Shamrock Shake Shots are the BEST way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! Everyone’s favorite minty green milkshakes get a big buzz from the addition of crème de menthe and whipped cream vodka. There’s also a non-alcoholic version in the recipe, so everyone can enjoy these shakes!

Riddle me this: what’s a girl with freshly made candy shot glasses, lots of green food coloring, and a serious hankering for a milkshake going to do? Why, make Shamrock Shake Shots, of course! Can you think of a better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?!

Shamrock Shake Shots are not just a serious tongue twister, they’re also seriously delicious. Regular Shamrock Shakes are just mint milkshakes with clever marketing, and this adult version swaps the usual mint extract for a combination of creme de menthe and whipped cream vodka. We COULD call them simply “boozy mint shakes,” but where’s the fun in that?

First things first, you absolutely do not need to serve these in cute (edible!) candy shot glasses, but if you want to get on my level, I have full instructions for these beauties in my DIY Candy Shot Glasses post. Or, make them using my shortcut method with premade hard candy.

(Just a note, when I poured the cold shakes into the candy shot glasses, some–but not all–of them developed cracks on the inside of the glasses, I assume because of the quick temperature change. The glasses didn’t leak at all, and the cracks weren’t on the outside, but they didn’t look quite as crystal-clear as before. I haven’t had this problem with room temperature liquids, just cold ones.)

Actually, you don’t need to serve them as shots at all. As the recipe’s written, its more of a boozy milkshake and less of a straight shot, although you can double the alcohol if you want to get reaaaaaally happy this St. Paddy’s Day. Just taste and adjust to your preference!

And that green cherry on top? Mine are from Roland, a company with a whole line of bright and colorful cherries who continues to vex me by not selling their beautiful cherries in single jar quantities online. What’s a rainbow-loving lady supposed to do?! Guys, I’ve seriously emailed them multiple times and it’s like they don’t even care about my puny order and would rather sell wholesale or something. What’s that about?

ANYHOW! I haven’t seen all of the colors in stores, but I found these green ones at a local gourmet market. You might also have luck finding them at a Bev Mo or similar large liquor store, or just use other green candies or red maraschino cherries instead.

And if you’re not an alcohol fan, or are looking to serve these to kids, I’ve also included regular Shamrock Shake instructions in the Note below the recipe. Seriously, just whiz together a handful of ingredients and you’re on your way to minty bliss. Enjoy!

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Two hands making a toast with Shamrock Shake Shots.

Shamrock Shake Shots

5 from 2 votes
Shamrock Shake Shots are the BEST way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! Everyone’s favorite minty green milkshakes get a big buzz from the addition of crème de menthe and whipped cream vodka. 
Want to make these without any alcohol? Check out the Note below for a non-alcoholic Shamrock Shake recipe!
Prep5 minutes
Cook0 minutes
Total5 minutes
Yields8 1/2-cup servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 1 cup milk, whole milk recommended
  • 2 oz crème de menthe, (recommended), or peppermint schnapps
  • 2 oz whipped cream vodka, or vanilla vodka
  • 2 drops Green gel food coloring

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Taste, and adjust the alcohol and coloring as desired. Pour into cups or shot glasses and top with whipped cream and a cherry (optional but cute!). Serve and enjoy immediately.

Recipe Notes

Even though these are called “shots,” they’re more of a boozy milkshake (so you can have more of them!). You can double the alcohol if you want to give your shots more of a kick or you can make them completely non-alcoholic! 
Non-Alcoholic Shamrock Shake
Use the following quantities and prepare as above:
3 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk (whole milk recommended)
¾ tsp mint extract
2 drops green gel food coloring

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 142mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 0mg
Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and hashtag it #SugarHero. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @elabau.
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Meet Elizabeth!

Hi, I’m Elizabeth — a trained pastry chef, cookbook author, video instructor, and your new Baking BFF! I’m going to teach you everything you need to know to be a sugar hero. ❤️

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2 Comments

  1. These are so cute! Love your creativity and artistry! Your qwest to find rainbow cherries peaked my interest. You may want to check out websterauntstore.com. They’re not Rolands brand, but appears they sell single jars of colored cherries! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet!

  2. such colorful recipe my kids would love this and im definitely gonna make thhis for my kids thanks for sharing 🙂