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)
Yum! Great recipe, thanks for the idea. Love the green. I like some ice to make it thicker (I don’t use a whole banana). Also some vanilla.
Just made this recipe today (following your cookbook’s similar recipe), and it was SO GOOD. The flavors tasted just like a “real” mint chocolate chip shake. This is a definite keeper! Especially because every year in March I see those signs for McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes and I yearn for my childhood love of it, but as an adult I know it’s not healthy for me to have those. So this is the perfect replacement treat, and healthy too! Fantastic. Thanks, Katie! 😀
This sounds yummy. I will have to try it. I’m glad I’m not the only one who wanted more blue food. I think the green is why I loved mint chip, too.
Sounds delicious! Is there a banana alternative? I have a banana food sensitivity unfortunately and can’t try alot of these recipes.
Coconut meat (the flesh from a coconut). Or this one: https://lett-trim.today/2013/09/23/avocado-smoothie/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
This looks delicious! Is there anything I could for the banana? My mom doesn’t like banana in her shakes. :-/
I know this is an older post, but I had to chime in as I adore mint and chocolate! I like to make my mint shake with fresh mint leaves and tons of spinach 🙂 I’ve never added in chocolate chips, but I’m going to give that a try! Thanks!
I’m sure the entire idea of the banana is to sweeten, but I’m highly allergic to banana, and I was just wondering if there was a substitute? I see so many amazing smoothie and milkshake recipes and I get so excited and then I see banana and I have to pass. 🙁 I tried scrolling through the comments to see if anyone else asked for a banana substitute, but I couldn’t find it. I apologize if you’ve already answered this question. Thanks for your time. ❤️
Okay, never mind… I just found a second and third page of comments with others asking about the banana substitutes, too. I’ll try those. Sorry for the trouble. I know how annoying it can be to constantly repeat yourself or have the same question asked over and over again. Hahaha. Thank you for your amazing website, though!! <3
Never apologize for commenting! We love them on this blog! The chocolate version of the recipe says you can use 2/3 cup coconut meat. You could also use avocado and just add a little extra sweetener. https://lett-trim.today/2017/03/09/chocolate-shamrock-shake-recipe-healthy/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Jason (media relations)
For an “adult” version of this, you can swap out the Pepperonit Extract for some Dr. McGillicuddy’s peppermint schnapps. 😉
Ha! Love that idea!
Love this idea. I know my kiddos will, too.
Looks yummy. ?
I ran out of spinach so I made this with matcha instead and it was super duper good!! Such a great recipe and surprisingly refreshing!
OMG yay! I’m definitely making this for myself this week ?
I love mint chip ice cream! I also love spinach… so I really need to try this! Do you think I could freeze the remaining serving to enjoy at a later date.
What about fresh spinach? I don’t have frozen but I do have fresh!
I used to make something similar to a shamrock shake almost every day! They were delicious. I definitely have to get back into making them again!
I love this but I always taste the bannana, can i use greek yogurt instead?
You can definitely experiment! Be sure to report back if you do.