Real Food Shamrock Shake (Makes several small shakes)
Made from scratch using only natural colors and flavors, this minty shamrock shake is the real food, real deal, perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day!
1handful fresh peppermint leavesor 6 drops peppermint essential oil, or peppermint extract, to taste
2cupsmilkor nut milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream
Mix together the heavy cream, honey (or sweetener of choice), and vanilla extract. (The solid coconut cream that forms on top of a chilled can of coconut milk can be used in place of heavy cream. This allows you to make a dairy free and/or vegan shake.)
For a fluffier ice cream, whip the cream mixture until peaks form.
Pour the whipped cream mixture into a pan. Place it in the freezer until frozen firm.
Make the Shamrock Shake
Blend together the ice cream, spinach, milk, and peppermint flavoring of choice. (You can use fresh peppermint leaves, peppermint extract or a few drops of peppermint essential oil.)Add any optional ingredients like avocado or protein powder.
Taste the mixture and add more honey or peppermint flavoring, as needed. It can be thinned with more milk or thickened with either ice or some avocado. Adding more spinach will give a brighter green color.
Serve immediately. It's wonderful topped with whipped cream. :)
Video
Notes
For a Dairy Free/Vegan Shamrock Shake:
Use coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream.
Use maple syrup or another sweetener in place of the honey.
Substitute the milk with a vegetable milk like almond milk or coconut milk.
For a Lower Carb Shake:
Use a low carb sweetener like stevia or erythritol.
Other tips:
Adding avocado will give a creamy, thick texture. Too much avocado can make it too thick.
Spinach leaves blend well into the shake to give it a beautiful green color. Peppermint leaves add flavor, but don't fullly incorporate into the shake as well. (They don't add as much color, and you can see small pieces of peppermint leaves when used.) For a smoother looking shamrock shake, use peppermint extract or peppermint essential oil instead.
Peppermint essential oil isn't recommended for use with small children. (Always use care when taking essential oils internally. Make sure you are using food-grade oils and use very sparingly.) With children, peppermint extract may be the best option.