Healthy Shamrock Shake

Let’s celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this Healthy Shamrock Shake recipe, which we found at the end of a plant-based rainbow. It’s thick and creamy just like the original, but this Shamrock Shake is packed with fruit and hidden vegetables instead of a ton of processed sugar.

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Smoothies and shakes are an awesome way to sneak in healthier ingredients. Other creamy faves include this Orange Creamsicle Smoothie. You can also check out this post with 22 healthy smoothie recipes for weight loss or ALL of the smoothie recipes we feature here at The Honour System.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• The original McDonald’s Shamrock Shake has 113 grams of sugar mostly from high fructose corn syrup that they use to make the shamrock shake syrup. This version contains under 20 grams, which is natural sugar from bananas. Bananas also contain protein, fiber, and potassium. Real food has all kinds of benefits.
• We use spinach to add a green color to this treat instead of sketchy food dyes.
• This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. Bonus!

Ingredients

• Frozen bananas – Using frozen bananas adds both sweetness and ice cream quality to this banana mint smoothie.
• Milk – This recipe uses almond milk, which is plant-based.
• Spinach – The baby spinach leaves will lend a green color without using green food coloring or dye.
• Cucumber – Another way to sneak in some nutrition.
• Vanilla protein powder – This gives the shake some creaminess and adds staying power. We recommend using Ora So Lean So Clean because of its clean ingredient list.
• Peppermint extract – Add just a drop to give that classic Shamrock Shake mint flavor.

Equipment

• Blender – For this recipe, we use a high-speed blender. After putting it to the test, we learned that they worked best to break up and blend the frozen bananas.

Instructions

Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the FULL recipe details.

Step 1

Start by blending the frozen bananas. Add them to the blender and blend until they transform into a soft-serve texture.

Step 2

Next, add the milk, spinach, cucumber, and protein powder.

Blend again.

Step 3

Finally, add in the mint extract to taste, give it a final blend and pour into glasses.

Garnish if you wish and serve.

Substitutions

• Use vanilla Greek yogurt or silken tofu instead of protein powder.
• Substitute whole dairy milk, coconut milk, or homemade hemp milk instead of almond milk.
• Add chopped kale instead of spinach for the natural green color.

Recipe Variations

• If you want a mint chocolate chip milkshake, substitute the vanilla protein for chocolate protein powder. Garnish with cacao nibs.
• Sprinkle in some matcha powder or spirulina for an even deeper green color.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve in a tall glass with a straw for a classic milkshake experience.
• Garnish with a swirl of whipped cream, fresh mint leaves, and a cherry on top.

FAQS

Storage Tips

To Store: We recommend enjoying this treat right away, but you can store it in an airtight shaker cup in the fridge for up to a day. Be sure to shake it really well again before drinking.

More Healthy Smoothie Recipes

**This recipe was originally published on March 13, 2015, and republished on March 10, 2024, with recipe updates, new photos, and writing.**

If you’ve tried our Vegan Shamrock Shake, please rate the recipe and let us know how it turned out by leaving a comment below. We’re always interested in feedback!

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