Crowded Kitchen

MENUMENU
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Sign Up
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Ice Cream

Healthy Shamrock Shake

Published: Mar 10, 2021 · Modified: Mar 10, 2021 by Lexi

66 shares
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This healthier vegan shamrock shake is made with frozen bananas and cashews instead of ice cream. It's less indulgent than the traditional recipe, but it's equally rich and delicious! Our recipe also uses fresh mint and a bit of spinach for all-natural color and fresh flavor.

side view of two glasses of vegan shamrock shake with chocolate sprinkle rim and whipped cream on top.

Why we love this recipe (more than the original!)

First things first, what exactly is a shamrock shake?

Shamrock shakes are a seasonal mint flavored ice cream shake sold at McDonald's around St. Patricks Day, and for whatever reason, they're wildly popular every year.

That being said, the OG McDonald's Shamrock Shake contains a whole lot of sketchy ingredients, including lots of high fructose and regular corn syrup, food dyes and additives.

Our version is made with all natural ingredients and you can easily make it at home for a delicious, vibrantly green treat! It's perfect for St. Patrick's Day, of course, but there's no reason you can't enjoy it year round.

side view of two glasses of vegan shamrock shake with chocolate sprinkle rim and whipped cream on top.

To make it a bit more indulgent, we serve ours with a chocolate and sprinkle dipped rim, plus nondairy whipped cream. Yum!

This recipe is easy to make, 100% vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free (without the optional whipped cream & chocolate toppings).

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this healthy shamrock shake:

overhead view of ingredients for healthy shamrock shake, including frozen bananas, cashews, mint, spinach and yogurt.

Ingredient Notes

  • Bananas: frozen bananas are essential here, otherwise none of the other ingredients are chilled and the shake won't be cold. A room temp shamrock shake is NOT ideal! If the bananas have been frozen for several days/weeks, let them thaw a few minutes to make blending easier.
  • Cashews: be sure to use raw, unsalted cashews in this recipe. They're not meant to add much flavor, but instead a super rich, creamy texture to replace the ice cream.
    • It's also important to soak the cashews before blending, otherwise you may end up with cashew pieces instead of a creamy, smooth shake. You can either soak them in hot water for 30 minutes, or room temperature water for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse before using.
  • Yogurt: we used this nondairy vanilla Greek-style yogurt, which is thicker and creamier than most nondairy yogurt. It definitely made this into more of a shake than a smoothie, but you can certainly sub with regular yogurt if preferred.
  • Peppermint extract: we wanted to make these shakes just with fresh mint to simplify the recipe, but it just didn't add quite enough minty flavor. A small amount of peppermint extract adds that super minty freshness you expect in a Shamrock shake (without overpowering the other ingredients).
  • Spinach: spinach is actually an optional ingredient, mostly used for color in this recipe since we're not using artificial food coloring. Feel free to leave out if you don't care about the color. (But it's also a great nutritional boost and you definitely can't taste the spinach!)
  • Matcha: same goes for the matcha powder - it's mostly used for color here. Feel free to omit.

Instructions

Soak cashews in room temperature water for 1-2 hours, then drain and rinse.

Chill 2 glasses in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. 

Melt a few ounces of dark chocolate in microwave. Dip rims of glasses in chocolate, then coat in sprinkles. Return to freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate solidifies.

person dipping chocolate-coated rim of glass into bowl of sprinkles.

Blend: add frozen bananas, cashews, yogurt, maple syrup or agave, mint, spinach, matcha, peppermint and vanilla extract to a blender.

ingredients in blender to make healthy shamrock shake before blending.

Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.

overhead view of green vegan shamrock shake in blender.

Pour into chilled glasses. Optional: top with whipped cream and more sprinkles. Enjoy cold! 

Expert Tips

  • Chill your glasses before serving.
    • Chilling the glasses for 15-30 minutes before dipping in chocolate is beneficial for two reasons. 1: the cold temperature allows the chocolate to harden up immediately, which is a great time saving tip. 2: the chilled glass keeps your shamrock shake nice and frosty for slow sipping!
  • How to properly freeze bananas: make sure to peel your bananas before freezing! To prevent them from sticking together, slice and spread into a layer on a sheet pan so the pieces aren't touching. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer safe container for up to a few months.
  • Toppings: we love adding a fun (and super easy!) chocolate sprinkle rim to this healthy shamrock shake.
    • We used these festive St. Patrick's Day sprinkles both on the rim and on top of the whipped cream. I just love them!
    • We also love adding a dollop of this vegan whipped cream to the top of the shake.
side view of two glasses of vegan shamrock shake with chocolate sprinkle rim and whipped cream on top.

