This 4-ingredient Vegan Shamrock Shake is a minty and creamy treat that’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! Ready in 5 minutes.
St. Patrick’s Day just isn’t complete without a Vegan Shamrock Shake! Creamy, minty, and finished with whipped cream on top, it’s the ultimate treat to wash down a hearty vegan stew. Best of all, you only need 4 simple ingredients and a blender to make it.
And just like my Pumpkin Milkshake, this vegan St. Patrick’s Day dessert isn’t trying to be healthy or anything it’s not. The silky smooth texture and mint flavor will remind you of the classic shamrock milkshake from McDonald’s thanks to the rich non-dairy ice cream, oat milk, mint extract, and food coloring. No leafy greens or bananas required!
What is a shamrock shake?
McDonald’s was the first to create and sell the shamrock shake in the 1970s. It’s a milkshake made with vanilla soft serve, green shamrock shake syrup, and topped with whipped cream.
The original milkshake is dairy-based, obviously, but that doesn’t mean it’s hard to make a dairy free version. All you need is your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream and three other easy ingredients.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Vegan vanilla ice cream – There are so many great dairy free ice cream brands to choose from! I like to make this with So Delicious cashew-based vanilla ice cream, but Trader Joe’s soy-based ice cream is also great. Use what you already love or go all out with my Homemade Vegan Ice Cream!
- Dairy free milk – Oat milk is my favorite but you can use any dairy free milk you like.
- Mint extract – For that must-have mint flavor. Peppermint extract will work just as well.
- Green food coloring – I used liquid food coloring but vegan gel food coloring will also work. For a more natural option, replace the food coloring with a pinch of matcha powder, spirulina, or fresh mint leaves.
How to make a vegan shamrock shake?
Find the complete recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Add the ice cream, milk, mint extract, and food coloring into a blender.
Blend until it’s creamy, smooth, and has a light mint green color.
Either pour it all into one large glass or two smaller glasses and finish with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Topping ideas
This festive milkshake just isn’t complete without the toppings! Use these ideas for inspiration:
- Vegan whipped cream (made from coconut milk, aquafaba, or plant milk)
- Mint leaves
- Maraschino cherry
- Four-leaf clover sprinkles
- Green and orange sprinkles
- Mini dairy free chocolate chips
- Dark chocolate curls
- Crushed Oreo cookies
Tips and tricks
- Make sure your ice cream is frozen solid before blending so you get the frostiest milkshake possible. It will be harder to scoop this way, so you can always pre-scoop it into a container. Let it freeze overnight, then blend the next day. Or just use a whole pint of vanilla ice cream and put it straight into the blender.
- Start with 7 or 8 drops of food coloring, blend the ingredients, then add more until you find that light mint green color.
- Want a little texture? You can fold crushed Oreo cookies or mini chocolate chips into the milkshake after it’s blended. Just don’t blend the chocolate with the milkshake, as it will give it a not-so-appetizing green-brown color.
- In the spirit of the Irish holiday, 1 or 1.5 ounces of alcohol can be added if you’re craving an adult-friendly boozy milkshake. I recommend using vodka, whisky, vegan Baileys, or vegan Irish cream.
Make it ahead of time
Want to make this for a crowd? You can save time and prevent it from melting by blending the ingredients, then pouring the milkshake into ice cube trays. Freeze the cubes until solid, then transfer to an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Blend as many cubes as you need for individual or crowd-sized portions (thin it out with a splash of oat milk if needed). Pour, decorate, and enjoy!
Want more vegan St. Patrick’s Day recipes?
You can technically add green food coloring to pancakes, frosting, and cupcakes to make them festive but these recipes are particularly great for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day:
Vegan Shamrock Shake
Ingredients
- 1 pint dairy free vanilla ice cream see Notes for my favorites
- 1/2 cup dairy free milk I prefer oat milk
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
- 8-10 drops green food coloring see Notes for natural options
For topping
- vegan whipped cream
- sprinkles
- maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Add the ice cream, milk, mint extract and food coloring to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into two glasses and top with vegan whipped cream, sprinkles and a maraschino cherry, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
-
I like cashew based vanilla ice cream the best, like So Delicious brand. But Trader Joe’s has a really good soy based one, and there are so many other kinds that are wonderful!
- If you REALLY don’t want to use ice cream, you can probably substitute 2-3 frozen ripe bananas and add sweetener such as maple syrup, to taste. You will probably need to add more milk as well to get it to blend.
- Peppermint extract will also work if you can’t find mint extract.
- For more natural green food dye, try using a little bit of matcha, spirulina or fresh mint leaves. Or throw in a handful of spinach.
What brand mint extract do you use?? I tried McCormick and it came out very toothpaste (y) for me! Thank you!!
I just have a Kroger brand mint extract, but I’ve used other brands as well and didn’t get that flavor. Maybe use a little less?
I made this for my birthday using nada moo ice cream, so delicious coco whip and watkins sprinkles and it was soooo good 🍀 Definitely hit the spot. Thank you, Nora!
You are welcome, Talia! What a wonderful birthday treat! Happy birthday to you! Thanks for your wonderful review and feedback!
So good! I made this for St. Paddy’s day and we loved it 😋 I make your vanilla ice cream regularly so I used that and mixed in some mint Oreos (thanks for the idea). It made more like 4 portions for us but we’re not complaining. Thank you!