Healthy Vegan Shamrock Shake

Craving a festive treat for St. Patrick’s Day? This healthy vegan shamrock shake is your answer! It’s tastes just like the classic McDonald’s milkshake and is minty, green, thick, and creamy, but healthier!

As March rolls around, do you ever find yourself craving a classic McDonald’s Shamrock Shake? I wanted to find a way to still indulge in this festive St. Patty’s Day treat, but make it a bit more nutritious. This creamy and refreshing recipe for my healthy vegan shamrock shake will blow your mind, especially when you realize that a dairy-free milkshake recipe can taste this good while also sneaking in some veggies!

Green, thick, rich, creamy, and minty, this is a great shake to make for St. Patrick’s Day (or any of the other 364 days of the year!). So, read on to learn how you can make this delicious healthy vegan shamrock shake recipe yourself!

What is a Shamrock Shake?

The Shamrock Shake is a seasonal mint-flavored milkshake offered by McDonald’s usually between mid-February and mid-March (through St. Patrick’s Day). As St. Patrick’s Day is famously associated with green, McDonald’s Shamrock Shake is a bright green color (almost surely from artificial colors, if I had to guess).

The McDonald’s version goes back to 1970, but it has only been sold regularly on a nationwide scale since 2012. While the original version was lemon/lime flavored, it then became simply a green-colored vanilla shake. Since its nationwide rollout, however, it has been mint flavored.

Read on to learn how to make your very own vegan shamrock shake!

What’s the Difference Between Peppermint and Mint Extract?

Have you ever wondered about the difference between peppermint extract and mint extract? The answer is relatively simple.

While peppermint extract is (or should be) purely the extract of peppermint (which is diluted peppermint oil), mint extract tends to be a combination of spearmint and peppermint. Some people think that spearmint pairs better with savory foods while peppermint pairs better with sweeter foods.

While this recipe calls for mint leaves and mint extract, you’re welcome to use whatever mint you prefer!

Healthy Vegan Shamrock Shake Ingredients

Many of these ingredients are vegan staples so you may have some of these on hand!

• Frozen riced cauliflower – Cauliflower helps deliver the creaminess to this recipe and it’s also packed with nutrition! Cruciferous vegetables are some of the most beneficial foods we can eat, and cauliflower is no exception. It’s super low in calories while being very dense in beneficial nutrients such as vitamins B6, C, and K, as well as folate, potassium, and manganese (among others). 
• Avocado – Avocados are technically a fruit and they’ve become incredibly popular all around the world. Just like the cauliflower in this recipe, the avocado helps make this recipe creamy while also packing lots of nutrition in! While avocado is high in calories and fat, these are healthy fats and they are accompanied by fiber and high amounts of many micronutrients, including potassium, copper, folate, B vitamins, vitamins C, E, and K, and more! 
• Maple syrup – Maple syrup is a delicious sweetener, as we all know from pancakes. That said, it’s a great vegan sweetener in general. While it might not necessarily be all that much healthier than regular sugar, it does at least contain some minerals and antioxidants, including high amounts of manganese and zinc.
• Mint leaves & mint extract – Herbs and spices tend to be super beneficial for our health, and mint is no exception! The leaves of mint provide surprisingly high amounts of vitamin A, iron, manganese, and folate, plus a variety of antioxidants! Mint may also help improve digestion, which is never a bad thing when you’re drinking a milkshake! 
• Vanilla extract – The vanilla extract definitely helps take this recipe to the next level!  
• Plant-based milk – While you can simply choose your preferred plant milk, you may get a richer beverage if you opt for a creamier plant milk rather than one that’s more “thin,” i.e. more watery. You might try oat milk or coconut milk, for example. While coconut milk is quite rich, it does contain many benefiical nutrients.

Step-by-Step Recipe Intructions

1. Add all of the ingredients except the ice to a high-speed blender and blend for one minute until smooth and creamy.
2. Add one cup of ice and blend again for 30 seconds. If you want the shake to be a little thicker, add the remaining cup of ice and blend again for 30 seconds.
3. Pour into two glasses and top with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and maraschino cherries. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQ

Is there any dye used in this recipe?
Nope! This vegan shamrock shake recipe is entirely dye-free. It gets its vibrant green color from the avocado and fresh mint leaves.

My shake is too icy—what should I do?
Adding a bit more milk should help balance it out. Add milk little by little to your blender to make sure you don’t overdo it!

My shake is too watery—what should I do?
Add some more frozen riced cauliflower to get that nice and thick consistency you’re looking for! 

Can I add alcohol?
I mean, do your thing! McDonald’s doesn’t offer a boozy version, but one of the perks of making things at home is you’re free to do as you please. You could try adding in Crème de Menthe, vanilla vodka, Bailey’s, whisky, whatever you prefer!

Do I need ice cream?
Nope! Since this recipe aims to be healthier, it derives its thick and creamy milkshake consistency from the rice cauliflower and avocado! 

Can I customize this in any way? 
Yep! One of my favorite things to do is add a chocolate drizzle on the inside of the glass before pouring the milkshake for an added chocolate flavor! You could also do crushed Oreos or anything that sounds good to you! You can also boost the health factor by adding fresh spinach, matcha powder, chia seeds, and/or hemp seeds. 

What should I top this shamrock shake with?
Whipped cream, crushed oreos, shaved chocolate, chocolate drizzle, sprinkles, maraschino cherries… anything you please! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is a healthier version of the McDonald’s milkshake that’s so beloved! With no dairy, one to two veggies, and mint, it’s actually got a lot going for it nutritionally. Who said you have to sacrifice your health when indulging in a great treat?? This shake is…

• It’s healthier – Using fresh mint leaves gets you a boost of good nutrition, as does the cauliflower and spinach! Plus, this recipe leaves out the dairy that’s customary with milkshakes, helping make this vegan shamrock shake one of the healthiest milkshakes around!  
• It’s simple – Desserts are amazing, but especially no-bake, no-fuss desserts! This vegan shamrock shake recipe only involves eight ingredients and takes about five minutes to whip together.   
• It’s refreshing and indulgent – Something about mint and chocolate is so indulgent and so refreshing at the same time! Throw in a chocolate drizzle or add some chocolate on top and this vegan shamrock shake will really be taken to the next level. 

Let me know if you try this recipe for this healthy vegan shamrock shake, and if you do, I would love it if you left a rating and review below! Make sure you are also following along on Instagram and Pinterest for more food inspiration.

Try more yummy vegan snacks below:

• Protein cookie dough bites
• Three homemade popcorn seasonings
• Cream cheese and garlic stuffed crispy olives
• Pigs in a blanket
• Coffee banana smoothie bowl
• Puppy chow
• Peppermint bark

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