Healthy Shamrock Shake

This healthy Shamrock Shake is bright green with a sweet and minty flavor. This mint smoothie is naturally-sweetened with fruit (not banana!) and gets its vibrant hue from spinach, instead of food dye.

What’s really in a Shamrock Shake?

Did you know there are 54 ingredients in the shamrock shake from McDonald’s? These ingredients include artificial dyes and preservatives, along with high fructose corn syrup, and a medium-sized drink will run you 660 calories. (Which is more than a Big Mac!)

What makes this version healthier?

Luckily, it’s pretty easy to make a healthy Shamrock Shake at home. This version gets its green hue naturally, thanks to a handful of fresh spinach (which you can’t taste!) and a touch of avocado, which makes it ultra-creamy.

Paired with naturally sweet and fiber-rich dates, plus a splash of pure peppermint extract, this shake tastes as wonderful as it will make you feel.

The dates add a nice, neutral flavor to this drink, unlike a smoothie that is sweetened with banana, but if you don’t have a blender that can break them down, try using a splash of pure maple syrup for sweetness instead. (In that case, you could add some frozen cauliflower to thicken up the drink instead– you can’t taste that in smoothies, either!)

How to Make It

To make this healthy shake thick & frosty like the original drive-through version, I recommend blending the first 5 ingredients together first, until the dates are totally broken down. Then add some ice and blend again until you achieve an ice-cream-like texture.

What I love about making smoothies at home like this one is that YOU are in control of the final flavor. If you want it sweeter, add another date! Or more peppermint flavor? Add an extra drop of the peppermint oil. Feel free to keep adjusting until it’s perfect for you.

More Green Smoothies You’ll Love

• Flax Seed Smoothie
• Easy Detox Smoothie
• Kale Smoothie
• Spirulina Smoothie (This has a fun blue-green color!)
• Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie (Add spinach, and it tastes like a green peanut butter milkshake!)

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4.95 from 20 votes

Healthy Shamrock Shake (Dairy-free!)

This HEALTHY SHAMROCK SHAKE recipe is a delicious way to make a minty green milkshake at home. Dairy-free and naturally-sweetened with fruit. (No bananas!)

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword smoothie

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1

Calories 412kcal

Author Megan Gilmore

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup almond milk (or water)
• 1/4 avocado , pitted
• 1 handful fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• 5 Medjool dates , pitted
• 1 to 2 large handfuls of ice

Instructions

• Combine the almond milk, avocado, spinach, peppermint extract, and dates and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the any flavoring as needed, but keep in mind that the flavor will be diluted slightly when you add the ice in the next step.
  
• Add the ice and blend again, until the smoothie is as thick as you'd like. Serve right away.
  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 1078mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 80g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1.4mg

Recipe Notes:

• If your blender doesn’t handle dates well, try using 1 to 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup instead.
• If you can’t have avocado, leave it out and add a spoonful of nut butter for extra creaminess. Homemade almond butter will have the most mild flavor.
• Since the flavor of peppermint extracts vary, you may want to start off with just 1/8 teaspoon, and add more to taste. They can be very potent!
• You can make this shake sugar-free by omitting the dates and using stevia, to taste.

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Reader Feedback: Are you a fan of minty milkshakes? Mint chocolate ice cream used to be my very favorite, so this shake is right up my alley. (Especially with a few dark chocolate chips blended in!)