This Lighter Shamrock Shake is a much lighter way to enjoy this fun treat!
If you love a Shamrock Shake but don’t love all the calories it brings to your life, meet this easy alternative. In it, we are swapping the ice cream out for bananas. We still get that rich and creamy mint taste but with the benefit of nutritious bananas rather than ice cream.
How to Make a Lighter Shamrock Shake
This is a brief overview of how to make this delicious recipe. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Combine the ingredients in a food processor. Add the frozen banana and blend until smooth. To learn more about freezing bananas read this post: How to Freeze Bananas.
- Add in the milk. Add more if needed until you reach the desired consistency.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the mint extract, green food coloring, and agave nectar. Blend until smooth.
- Serve and enjoy. Top with whipped cream and maraschino cherries if desired.
A Lighter Treat
While this is a lighter treat, it is not a calorie free treat. It is made with bananas, which have a lot of health benefits, but they do still have 100 calories per banana. Be sure to enjoy this shake in moderation.
Additionally, this lighter take on the Shamrock Shake is totally delicious, but not identical to its rich older sister. She’s made from bananas, cut her some slack. That said, this shake is really good and very reminiscent of the original.
Food Coloring
If you or someone in your family avoids food dyes, you might like using this alternative. It is all natural and a fun way to still make this look like the original.
Peppermint vs. Mint
Please note that you are looking for mint extract and not peppermint extract. Mint extract is the taste you love in the Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. Peppermint is what you taste when you have a candy cane.
Vanilla Soy Milk
I tried first making it with vanilla extract to replicate the vanilla ice cream taste, but that just didn’t jive with the mint extract. So then I used vanilla soy milk, and it worked out much better. If you don’t want to buy a big carton of soy milk, then just get a little milk box of vanilla cow’s milk, to get the same affect.
If you make this delicious lighter shamrock shake, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Lighter Shamrock Shake
Ingredients
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1/3 cup vanilla soy milk plus more for thinning, see note 1
- 1 – 2 teaspoons agave nectar see note 2
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract not peppermint extract
- 8 drops green food coloring see note 3
- fat free whipped cream for topping
- maraschino cherries for topping
Instructions
- In a food processor blend the frozen bananas until smooth.2 frozen bananas
- Add 1/3 a cup soy milk or more if needed to thin it out.1/3 cup vanilla soy milk
- Add the agave nectar, mint extract, and food coloring. Blend and taste adding more agave nectar as needed.1 – 2 teaspoons agave nectar, 1/4 teaspoon mint extract, 8 drops green food coloring
- Top with fat free whip cream and maraschino cherries if desired.
Notes
- This recipe was tested with both vanilla extract and vanilla soy milk. The vanilla soy milk was much more reminiscent of the original Shamrock Shake. You could also purchase a small container of vanilla milk.
- Start with 1 tsp of agave nectar and see if you want it sweeter before adding the second.
- If you are sensitive to food coloring, this is a great alternative.
Scott says
Adding mint to this shake really gave it an awesome kick which I totally loved. Thanks for sharing this. My kids loved it today.
Reed Paul says
We made this Shake last night! Yummy! It turned out great and it makes a great eve. It will be the “go-to” key Shake recipe.
Kristi says
Do you think i could add protein mix to this?
I don’t know how it would affect the taste, but my best guess is that if you went with a vanilla protein powder it would be delicious!
Emmy says
While this isn’t creamy like the shamrock shake, it is still really good and hits the spot for that sweet craving! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m glad to hear you liked this, Emmy!