Craving that minty green shake you love? Skip the drive-thru and blend up a thick, frosty, perfectly minty copycat Shamrock Shake at home in just 10 minutes! With only 4 simple ingredients, it’s a fun, festive treat that tastes just like the original and maybe even better.
Minty Shake Highlights
- Why-Make: Faster than a drive-thru run and easy to adjust thickness, mint level, and color to your taste.
- Flavor: Sweet, creamy, and refreshingly minty.
- Recommended Tools: For the perfect shake at home, I recommend a high-powered blender, tall milkshake glasses, and wide reusable straws for thick shakes.
- Serving Suggestions: One of my favorite little traditions is making these the first week of March or as a fun movie-night treat with green festive sprinkles. I love letting the kids pick their mix-ins or setting up a whipped-cream topping bar for a shake everyone can customize. Or make a St. Patrick’s Day dessert bar with lucky charms Rice Krispies, lime jello salad, and frozen s’mores.
Four Simple Ingredients
- Ice Cream: Use a good-quality, full-fat ice cream for the thick, classic copycat texture.
- Half and Half: Adding cream makes the shakes richer and creamier than using milk. It can be swapped with whole milk to lighten it, or heavy cream for extra-thick.
- Mint Extract: Start light since it can overpower quickly, and make sure to use mint—not peppermint—if you want that classic Shamrock Shake flavor.
- Food Coloring: Green food coloring or gel food coloring will give shakes their signature green color.
The Best Variations
- For a chocolate-mint twist, stir in mini chocolate chips or crushed cookies after blending.
- Make an extra-thick “spoon shake” by using less half-and-half and blending just until it moves.
- Skip the food dye and keep it white, or add a tiny pinch of matcha for color and a subtle earthy note.
How to Make a Shamrock Shake
- Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy (full recipe below).
- Garnish with sprinkles, cherries, and whipped cream.
Holly’s Tips for the Perfect Shake
- Make it last: Chill your glasses for 10 minutes.
- The perfect mint: Start small, then add more only if needed.
- Want it thicker? Use less half and half or add a few extra scoops of ice cream.
- Want it thinner? Add half and half 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse.
- Adding mix-ins: Add mix-ins after blending so you get texture instead of small crumbs.
More St. Patrick's Day Favorites
Did you enjoy this Shamrock Shake Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
Shamrock Shake Recipe
A thick, creamy Shamrock Shake recipe with vanilla ice cream and mint, blended in under a minute for that classic copycat flavor at home.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
- ½ cup half and half
- 5 drops mint extract
- 4 drops green food coloring
- whipped cream optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine ice cream, half and half, mint extract and food coloring in a blender and puree for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Pour into glasses.
- Top with whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- Add any mix-ins after blending.
- Freeze any leftovers into ice cubes to add to fresh milkshakes or smoothies!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 569kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 1210IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 366mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Half and Half is commonly used in coffee in the states. It is half heavy cream and half whole milk.
What is half and half please. I’m Australian. This looks great so I would like to try it.