healthy-ish shamrock shake

I love a shamrock shake. Every year I get myself at least one. A few weeks ago, I was craving a milkshake (I have a milkshake problem) and headed out for one. I started towards Jack in the Box (like I said, I have a problem) but then I realized it was shamrock shake season and beelined towards McDonalds.

As I drove home and sipped my favorite seasonal shake, I was so disappointed! It was soupy, so sweet it burned the back of my throat, and they forgot the cherry. Major let down, but maybe I have outgrown these shakes? Probably not. I just think the McDonald's by my house is the worst. I will try again in the future but for now, I made my own version. The McDs version is good but so bad. They are full of chemicals, the opposite of natural in all ways, and not at all good for you.

Despite my disappointment, I love the shamrock shake idea. They are minty and green and so cute for St. Patrick's Day. I looked around on Pinterest for a healthier option and almost all the recipes I found have spinach in them. I get that spinach is an all natural way to make the shake green but personally, I don't want spinach in my milkshake. I am fine with it in a smoothie, but a milkshake should be just a little bit indulgent, don't you think?

I whipped up this version that is healthy-ish. Much healthier than any McD's shake and not full of crazy chemicals and green dye. I used two scoops of vanilla ice cream, a handful of fresh chopped mint leaves, a frozen banana, and unsweetened coconut milk. I topped the shake off with a raspberry, a tiny bit of real (not cool whip) whipped cream, and dark chocolate shavings.

This version is really good. It isn't super green, but it's delicious and has a great minty flavor. If you add more ice cream, it would probably be even better....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!