Easy Shamrock Protein Shake Recipe (Healthy Smoothie)

Name: Easy Shamrock Protein Shake Recipe (Healthy Smoothie)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 medium ripe banana; 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder; 1 kiwi (peeled); ½ cup fresh spinach; 1 cup unsweetened almond milk; ¼ tsp pure peppermint extract; 1 cup ice cubes; Optional toppings: whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate chips, shaved dark chocolate, maraschino cherry

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This St. Patrick's Day, raise your glass to a healthier way to enjoy the classic McDonald's Shamrock Shake! This minty, creamy Shamrock Protein Shake recipe is easy to make and offers all the same flavor with fewer calories and less sugar. So don't compromise on flavor - you can still indulge in this delicious treat! Cheers to good health on this lucky day!

A creamy shamrock protein shake in a tall glass, topped with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends! If you love Mcdonald's Shamrock Shakes but want to avoid the unhealthy high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar of the original, this healthier alternative is an absolute must-try!

With a few simple ingredients and a blender, you can quickly whip up this incredibly creamy and minty shake that contains 11 grams of protein and only 12 grams of sugar per serving.

Making your own healthy protein shamrock shake is so easy, and it's ready in just 5 minutes! Plus, by making your own version at home, you'll save money and avoid the artificial colors and preservatives found in the Mcdonald's version!

Even though technically this is a green smoothie, it tastes like it's made with ice cream - so your kids will love it! They won't even know it has spinach or kiwi in it!

And the best part is you can enjoy the classic Shamrock flavor all year long - not just during the shamrock shake season!

This minty, creamy shake is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy a treat any time of day. From breakfast to an afternoon snack, you can indulge in this tasty (and guilt-free) option without compromising on nutrition or flavor.

So serve up some luck with every sip - cheers to good health all year round!

For another delicious and healthy smoothie made with spinach - check out my Spinach Smoothie recipe!

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☘️ What is a Shamrock Shake?
💗 Why You Will Love This Recipe
🍌 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
☘️ Step-By-Step Instructions
💭 Expert Tips
📋 Recipe FAQs
🥤 More Smoothie Recipes You'll Love
📋 Recipe

☘️ What is a Shamrock Shake?

A Shamrock Shake is a mint-flavored milkshake that is available during the month of March at select McDonald's locations. The original McDonald's Shamrock Shake contains vanilla soft-serve ice cream, cream, and mint-flavored syrup (high fructose corn syrup and green dye), then it is topped with whipped cream and often comes with a maraschino cherry. A small Shamrock Shake (McDonald's version) has 540 calories, 13 g of fat, 95 g of carbohydrates, and 72 g of sugar. Yikes!

💗 Why You Will Love This Recipe

This is a simple recipe - and it comes together in less than 5 minutes.
It's packed with nutritious ingredients - bananas, kiwi, spinach, almond milk, and protein powder combine to provide a well-rounded meal replacement or snack.
It's portable - blend up this shake in minutes and take it on the go for a healthy snack.
It has a refreshing peppermint flavor - thanks to the peppermint extract!
The ice cubes give it an ultra-creamy texture - with just enough chill to make it feel like a special treat.
It's naturally sweetened - no need for any added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
The banana and protein powder help keep hunger at bay - plus, you get all the benefits of fiber from the kiwi and spinach!
You can customize it to fit your taste preferences - just add more peppermint extract for an extra minty flavor or use any type of milk you like!
It's perfect for St Patrick’s Day or any day of the year! Celebrate the luck of the Irish with every sip of this delicious shake!

🍌 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

The ingredients to make this green shamrock shake can easily be found at local grocery stores.

The ingredients for the shamrock protein shake measured out and placed on a wooden table.

Banana. I used a fresh ripe banana, but you could also use a frozen banana for an even creamier shake. This naturally sweetens the smoothie.
Vanilla protein powder. This gives the smoothie a high protein content and delicious vanilla flavor. You could also use chocolate protein powder for a mint chocolate chip flavor.
Spinach. I used fresh spinach, but you could also use frozen spinach. This gives the smoothie a lovely green color, and you can't even taste it!
Almond milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but you could use your favorite milk of choice.
Peppermint extract. I used pure peppermint extract, which gives the smoothie its signature mint flavor. If you like a stronger mint flavor, add an extra drop or two. Because it can be quite strong, always start with a small amount the first time you make it. You can always add more if you like.

See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a full list of ingredients.

☘️ Step-By-Step Instructions

To make this healthy shamrock shake recipe, start by adding the almond milk and banana to a high-speed blender or food processor.

The banana and almond milk added to a blender.

Then, add spinach and kiwi.

The spinach and kiwi added to the blender.

Finally, add vanilla protein powder, peppermint extract, and a cup of ice cubes.

The vanilla protein powder, peppermint extract, and ice cubes added to the blender with the other ingredients.

Blend the ingredients for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until everything is smooth and creamy and you have a shake-like consistency.

The ingredients for the shamrock shake blended until smooth in the blender.

Pour the shake into two tall glasses.

Garnish with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles for a fun treat. Or top it with cacao nibs or chocolate chips.

That's it! Serve immediately and enjoy!

The shamrock smoothie topped with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles.

💭 Expert Tips

For the perfect creamy texture, invest in a powerful blender, such as a Ninja blender. This will ensure that all the ingredients blend smoothly. I absolutely LOVE my blender - and it has a 'Smoothie' function that always gives me perfect smoothies.
This recipe has a nice, mild mint flavor. Taste the shake before you pour it out of the blender. If you like a stronger mint flavor, add another drop or two of peppermint extract and blend again to mix.
Blend until all the ingredients are nice and smooth.
Top with whipped cream, coconut cream, and sprinkles or dark chocolate shavings.

📋 Recipe FAQs

Is this shake really healthy?

Yes! This recipe uses wholesome ingredients like baby spinach, banana, unsweetened almond milk, and kiwi to pack in vitamins and minerals. It also uses peppermint extract instead of mint syrup and contains no added sugar.

How much sugar is in this shake?

This recipe uses only natural sugars found in fruit and has around 12 grams of sugar per serving.

Can I make this shake without a blender?

It's best to use a blender to get the perfect texture, but if you don't have one, you can also use a food processor.

How can I make this shake more filling?

This shake already has a good amount of protein, but if you want to make it even more filling, try adding a tablespoon of chia seeds for extra fiber.

🥤 More Smoothie Recipes You'll Love

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