Vanilla Mint Milkshake (Shamrock Shake)
The Shamrock Shake’s vanilla mint milkshake flavor combines two popular flavors with a St Paddy’s festive twist: the color green.
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Vanilla Mint Milkshake Ingredients
Vanilla ice cream. Use your favorite brand here. You can also make it dairy-free by using your favorite dairy free ice cream, but it won’t be as creamy.
Half and half cream. This keeps it creamy but if you like a lower fat content you can use whole milk.
Mint extract. It’s important to note that you need mint extract from the baking aisle. NOT essential oil.
Green food coloring. How much you need depends on the brand you buy. The brand’s colors I linked are very concentrated. I used about 6 drops.
Garnish and Toppings
Here are the dessert toppings I used in the recipe:
- Whipped cream
- Sprinkles (I used gold and green)
- Maraschino cherries
- Chocolate chips
- Mint Chocolate chips
- Chocolate sundae sauce
- Lucky charms marshmallows
- Rainbow candy strips
Variations and Substitutions
- Use chocolate ice cream to make a mint chocolate milkshake.
- Make it dairy free by using dairy free vanilla ice cream and plain oat, nut, almond or coconut milk.
- Splash 1⁄4 cup of Bailey’s Irish Cream to make an adult version.
- Add more or less mint extract depending on your preferences.
- If you don’t have half and half, you can use regular milk.
Why Is The Shamrock Shake Related to St Patrick’s Day?
The vanilla mint milkshake recipe is not Irish, so why is it related to St Partick’s Day?
Long story short: McDonald’s had a new promotion that just happened to be around St.Patrick’s day. It was a charitable promo that brought us the first Ronald McDonald House, which is near and dear to my heart as we personally lived in the Ronald McDonald House for 30 days when my son was born.
It’s not an Irish recipe, but it’s a limited edition milkshake that comes out in March it’s colored green, so it’s linked to March 17th.
Speaking of St Patrick’s Day, check out these Lucky Charms Treats.
How to Make a Mint Milkshake
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this easy milkshake recipe. It’s a delicious sweet treat that kids of all ages love. Here’s how to make it:
- Add the ice cream to the blender fresh out of the freezer. You want this as cold as possible.
- Pour in the half and half (note: if you like a thick shake, add a little at a time), the extract, and a few drops of food coloring.
- Blend at high speed until you reach your desired consistency.
- Transfer to a glass, add whipped cream, and whatever toppings you would like (chocolate syrup would be a delicious addition).
FAQs
Our Favorite
Milkshake Recipes
Vanilla Mint Milkshake (Shamrock Shake)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
- 10 drops green food coloring *see notes
Garnishes
- Whipped cream
- Maraschino cherry
- Green sprinkles
Instructions
- Add vanilla ice cream, half and half, mint extract and green food coloring to a
blender. - Blend on medium-low for 45 seconds to 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and
creamy. - Pour into glasses. Top with whipped cream, a maraschino cherry and green
sprinkles. Serve immediately.
Notes
-
Makes 2 (1 1⁄2 cup) shakes or 1 large shake
- There is approximately 1⁄2 cup in 1 scoop of ice cream. Use 4 scoops for this recipe.
- Don’t use peppermint extract. Mint extract is not as strong and will give you a
closer taste to the McDonald’s recipe. Peppermint tastes more like candy canes, but can be used in a pinch. - You can play around with the food coloring to get the desired shade of green. Start with less because you can always add more. I have a concentrated food coloring, so I used about 6 drops.
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
- If you want a thicker shake that's, use less half and half.
- This recipe is best served immediately. You can store it in the fridge for up to 1
day, BUT it will not be as creamy and thick.
