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.
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
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
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.
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!
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.
The recipe was inspired by this Green Smoothie Recipe.
Healthy Shamrock Shake Recipe
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
Healthy Drink Ideas
Strawberry Smoothies ( NO banana)
Dear God this is DELICIOUS. I Pinned it as “…a.k.a. How to get your kids to BEG for spinach!” And, it’s true!! They do!!
Don’t know what happened with mine, but It didn’t turn out at all 🙁 I couldn’t taste the mint so I added more, but that just tasted bad, and I couldn’t taste the chocolate through the banana. I’m so sad!
Be sure you used pure peppermint extract, not mint or imitation. It really does make a difference.
I did 🙁 100% pure peppermint extract.
Also what brand of coconut milk do you use to get thick and creamy consistency from your frosting shots? I bought Thai Kitchen and put it in the fridge but it stayed liquid, and the watery part didn’t sink to the bottom at all.
Thank you for this. I’ve been making milkshakes with pre-frozen cubes of almond milk, and I never thought to do a mint chip version, even though it’s my favorite flavor of ice cream. Just made it tonight with almond milk cubes, almond milk, a splash of half-and-half, some stevia, peppermint extract and homemade sugar-free chocolate (no banana, as I’m doing the low-carb thing), and it was delicious!
Yes! I love chocolate mint combos, and this shake is great! (And nope, no strong spinach flavor and only mild hint of banana.) I like to freeze half the quantity of milk for these recipes so they come out more shake-like. I was curious about quantities, so I tried ~1/4 cup chocolate chips, and between 1/8 and 1/4 tsp peppermint extract. I added 1 TB of cocoa, so mine came out kind of swampy green (oh well). It’s tasty, frosty, & chocolatey-pepperminty – yum!!
Frozen Spinach is cooked… <3
I made this last year, except that I used the nettle that grows in my garden for a hint of green, instead of spinach. It was really good! I was just reminded because the nettle is sprouting again, definitely going to have another one this year. Maybe two 🙂
Hi CCK!
Do you know where I can buy imitation peppermint extract? I’ve tried it at amazon but it’s super expensive and I had no luck at Shoppers. I don’t want to buy it in bulk either, since a little goes a long way with extracts. If you’re wondering why I can’t use pure, it’s because it has alcohol in it and that’s prohibited in my religion.
Thanks! =)
I wouldn’t recommend anything but pure peppermint extract. There’s a big difference in taste. I buy mine at most grocery stores near the vanilla extract.
Hi there! I just want you to know that all of your posts are AMAZING and that I will be on this site a LOT in the future. Thanks!!!!! ~ You rock!!! <3
Just tried this one Katie! I used only half a banana but it was perfectly sweet enough for me! I was really craving mint chocolate, what a great way to have it dairy free. Thanks!
I made this smoothie for breakfast this morning and it was sooo delicious! Thanks so much for introducing me to my new go-to breakfast. I did a bit of a variation in case you wanna try it (I didn’t have a banana)… I used:
almond milk and coconut milk
Frozen spinach
Peppermint extract
Vanilla protein powder
Peppermint extract
And dark chocolate chips
I couldn’t taste the spinach at all, not that I’d mind… But it tasted purely like a dessert. I might make this again for dinner :/
I just love it <3
It's just funny because I made the same type of shake on Monday 🙂 I only replaced banana into avocado, it gives green color instead of spinach if smb (like me) doesn't like it in his shake.
btw I love Your blog 😀
Just made this for a festive dessert…it was SO delish! &SO good for you! I used a big handful of fresh spinach instead of frozen and only half a banana (I thought it was plenty sweet). I will be making this a lot in the future! Thank you very much for the recipe & for running this awesome blog!
Made this tonight! I used almond coconut milk, didn’t have spinach in the house, but DID have mint chocolate chips in the freezer from christmas!! DELISH!!!
I love spinach and banana smoothies and of course there better served in a bowl!
YUM! just made one for breakfast- my color was not as intensely green- it was deelish!!
Just made this for a late St. Patrick’s Day treat! So good! I’m going to blog about your recipe later today.
Thanks for the awesome recipe! 🙂