How To Make A Shamrock Shake At Home After It Leaves McDonald's

While the Shamrock Shake wasn't one of the original stars on the McDonald's menu, it has now become a beloved seasonal favorite. It's only on the menu for a short time, leaving customers wishing they had this refreshing sprig of luck year 'round. Luck is on our side, though, because making this green milkshake at home is fairly simple. To make this homemade version all you'll need is a small group of ingredients: vanilla ice cream, milk, mint flavoring of some kind, and green food coloring.

You'll want to start with any kind of vanilla ice cream. McDonald's uses its vanilla reduced fat ice cream but you can use regular vanilla ice cream for a smoother, creamier base. You'll then add your milk (usually whole milk) to get a silkier texture for the shake and mint extract to give that small burst of freshness that is standard in the Shamrock Shake. While some recipes use peppermint, it's more common to add a couple drops of regular mint extract to not overpower the entirety of the shake with the spice of peppermint. The clover-like green that makes the Shamrock Shake standout comes from green food coloring. Once you have all of your ingredients, you'll mix them in your blender to make a DIY Shamrock Shake that might be even better than the one from McDonald's.

Once your classic homemade Shamrock Shake is perfected, then it's time to play with different variations. For a more mature version, you can make a boozy milkshake by adding ingredients like vanilla vodka, Baileys Irish Cream, peppermint schnapps, or even a minty chocolate liqueur. Another way to make an adult-only version is by adding crème de menthe to not only enhance the minty flavor but also deepen the green color of the shake. Be sure to do some simple taste tests before serving the final product, as you don't want to overpower the milkshake with alcohol and lose the creamy, sweet flavor.

If you're not wanting to add alcohol and are looking for more sweetness, then you can try mixing in different types of candies and sweets. You can stick to the McDonald's theme and add Oreo crumbles to resemble the famed Oreo McFlurry, or you can crush up some chocolate mint items like Andes Mints or Thin Mints to add a stronger mint-chocolate flavor. If you have it, you can coat your glass with chocolate or caramel syrup to give extra sweetness and a hint of decoration to your Shamrock Shake. These alterations will deviate from the traditional Shamrock Shake, but they're fun to try and can elevate your homemade versions.