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An easy peppermint milkshake recipe. Made with vanilla ice cream, whole milk, and peppermint oil and tinted with green gel food coloring, this St. Patrick’s Day milkshake is best served with whipped cream and homemade shamrock sprinkles!
Why Make This Peppermint Milkshake Recipe?
Every year around the beginning of March, I start thinking about the Shamrock Shake.
Hal Rosen, a Connecticut-based McDonald’s owner/operator, created this iconic mint-flavored milkshake in 1967 as a way of commemorating Saint Patrick’s Day. The sweet, pastel green beverage launched at McDonald’s locations across the United States in 1970. In 2020 the drink celebrated its 50th anniversary, along with the introduction of a new Shamrock McFlurry.
The Shamrock Shake remains a seasonal favorite, but it’s exactly that—seasonal. My homemade version offers a suitable alternative for when the craving strikes at other times. While this isn’t a copycat recipe, the minty flavor (and bright green color) will definitely hit the spot if you’re in the mood for a Shamrock Shake. And of course, it’s great for celebrating the actual holiday, too!
This peppermint milkshake recipe features three main ingredients: vanilla ice cream, whole milk, and natural peppermint oil. To finish, I’ve tinted it with green gel food coloring (unlike the fast food version, you can skip the coloring if you prefer a more natural shake) and topped things off with fresh whipped cream and a handful of homemade shamrock sprinkles.
This five-minute peppermint milkshake makes it easy celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, no visit to the drive-thru required.
Peppermint Milkshake Ingredients
To make this peppermint milkshake (a.k.a. a homemade Shamrock Shake!) you’ll need the following:
- Vanilla Ice Cream – Choose a smooth, creamy, good-tasting vanilla ice cream. with no mix-ins. For easier blending, allow the container to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before preparing your shake.
- Whole Milk – Whole milk makes the creamiest shake, but semi-skimmed or skimmed milk will work, too.
- Peppermint Oil – Choose pure peppermint oil, not an extract or flavoring. (LorAnn Oils is my go-to brand.) But add it sparingly—a few drops go a very long way!
- Green Gel Food Coloring – I tinted my shake with Chefmaster’s Leaf Green; you can also use Mint Green coloring.
- Whipped Cream – For garnish. It’s very easy to make your own whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream) at home, but the squirty store-bought stuff will certainly work, too.
- Saint Patrick’s Day Sprinkles – You can make my homemade Saint Patrick’s Day sprinkle recipe, or use store-bought shamrock sprinkles (or green sprinkles) instead.
Ideas for Garnishing and Serving This Mint Milkshake:
This shamrock-inspired shake is super fun to garnish and serve, with plenty of room for creativity. In addition to whipped cream and sprinkles, some other Saint Patrick’s Day-inspired ideas include:
- Lucky Charms – Top with Lucky Charms marshmallows, or pieces of green chocolate Lucky Charms bark.
- Fresh Mint – Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint leaves for an extra pop of green.
- Striped Straws – Sip your shake from a green-and-white striped paper straw, or a gold foil straw.
- Fun Glasses – Serve your shake in a mason jar mug or a tall parfait glass, accompanied by a long spoon.
- Crushed Peppermint – Play up the peppermint notes by garnishing with crushed green-and-white starlight mints.
- Edible Glitter – Dust with edible gold glitter, foil stars, or edible gold leaf.
- Chocolate – Drizzle your shake with homemade hot fudge sauce (or dip the rim of the glass) for a chocolate-mint twist. Or, garnish with miniature chocolate chips or crumbled mint Oreo cookies.
- Rainbow Sprinkles – Add rainbow sprinkles for the classic green-and-rainbow Saint Patrick’s Day combo.
Peppermint Milkshake Tips and Tricks
You’ll need a good-quality blender to make this peppermint milkshake. If you don’t have a blender, you can use an immersion blender instead. To do so, combine the milkshake ingredients in a large jug and blend until smooth and creamy.
Even in colder weather, this milkshake will begin to melt quickly. Don’t blend up the ingredients until you’re ready to serve and enjoy your peppermint shake!
Other peppermint recipes you might enjoy:
Peppermint Meringue Kisses
Easy Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Peppermint Marshmallows
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Peppermint Milkshake
A peppermint milkshake for St. Patrick’s Day. Best served with whipped cream and homemade shamrock sprinkles!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 servings 1x
- Category: Ice Cream
- Method: No Cook
Ingredients
4 large scoops vanilla ice cream
125 milliliters whole milk (1/2 cup)
1–2 drops peppermint oil, or to taste
Green gel food coloring
Whipped cream and shamrock sprinkles, to garnish
Instructions
In a blender or the jug of an immersion blender, combine the ice cream and milk.
Blend until smooth and creamy. Add the peppermint oil and green food coloring and blend for 10 seconds more.
Pour into a tall parfait glass, or two smaller glasses. Garnish with whipped cream and Saint Patrick’s Day sprinkles.
Serve immediately.
Notes
If you don’t have a blender, you can make this recipe using a hand blender (this is my preferred method!) Combine the ingredients in a large jug, and blend as outlined above.