No Food Dye Mint Shamrock Shake is one of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day foods! Skip the funky green dye and go au naturel. This green milkshake is made with 1% milk, vanilla bean ice cream, vanilla extract, (optional mint extract), and it gets that mint green color not from dye, but from spearmint leaves…plain and simple. It’s as naturally green as my No Churn Strawberry Greek Frozen Yogurt is naturally pink.
No Food Dye Mint Shamrock Shake
The title says it all. There is no food dye in this St. Pat’s Day recipe.
What are we using? Mint leaves, baby!
Using natural ingredients in place of food dye is always an appealing choice. For this shake, the mint leaves will lightly color and flavor it, to the point that you really don’t even need to add extra mint, Less you like your mint milkshake extra minty.
What are the health benefits of fresh spearmint?
I love knowing that, when I’m throwing down on this Mint Shamrock Shake, I’m improving my digestion, according to the experts. Also, if I have nausea or headache, spearmint is believed to remedy them. I need to remember that!
As an aside, the neighbor kids loved this milkshake too!
Ok, so how can we skinny-up this number?
You’ll notice I’m already using a 1% milk with my recipe, and it’s still ridiculously creamy b/c of the full fat ice cream. Buuuuut, you could easily substitute your choice of frozen yogurt and I’m pretty sure it will be just as delish!
Recipe tips: {yep, even for this simple milkshake…there are tips}
Purée the mint leaves with the milk and vanilla before adding ice cream because it requires more blending action than what’s necessary to soften the ice cream to the right consistency.
In other words, don’t cook the ice cream.
You can use any blender for this milkshake, however A high-speed blender is going to purée the leaves into a fine, undetectable texture. I love my NutriBullet 900 for this job. It happens to be one of my favorite-ist kitchen appliances evahhhh!
Here are the steps to make Natural Green Mint Leaf Shamrock Shake:
- blend mint leaves, milk, and vanilla until leaves are puréed
- add ice cream
- give it a taste; (optional) add tiny drops of mint extract
- pour into serving glass; top with whipped cream and a sprig of mint
You’ll find official recipe instructions below.
Want a few more frozen beverages from my collection?
Check out my Miracle Slushie Sore Throat Remedy. This icy beverage comes in handy any time of the year for sore throat relief.
In fact, I wrote the recipe out of desperation over a sore throat event. It saved my sanity!
Also, during warmer months, this Peach NutriBullet Milkshake Without Ice Cream will cool you down and put all those peaches to work!
Ingredients you will need for No Food Dye Mint Shamrock Shake:
- fresh spearmint leaves
- 1% milk
- vanilla extract
- vanilla bean ice cream
- (optional) pure mint or peppermint extract
- (optional) whipped cream
Kitchen tools I want on hand for this recipe:
- high-speed blender (NutriBullet or Vitamix)
- milk bottle serving glasses
- printed paper straws
* Note: This post has affiliate product links, which allows me to earn commissions when you make purchases through those links (no extra cost to you). THANK YOU for supporting The Kitchen Girl.
Traci Antonovich
Yields 2 1-cup servings
Naturally green mint milkshake made with spearmint leaves, ice cream, vanilla extract, and (optional) mint extract. No food coloring and no added sugar.
5 minPrep Time
5 minTotal Time
Save Recipe5 based on 9 review(s)
Ingredients
- Handful Spearmint Leaves (10-15)
- 1 cup 1% Milk (or any milk)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- (optional) pure Spearmint or Peppermint extract
- (optional) Whipped Cream
Instructions
In a high speed blender, blend MINT LEAVES, MILK, and VANILLA until leaves are fully pureed; add ICE CREAM and pulse until creamy; (optional) add MINT FLAVORING.
Notes
Serve chilled; garnish with fresh spearmint leaves and whipped cream (optional).
I’m a monthly recipe contributor on Amanda’s Cookin’ recipe site and this recipe was originally published there in January, 2017.
Traci Antonovich
About my recipes: Minimal meat & more plants!
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