What are some variations of Shamrock Shake?

What is the Shamrock Shake?

The Shamrock Shake is a limited-time McDonald’s shake. McDonald’s describes it as vanilla soft serve blended with a mint-flavored Shamrock flavor and topped with whipped topping. It was created by a Connecticut McDonald’s operator in 1967 and went national in 1970. It returns around St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S., and availability varies by country and year.

Official and past variations

• Oreo Shamrock McFlurry: the same vanilla soft serve and Shamrock flavor with Oreo cookie pieces. McDonald’s announced it as a limited-time item in 2020 with the shake’s 50th anniversary; later coverage says it returned in 2025.
• 2017 mint-chocolate variants: coverage lists a Chocolate Shamrock Shake, a Shamrock Chocolate Chip Frappe, a Shamrock Hot Chocolate and a Shamrock Mocha.
• Shamrock Sundae: sold for one year in 1980, according to a food history article.

How the flavor has changed

One history article says the shake began mint-flavored, used a lemon-lime sherbet version for its 1970 national launch, became a green-tinted vanilla shake in 1973 and returned to mint in 1983. Treat these dates as reported history, not McDonald’s official statements.

Variations people make at home

Home versions are copycats and are not McDonald’s recipes. Common ideas include blending vanilla ice cream with milk and a few drops of peppermint extract, adding chocolate chips for a mint-chocolate shake, or using dairy-free ice cream. Peppermint extract is strong, so add it a drop at a time and taste. Green coloring is optional.

Nutrition

Shakes are a treat. One article reports a large Shamrock Shake has about 84 grams of added sugar; check McDonald’s own nutrition information for the current size and figures, since they change.

Where to find it

It is a seasonal product, so menus differ by country and year. Check the McDonald’s app or the restaurant for what is on offer in your area.