McDonald’s famous Shamrock Shake has been a St. Patrick’s Day favorite since the ’70s. But, as we all know, there’s a lot that goes into getting that shake. From the long lines to the occasionally broken milkshake machine, sometimes all the effort for one green shake doesn’t seem worth it. That’s why there’s no wonder that there are tons of copycat recipes out there for the famous St. Patty’s Day treat.
But before we make it ourselves, it’s important to know where the shake came from. McDonald’s introduced the Shamrock Shake in 1970, but the recipe was different back then. Originally, it was a lemon-lime flavored shake with vanilla syrup. But that only lasted for about three years. After that, the shake was just a basic vanilla shake, except it had the novelty green color. Not much changed until two years ago, when McDonald’s released other “Shamrock” themed beverages, such as the Shamrock Chocolate Shake. There was a Shamrock themed Frappe, Mocha, and Hot Chocolate. Today the shake is just minty-vanilla, and it’s still green.
The biggest thing that has changed since the original release of the shake? Now people want to make it for themselves. There are countless copycat recipes, healthier recipes, vegan recipes, and more for the Shamrock Shake.
The most basic copycat recipe is the McCormick version, found on SheKnows.com.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon green food coloring
- Whipped cream and green sprinkles (optional)
Directions:
- In a blender, add ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, and green food coloring. Cover and blend until smooth.
- Pour into glasses, top with whipped cream and sprinkles (optional). Serve immediately.
A healthier version of the shake includes avocado and spinach, and it can be found on WellnessMama.com.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon mint extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ avocado peeled
- ¼ cup maple syrup OR raw honey
- 1 cup raw spinach packed
- 4 cups ice cubes
Directions:
- Put the avocado, milk, vanilla extract, mint extract, spinach, and maple syrup or honey in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add ice cubes and blend until it turns into the consistency of a shake. You may have to add more or less ice and milk depending on your blender.
- Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Finally, the vegan version of the Shamrock Shake uses full-fat coconut milk instead of ice cream, and it can be found on ItDoesntTasteLikeChicken.com.
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups full-fat coconut milk, frozen in an ice cube tray
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons agave
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8-10 drops vegan green food coloring
Directions:
- Put the cubes of full-fat coconut milk, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, food coloring, non-dairy milk and agave in the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour and serve immediately.
These recipes let us have the Shamrock Shake from the comfort of our own homes, and they can be personalized with different ingredients than what is used in the traditional McDonald’s version. Not to mention, once you master these recipes, you can have a Shamrock Shake any time of the year, not just in February or March.