Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day year round with this wholesome, tasty and refreshing Mint Chocolate Chip Shake!
A healthy makeover of a seasonal favorite
If you love mint, then chances are you get excited when the shamrock shakes arrive back on the menu of a popular fast food chain around St. Patrick’s Day. We get it. With all its cold, creamy, minty and sweet dessert-like goodness, it’s no wonder that everyone and their brother makes their way to the drive-thru – STAT.
Of course, it tastes delicious, but then there’s the inevitable sugar crush that comes after. And it’s no wonder with 63 grams of sugar in just a small serving. We won’t go into the long list of other unpronounceable ingredients. Instead, we’d rather offer you an alternative with our healthier Mint Chocolate Chip Shake that actually stabilizes your blood sugar while satisfying your minty craving – and your hunger.
Same creamy texture and minty flavor without all the other…”stuff”
Not only does this Mint Chocolate Chip Shake satisfy your craving for something sweet, creamy and minty-fresh, but it also includes nutrient-dense ingredients and contains only 18 grams of sugar from fruit and veggies!. Loaded with spinach and avocado (say hello to that natural pretty green), banana, antioxidant-rich cacao nibs (or mini chocolate chips if you’re feeling really decadent) and a dash of mint extract, you’ll question why you wait a whole year to enjoy its less-healthy twin, when you can enjoy this one year round.
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day year round with this refreshing Mint Chocolate Chip Shake! A healthy twist on the Shamrock shake made with real food. Click To Tweet
More bang for your buck.
Anyone else love piling as much stuff into their smoothies/shakes as possible to get the maximum benefits? Well, we’re no different and that’s why we’ve added collagen to this Mint Chocolate Chip Shake. While it’s entirely optional and doesn’t interfere with the flavors or consistency, it’s a great add-in that adds protein in the most discreet of ways.
And speaking of more bang for your buck… don’t limit this delectable shake to just St. Patty’s Day. It makes for a refreshing “ice cream” option on a hot summer night when you add a bit more ice or you can pour into popsicle molds for a kid-friendly, mom-approved after school snack.
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Mint Chocolate Chip Shake
This healthy take on a the high-sugar and artificially colored Shamrock Shakes features nutrient dense foods and get its gorgeous green color from mother nature, not science.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Dessert

Ingredients
- 1 large handful of fresh (or frozen) spinach
- 8 oz. milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 cup ice
- ½ small avocado
- 1 medium banana (about 125g), frozen and cut into chunks
- ½ tsp. mint extract (such as Simply Organic) or ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 1–2 Tbsp. cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life! brand mini-chips)
- 2–3 Tbsp. collagen peptides or protein powder of choice (optional)
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a high-power blender and blend until smooth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ recipe (without optional protein powder)
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 71mg
- Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 6g
What’s your favorite shake that doubles as a dessert? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
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Audrey says
This was great! Even the kids loved it. Thank you!
Jessica Beacom says
Thank you! That’s awesome that your kids loved it too. My kids like it really thick and spoonable (so I freeze the coconut milk into ice cubes first then use my Vitamix to make it soft-serve consistency). It’s also great as a ‘popsicle’- just pour any leftovers into popsicle molds (like these). I always try to have a stash of freezer pops for snacks and even breakfast when I’m super pressed for time.
BikeandRow says
Great comment! I find that smoothies and protein shakes are so good frozen in popsicle molds. And so fast and easy to grab and go. If you make them to soft-serve consistency using frozen ingredients, they freeze up beautifully!
Leila says
Could this still work if I omit the avocado, or is there a substitution? I have an allergy 🙁
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Leila! Yes, you could omit the avocado. Maybe add 1-2 T. creamy almond butter for texture purposes. Enjoy!