It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, and people are gearing up for the one day of the year they can get away with getting drunk at 10:00AM. However, for many others, the season of St. Paddy means something else (and I’m not just talking about non-stop listening to their Dropkick Murphys/Flogging Molly playlist). Of course, I’m referring to the almighty Shamrock Shake!

Photo Credit: Todd Van Hoosear

These fun treats are puzzling in that they’re not even really that great, but they enjoy a very beloved reputation. They’re good, but they’re nothing groundbreaking. It’s a lightly mint-flavored milkshake, not a cure for cancer. Yet every year, people rush out in droves to McDonald’s to buy these little guys because of Oreo’s favorite new mantra, “it’s a limited time only!” 

Now don’t get me wrong, I might sound like I’m criticizing the Shamrock Shake, but in reality, I do like them. I just find it funny how people lose their shit over perhaps one of the easiest to replicate menu items in the history of fast food. Here at PCFG, we’ve done a lot of editions of We Can Do It Better, however a lot of them do require a certain degree of finesse to make them resemble the real deal. This situation though? If you have access to mint extract, then you’re good to go. Don’t have mint extract? You can buy it from any supermarket for a few bucks, and it will last you a lifetime. (And if you’re using it exclusively for shakes, then it might literally last a lifetime.) So how do you make a homemade Shamrock Shake? Well, it’s basically a vanilla milkshake with green food dye and mint flavor.

Everything you need.

Homemade Shamrock Shake

• 3/4 C vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 C milk
• 1-3 drops of green food dye
• 1/8 tsp mint extract

1. Step 1: Make a milkshake.
2. Step 2: That’s it.

Seriously, it’s that simple! Add your ingredients to your blender of choice, and you’re good to go. The only real wildcard here is the food coloring. I personally add just one drop since I find food dyes a little bit sketchy. That said, they’re a necessary evil here, because, come on, it’s not a Shamrock Shake if it’s not green. If you want the radioactive cartoon green version that McDonald’s puts out, then add 3 drops of the food dye. Or alternately, if you’re a natural-enthusiast, skip the food dye completely and just go with an all white shake. (Hey, the Irish flag has white in it too.)

Compared to the actual Shamrock Shakes sold at McDonald’s, your homemade version will have about 200 fewer calories, clocking in around approximately 450, and you can make them anytime you want, no matter if it’s St. Patrick’s Day or Halloween.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!