Making Your Own Shamrock Shake at Home Is Easy—and Requires Just Four Ingredients

If you crave a Shamrock Shake at the first sign of spring, you may have fallen for a common fast food tactic. By limiting the availability of some items to certain times of year, businesses can make them seem scarce, and therefore more desirable. McDonald’s customers normally have to wait until late February or March to purchase a Shamrock Shake, but with this recipe you can make them at home anytime.

According to Delish, anyone can prepare a homemade version of the St. Patrick’s Day-themed milkshake with a few simple ingredients. Like the McDonald’s version, this recipe uses vanilla ice cream as the base. After adding three scoops to your blender, pour in a quarter of a cup of heavy cream. (Whole milk also works.)

Drizzling in half a teaspoon of peppermint extract and six drops of green food coloring at this stage will give the shake its signature flavor and color. Blend the ingredients together for several seconds until the mixture is smooth, and serve topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. (French fries for dipping are optional.) You can find the full recipe from Delish here.

In addition to getting to drink them through the summer, by making Shamrock Shakes at home you can tweak them to suit your tastes. McDonald’s doesn’t serve boozy milkshakes, but you can make a version that’s inappropriate for Happy Meals by adding a shot of vodka or whiskey. You can also add Baileys to bring a new layer of flavor to the drink while sticking to the Irish theme.

[h/t Delish]