available, I would drink it pretty often.

  2. Kayla (Little Miss Healthify) says:

    Oooh, yummy! Love the color!!
    I make smoothies with mint extract and spinach too! Only I add chocolate protein powder for a Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie shake!!

    1. Sarah C. says:

      I’m gonna try that!

    2. ally says:

      yum yum! definitely a MUST try!

  3. Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin says:

    Wow this looks amazing Katie!! Love the idea of a mint chocolate chip smoothie. Yum!

  4. Ellen @ Undercover Runner Eats says:

    Just in time for Shamrock Shake season!

    1. Chocolate-Covered Katie says:

      Exactly! I felt pressured to get all my Valentine recipes up before the actual day, so I’m starting early this time! 🙂

  5. Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn says:

    Girl this sounds exactly like my chocolate milkshake recipe, but with mint extract added! Yummy idea, I can’t wait to add peppermint next time!:)

  6. Stefanie says:

    That sounds so good and refreshing. 🙂

  7. Anita Ruiz says:

    Funny you should post this I was just complaining how I miss my mint n chip milk shakes from Baskin Robbins. Its been about two years since and I am really excited to try this new recipe. Thank you for bringing a smile to a woman who misses her ice cream store experiences.

    1. Chocolate-Covered Katie says:

      Aww, your sweet comment made ME smile. 🙂

  8. eatandrun says:

    Mint chocolate chip was always my favorite too!

  9. Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says:

    This sounds delicous and so good for you! 🙂

  10. Sarah C. says:

    Photos look GORGEOUS! I want a mint milkshake now, and I don’t even like mint! LOL!

  11. Erika says:

    You read my mind! I was just thinking about St. Patricks Day and wondering if I could find a good replacement for those McDonalds shamrock shakes. Thanks Katie!!!

  12. Gen says:

    yum!! mint choc chip is one of my favorite flavors, too!!! =D

  13. Alyssa says:

    THAT is my favorite flavor for a milkshake! I am obsessed with mint chocolate chip – and it has to be green 🙂

    1. chocolate-covered katie says:

      I agree lol. Once, my mom bought Dryers (or Breyers, I forget), and the mint cc is not green. Greedy child that I was, I wouldn’t eat it!

  14. Carrie (Moves 'N Munchies) says:

    oh my wow. like WOW that looks so dreamy.. I, myself am a HUGE fan of mint- i had my first mint jocolat bar last week and the love story began…
    and i TOTALLY go for the xantham gum add in too… thick + creamy > thin + runny
    (gotta love my math skills, ey!?)

    okay im thinking.. a cookie dough shake.. BUT i have zero clue on how that would work…..

    1. chocolate-covered katie says:

      Hmmm… maybe leave out the peppermint and spinach, and add cookie dough fudge babies!

    2. Linda @ the Fitty says:

      This is so much better than MacDonald! I myself would like to see cookies and cream so I don’t have to buy a mcflurrie.

  15. Sarahishealthy says:

    And you’ve done it again. Genius! It’s beautiful, and now I know what I’m having for snack today :).

  16. Leslie says:

    I have so many of your recipes bookmarked, miss Katie. And now you go and throw in another one! Can you please write a cookbook already, so I can have them all in one place? 😉

    Oh, and my favorite milkshake is vegan chocolate!