Copycat McDonalds Shamrock Shake
Our cool green minty Shamrock Shake is an easy copycat recipe of the McDonald’s seasonal favorite! And with just 4 ingredients, it’s easy to make for St. Patrick’s Day or any time!
Copycat Shamrock Shake
McDonald’s Shamrock Shake: If you know, you know! The Shamrock Shake is a cool, creamy, minty milkshake that’s bright green in color. It returns to McDonald’s stores on Monday, February 20, 2023.
In the meantime, if you’ve got a craving for this refreshingly minty ice cream treat, we’ve got an easy-peasy copycat recipe so you can make it at home anytime!
First, a little history of the Shamrock Shake…
McDonalds introduced the Shamrock Shake in 1970. At the time, it was available only at certain locations, and only around St. Patrick’s Day. Over the years, the minty green milkshake gained so much attention and popularity that it finally went nationwide in 2012. But still, the iconic green shake is only available for a short time leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.
Until now!
What Ingredients Are In A Shamrock Shake?
The original McDonald’s Shamrock Shake is a blend of vanilla soft serve, green mint flavored syrup, and whipped cream. Sounds simple enough, but there are actually a lot of other ingredients used to make the artificially flavored syrup!
Here are the listed ingredients for McDonald’s Shamrock McFlurry Syrup: ย High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Glycerin, Contains 2% Or Less: Natural Flavor, Xantham Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Yellow 5, Blue 1.
The good news is that you can re-create that cool minty flavor without corn syrup or other additives! We used 4 simple ingredients for our copycat shamrock shake recipe, and you can use natural green or organic ingredients to make yours healthy-ish. Awesome, right?!
So skip the drive-thru and try our homemade version of the Shamrock Shake!
Ingredients
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- 3 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract (not peppermint)
- 5-10 drops green food coloring
Yield: 2 servings
Optional Garnishes
- Whipped Cream
- Maraschino Cherries
- Green Sprinkles
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Instructions
- Add ice cream, milk, mint extract, and green food coloring to a large blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a tall milkshake glass.
- Garnish with whipped cream, green sugar sprinkles, and a cherry.
Prep Tips
- If your milkshake seems too thick after blending, add another couple Tablespoons of milk. If your milkshake seems too liquid-y, add another small scoop of ice cream.
- You can make this a grown-up treat by using green creme de menthe instead of the mint extract and green food coloring. I would recommend using 2-3 Tablespoons of green creme de menthe in your boozy shamrock shake mixture, taste, and adjust as needed.
- For extra minty flavor, try using mint chocolate chip ice cream instead of vanilla ice cream. It’s an extra rich and delicious treat!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peppermint Extract The Same As Mint Extract?
While they are similar, peppermint extract and mint extract are made from different types of mint plants and do have distinctly different flavors. While peppermint extract is made from peppermint plants alone, mint extract uses a blend of peppermint AND spearmint. The spearmint gives mint extract its distinct, almost sweet flavor.
In a pinch, you can substitute peppermint extract in your shamrock shake, but it will change the flavor slightly. However, with the vibrant green color of the drink, your brain might get tricked a bit into thinking it’s the same taste as the original!
How Do You Make A Shamrock McFlurry?
The Shamrock McFlurry is similar to the original Shamrock Shake, with a thicker consistency and the addition of Oreo Cookies. You can make a copycat Shamrock McFlurry by using the following ingredients list:
- 3 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract (not peppermint)
- 5-10 drops green food coloring
- 3 Oreo Cookies
Blend and top with whipped cream and Oreo crumbles.
Can You Make A Dairy-Free Shamrock Shake?
This recipe is actually quite easy to modify to make it non dairy! Especially since the quality of plant-based milks and ice creams has improved drastically over the past decade. (I’m lactose intolerant so I have tried a LOT of dairy free products over the years!)
To make a dairy free shamrock shake, use the following ingredients list:
- 3 cups vanilla non-dairy ice cream
- 1 cup non-dairy milk (my favorites are coconut milk, cashew milk, and oat milk because they have the creamiest consistency)
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract (not peppermint)
- 5-10 drops green food coloring
Prepare according to the recipe directions above and top with dairy-free whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Enjoy!
Bonus: Using plant-based ingredients makes this a vegan recipe too!
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes To Try:
- Shamrock Pancakes
- “Pot of Gold” St. Patrick’s Day Cookie Cups
- Stovetop Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Guinness & Honey Glazed Chicken
- Beer Skillet Potatoes with Grilled Chicken
- Leprechaun Bark
- Leprechaun Punch (Lime Sherbet Punch)
- Rainbow Graham Crackers
- Lucky Charms Cake
- Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats
- Leprechaun Hat Cookies
- Lucky Charms Hot Chocolate Bombs
- Leprechaun Bait aka St. Patrick’s Day Puppy Chow
Shamrock Shake Copycat Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Copycat McDonalds Shamrock Shake Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp mint extract not peppermint
- 5-10 drops green food coloring
Instructions
- Add ice cream, milk, mint extract, and green food coloring to a large blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a tall milkshake glass.
- Garnish with whipped cream, green sugar sprinkles, and a cherry.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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