It’s that time of year and I’m excited to share this McDonald’s copy cat Shamrock Shake recipe! Lol. Personally the shamrock shake is one of my favorites. I love the flavor of all things mint. We do a lot of little cooking and craft projects at home with our sons around the more minor holidays like St. Patrick’s Day so having a homemade shamrock shake recipe on hand is the way to go.
You can dress this up with crushed Oreos or Lucky Charm marshmallows. Or for a more adult version add a shot or two of espresso. I tend to make these with my kids I really go for it with the green food coloring (ha!) but if you want a more subtle color or even no color at all that’s easy to adjust.
Related: Next try our Wendy’s Frosty recipe or learn how to make a Root Beer Float.
Ingredients
- Vanilla ice cream
- Milk
- Mint extract
- Green food coloring
- Whipped cream
How to make a Shamrock Shake
It’s a little tricky to measure ice cream. I use a glass measuring cup but honestly you can simply eyeball it into your blender. Lean toward too much vs too little for a thicker milkshake.
In a blender add the ice cream, milk, extract and green food coloring. Blend until well combined.
Pour into your cup and top with whipped cream.
Tips Notes + Substitutions
- I like to use Blue Bunny Soft Vanilla Flavored Frozen Dairy Dessert in this recipe but any vanilla ice cream will work! We tend to buy this kind and the texture is softer and makes the final milkshake a little more airy / foamy and feels even more like the McDonald’s version to me.
- Mint extract is more authentic for this recipe but if you already have peppermint extract (maybe from Christmas baking) that is fine too. They do taste slightly different but both make a wonderful Shamrock shake.
- I used 10 drops of green food dye to get the vibrant color you see in these photos. Use less if you want a more subtle color or skip the food dye altogether.
- Make your own whipped cream or used a canned version for a more authentic copy cat experience.
- If you want to make this dairy free you can use dairy free ice cream, milk and whipped cream.
- These cups with dome lids are great for a party, otherwise any 12 oz cup will do.
More Milkshake and Smoothie Recipes
- Classic Milkshake
- Donut Milkshake
- Bushwacker
- Homemade Frappuccino
- Coconut Smoothie
- Banana Smoothie
- Blueberry Smoothie
- Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Shamrock Shake
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon mint extract
- 8-10 drops green food dye
- ½ cup whipped cream
Instructions
-
It’s a little tricky to measure ice cream. I use a glass measuring cup but honestly you can simply eyeball it into your blender. Lean toward too much vs too little for a thicker milkshake.
-
In a blender add the ice cream, milk, extract and green food coloring.
-
Blend until well combined.
-
Pour into your cup and top with whipped cream.
Notes
- I like to use Blue Bunny Soft Vanilla Flavored Frozen Dairy Dessert in this recipe but any vanilla ice cream will work! We tend to buy this kind and the texture is softer and makes the final milkshake a little more airy / foamy and feels even more like the McDonald’s version to me.
- Mint extract is more authentic for this recipe but if you already have peppermint extract (maybe from Christmas baking) that is fine too. They do taste slightly different but both make a wonderful Shamrock shake.
- I used 10 drops of green food dye to get the vibrant color you see in these photos. Use less if you want a more subtle color or skip the food dye altogether.
- Make your own whipped cream or used a canned version for a more authentic copy cat experience.
- If you want to make this dairy free you can use dairy free ice cream, milk and whipped cream.
- These cups with dome lids are great for a party, otherwise any 12 oz cup will do.