[Super Thick] Shamrock Smoothie
I don’t know what it is, but I can’t get enough peppermint lately. I think it started with the stash of Candy Cane Lane tea that I hoarded over the holidays (I still have some left!) and the love grew even stronger when NuNaturals sent me some of their Peppermint liquid stevia to try. I’ve been adding to tea, plain Greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk… you name it! But, my favorite way to enjoy it has been in my recovery smoothie.
shamrock1
This is the time of year where I usually see ads for McDonald’s Shamrock Shake pop up all over the place. Strangely enough, I haven’t seen a single one! I’ve actually never tried one before, and I’m sure they taste delicious (really, it’s pretty hard to screw up a milkshake!). But, Greg has had a real Shamrock Shake before and actually said that my version tastes even better… and I don’t think he was just being nice.
A 16 oz. McDonald’s Shamrock Shake clocks in at 680 calories and has 20g of fat (12 g saturated!). My version comes in just a little bit lower at 130 calories and 1g of fat*. 🙂
*This will vary depending on the protein powder you use. I used Wegman’s Natural Vanilla Whey Protein.
I posted a Shamrock-ish Shake recipe last year that was a little more decadent, but for this version, I simply tweaked the recipe for my recovery smoothie. Using frozen spinach over fresh adds thickness to the smoothie, along with the frozen banana xanthan gum. I’ve been alternating between using vanilla and chocolate protein powder- both are equally delicious! However, if you really want to achieve a bright shade of green, I’d go with vanilla.
The ingredients:
ingredients
All set to go!
vitamix
Super Thick Shamrock Smoothie
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 cups of ice
1/2 of a small frozen banana
1/2 c frozen spinach
1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c water
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
6 (ish) drops NuNaturals peppermint liquid stevia – can sub with peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Add all ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend for about 1 minute, or until mixture reaches desired consistency.
To me, that looks like this:
vitamixflower
When your smoothie is this thick, it’s best to eat it with a spoon. 🙂
I’m pretty sure I’ll be continuing to enjoy these long after St. Patrick’s day!
shamrock2
Cheers!
Are you a peppermint fan? What’s your favorite flavor combination (using peppermint)?