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Shamrock Shake is the minty green milkshake everyone waits for each spring, and this copycat tastes just like the McDonald’s classic but is even creamier made at home. I whip these up for my girls every St. Patrick’s Day and they go a little wild over the green color and pile of whipped cream on top. If you love a fun frozen drink, it is right at home with our dulce de leche milkshake.
Vanilla ice cream blended with milk, peppermint extract, and a splash of green food coloring gives you that signature cool, minty shamrock shake in minutes.
Shamrock Shake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 2 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 650kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Cool, creamy vanilla shake with sweet mint and a festive green color
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a quick blender treat like our dulce de leche milkshake
Quick Answer
To make a shamrock shake, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar to stiff peaks and set half aside for topping. Add vanilla ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, green food coloring, and the remaining whipped cream to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the color and mint, then pour into glasses and top with the reserved whipped cream, a cherry, and sprinkles. Serve right away.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Tastes like the original. Vanilla ice cream and peppermint extract nail that classic McDonald’s shamrock shake flavor, only creamier.
- Whipped cream in the shake. Blending some whipped cream right into the shake makes it extra thick, light, and frosty.
- Peppermint, not mint extract. Peppermint extract gives the clean, cool mint taste of the original instead of a toothpaste flavor.
- Control your color. Adding the food coloring a little at a time lets you dial in that perfect festive green.
- Ready in 10 minutes. No cooking and no special equipment beyond a blender make this a fast, fun treat.
- Easy to double. The recipe scales up beautifully for a crowd on St. Patrick’s Day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a spot-on copycat of the McDonald’s shamrock shake you can make any time, not just in March.
- It comes together in one blender in about 10 minutes, just like our dulce de leche milkshake.
- The cool mint flavor, creamy texture, and festive green color make it a guaranteed family hit.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need for a shamrock shake. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Vanilla ice cream: The creamy base of the shake. Use a good quality vanilla for the best flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream: Whipped with powdered sugar, some goes in the shake and some on top.
- Milk: Thins the shake to the perfect sippable, thick consistency.
- Peppermint extract: The key to that cool, minty flavor. Add a little at a time to taste.
- Green food coloring: Just a few drops gives the shake its iconic shamrock green color.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This shamrock shake is easy to customize. Here are a few fun ideas.
- Make it boozy: Add a splash of Irish cream or creme de menthe for an adults-only version.
- Add chocolate: Drizzle chocolate syrup inside the glass for a mint-chocolate twist.
- Use mint chip ice cream: Swap in mint chocolate chip ice cream for little flecks throughout.
- Make it dairy-free: Use your favorite non-dairy ice cream, milk, and whipped topping.
- Top it big: Pile on extra whipped cream and a cherry like the topping on our fried ice cream.
How to Make Shamrock Shake
- In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until you reach stiff peaks. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. Set half aside for topping.
- Place the vanilla ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, green food coloring, and the remaining half of the whipped cream into a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and add more food coloring for your desired green, and more peppermint extract if needed, then blend again to combine.
- Pour the shake into glasses. Top with the reserved whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and sprinkles if using. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Add peppermint slowly. A little goes a long way, so start with less and taste before adding more.
- Build the color gradually. Add the food coloring a few drops at a time until you hit that perfect green.
- Chill your glasses. A frosty glass keeps the shake thick and cold longer.
- Do not over blend. Blend just until smooth so the shake stays thick instead of runny.
- Reserve whipped cream for topping. Setting some aside gives you that classic swirl on top.
- Serve right away. Like our fried ice cream, this is best enjoyed the moment it is made.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve your shamrock shake immediately in a tall glass with a generous swirl of whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, and a few green sprinkles for that classic look. A fun striped straw makes it feel like a treat from the drive-thru.
It is the perfect sweet ending to a St. Patrick’s Day meal, or a fun anytime treat alongside our caramel milkshake and dulce de leche milkshake.
For more cool, creamy desserts, try our fried ice cream or a scoop of no churn pistachio ice cream next.
Shamrock Shake FAQs
A shamrock shake is a mint-flavored vanilla milkshake. This copycat version blends vanilla ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, green food coloring, and whipped cream until thick and frosty. It is topped with more whipped cream and a cherry, just like the McDonald’s original that comes out every spring.
The flavor comes from peppermint extract, which gives that clean, cool mint taste without a toothpaste flavor. Start with a small amount, blend, then taste and add more if you like it mintier. Avoid using mint extract, which can taste more like spearmint.
Yes. The shake will still taste exactly the same, it just will not have the signature green color. For a natural option, use a few drops of plant-based green food coloring or a little matcha, though matcha will add a subtle flavor of its own.
For a thicker shake, use less milk and more ice cream, and blend just until smooth. Blending whipped cream into the shake also adds thickness and a light, frosty texture. Chilling your glasses ahead of time helps it stay thick longer.
Milkshakes are best made and served right away so they stay thick and cold. You can whip the cream ahead and keep it in the fridge, then blend the shake just before serving. If you have leftovers, store them in the freezer and re-blend before drinking.
Absolutely. Add an ounce or two of Irish cream, creme de menthe, or vanilla vodka to the blender for a boozy version. Reduce the milk slightly to keep the shake thick. It makes a festive cocktail for a St. Patrick’s Day party.
Craving more frosty treats? Try our copycat caramel milkshake next.
Shamrock Shake
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 3 cups vanilla ice cream about 8 scoops
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract more or less to taste
- green food coloring to your preference
- maraschino cherries for garnish
- sprinkles for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until you get stiff peaks. You can do this by hand or with an electric hand mixer, set aside.
- Place the ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, green food coloring, and half of the whipped cream into a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste, add more food coloring to achieve your desired color if necessary. Add more peppermint extract to taste if needed. Blend again to combine if you added anything.
- Pour the milkshake into glasses. Top with the remaining whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and sprinkles if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Start out with a smaller amount of extract before adding more and adjust to taste, different brands we find have different potency.
- You can use gel or liquid food coloring for this recipe, use as much to achieve your desired color.
- The toppings are optional, but highly recommended.
- The addition of the whipped cream into the shake itself is really what give it the best flavor.
- Store-bought whipped cream will work for this recipe, see my tips above.
- This can easily be doubled.
Nutrition
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1 8 ounce cool whip would work.
How much store bought cool whip do i need? 2cups?