The Best Homemade Shamrock Shake

The Best Homemade Shamrock Shake

Jack Ohly

Everyone loves a seasonal McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.  But what happens when it’s not in season? Well, now you can make your own at home with ease!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Homemade Shamrock Shake

Serves 2-4 People

 

Ingredients:

2 cups – Vanilla Ice Cream (Not French Vanilla or Vanilla Bean)

1 cup – Milk

¼ tsp – Mint Extract

¼ tsp – Sea Salt

8 drops – Green Food Coloring

 

Toppings:

Whip Cream and Sprinkles

Directions: 

  1. Combine the ice cream, milk, mint extract, salt, and green food coloring in a blender and blend until desired consistency.

     2. Pour into serving glass and serve with desired toppings.

 

Throughout crafting this recipe, I experimented with many different spices, extracts, and flavors in an attempt to find the best, most accurate ‘shamrock’ flavor. While adding spices like nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, which enhanced the complexity and range of the desert, they have a ‘Christmas time’ vibe that was not welcome with this spring based sweet. I had a similar problem when using peppermint extract instead of mint extract. The flavor was just too reminiscent of the holidays. Next, I tried different flavors of ice cream; but discovered anything but plain vanilla has too dominant of a flavor. Finally, I experimented with other miscellaneous flavors like honey, molasses, and coconut. All of these flavors complemented the dish, but not in the way I expected or wanted. My final dish ensures that the flavors stay simple, so nothing distracts from the main mint flavor. It includes vanilla ice cream and mint extract for flavor, ice cream and milk for viscosity, salt for added tang and a more fast food shake taste, and green food coloring for a familiar green color. This is ultimately a DIY version of the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake that is (probably) healthier and offers more customization options.    

 

Questions about what I did?  Suggestions for future recipes?  Contact me through Instagram: @j.ohly.