Related recipes

  • Green Smoothie Bowls 3 Ways
  • overhead view of strawberry smoothie bowl
    Strawberries and Cream Smoothie Bowl (Vegan)
  • overhead view of vegan cookie dough ice cream in antique tin with ice cream cones around it.
    Vegan Cookie Dough Ice Cream
  • Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream (Vegan)

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

Print

📖 Recipe

clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
side view of two glasses of vegan shamrock shake with chocolate sprinkle rim and whipped cream on top.

Healthy Shamrock Shake


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

This healthier vegan shamrock shake is made with frozen bananas and cashews instead of ice cream. It's less indulgent than the traditional recipe, but it's equally rich and delicious! Our recipe also uses fresh mint and a bit of spinach for all-natural color and fresh flavor.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, soaked in water 1-2 hours 
  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 5.3 oz container nondairy vanilla greek yogurt (~½ cup) 
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup or agave
  • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1 cup spinach 
  • 1 tsp matcha powder (optional)
  • ½ tsp peppermint extract
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  • For serving: dark chocolate, sprinkles & nondairy whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

  1. Soak cashews in room temperature water for 1-2 hours, then drain and rinse. If you're super short on time, you can soak in hot water for 15-30 minutes. 
  2. Chill 2 glasses in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. 
  3. Melt a few ounces of dark chocolate in microwave. Dip rims of glasses in chocolate, then coat in sprinkles. Return to freezer for a few minutes (until solid).
  4. Add frozen bananas, cashews, yogurt, maple syrup or agave, mint, spinach, matcha, peppermint and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.
  5. Pour into chilled glasses. Optional: top with whipped cream and more sprinkles. Enjoy cold! 

Notes

Cashews: be sure to use raw, unsalted cashews in this recipe. They're not meant to add much flavor, but instead a super rich, creamy texture to replace the ice cream. 

Peppermint extract: we wanted to make these shakes just with fresh mint to simplify the recipe, but it just didn't add quite enough minty flavor. A small amount of peppermint extract adds that super minty freshness you expect in a Shamrock shake (without overpowering the other ingredients). 

Spinach: spinach is actually an optional ingredient, mostly used for color in this recipe since we're not using artificial food coloring. Feel free to leave out if you don't care about the color. (But it's also a great nutritional boost and you definitely can't taste the spinach!)

Matcha: same goes for the matcha powder - it's mostly used for color here. Feel free to omit. 

If the bananas have been frozen for several days or weeks and are rock hard, let them thaw for a few minutes before blending. 

  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No cook
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 771
  • Sugar: 43.2 g
  • Sodium: 46.1 mg
  • Fat: 40.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 79.6 g
  • Fiber: 6.6 g
  • Protein: 20.1 g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

More Vegan Ice Cream and Popsicle Recipes

  • Overhead of the finished lemon popsicles on top of ice.
    Lemon Popsicles
  • Front view of affogato in a glass cup.
    Vegan Affogato
  • Overhead view of mango popsicles on a blue background.
    Easy Homemade Mango Popsicles
  • Vegan Ice Cream Bars

Comments

No Comments

Let us know what you think! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

More about us →

Seasonal

  • close up overhead view of vegan bean soup in a bowl on white linen surface.
    Three-Bean Vegetable Soup
  • Front view of strawberry pop tart.
    Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts
  • Overhead view of slice and bake cookies on a pink plate.
    Slice and Bake Heart Cookies
  • close up view of a passion fruit martini in a glass with dark backdrop.
    Passion Fruit Martini

Popular

  • Overhead view of fruit and nut crackers on a plate.
    Gourmet Fruit and Nut Crackers
  • overhead view of vegan mac and cheese in pot
    The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
  • Overhead view of hot honey chicken plate.
    Hot Honey Chicken Plate (Sweetgreen Dupe)
  • Overhead view of potato leek soup.
    Super Green Sheet Pan Soup

See more-->

Footer

Back to top ↑

About

  • Learn About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • See our Portfolio

Newsletter

  • Sign up for weekly emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Work With Us
  • As Seen In

Copyright © 2025 Crowded Kitchen