There's nothing really traditional per se to St. Patrick's Day festivities about Shamrock shakes, but if you've lived in the U.S. since the 1970's, you know that they've become an American tradition on March 17th, and as of February 2012, they're now available nationwide. So, as an American, I love making these vegan Shamrock shakes to celebrate the holiday! Whether you're hosting vegans, persons allergic to dairy, lactose intolerant kids, or anyone just looking to cut back on saturated fat and cholesterol, you'll want to make these a part of your St. Patrick's Day holiday.
Feel free to make your shakes as thick or as thin as you like them (I like to err on the thicker side and then add the soy milk gradually until I'm satisfied with the viscosity), and you can even choose to blend some finely grated chocolate into your shakes for a little extra chocolaty flavor. (If you do this, you'll only need to pulse the blender a few times before it's well mixed and to keep the shakes from becoming brown!)
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 cups dairy-free vanilla soy ice cream, either store-bought or homemade
- 2 cups vanilla dairy-free soy milk or other non-dairy milk alternative
- 1/4-1/2 t. mint extract, or to taste
- About 8-10 drops green food coloring (make it as green as you want!)
- 2 T. white granulated sugar
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, plus more for garnishing
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Preparation:
1. Combine the dairy-free ice cream, half of the dairy-free soy milk, the peppermint extract, the green food coloring, and white granulated sugar in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Gradually add the remaining cup of soy milk, blending until the mixture is as thick or as thin as desired. (If you want a thinner shake, feel free to add a little more, too.) Using a large spoon or spatula, fold in the dairy-free chocolate chips or chocolate chunks until evenly distributed. Portion the mixture into 4 chilled glasses, garnishing each with additional dairy-free chocolate chips and fresh mint leaves if desired. Chill in the freezer for 5 additional minutes and serve immediately.
Cook's Note:
- Mint extract is very strong, so I usually like to start with 1/4 t. of the extract and blend with all of the other ingredients, then do a quick taste test and add an extra 1/4 t. if desired. A little goes a long way, so just be sure to test your shakes to make sure you're getting the desired flavor for you and your family!
