Dairy-free Green Tea Milkshake for St. Patrick’s Day

A few weeks ago, we were out at our favorite Japanese restaurant with Nick’s grandma and uncle, enjoying the last bit of our meal when the table beside us received their order of giant glasses filled with a creamy, green concoction topped with a mountain of whipped cream. “What is THAT?!” I asked the waitor. He told me it was a green tea milkshake- and I thought to myself, “I have GOT to make that”. And so- I did!

I thought this lovely mint green shake is perfect for St. Patty’s- a whole heck of a lot healthier than those Mc Donald’s Shamrock shake, and this one happens to have NO refined sugars and, incidentally, no dairy either. I used one of my favorite coconut milk ice creams as the base, along with coconut milk, ice, some natural sweetener and of course- organic matcha green tea powder for a boost of antioxidants and that beautiful light green hue.

So what is Matcha? Matcha is powdered green tea. It has been historically used by Buddhist Monks and in Japanese tea ceremonies. It is highly revered as a potent antioxidant. Because the tea leaves are ground, and not steeped, the health benefits (immune system/cancer protective) and caffeine content- are much more potent than steeped looseleaf green tea. It has a very distinct taste, as well. A little earthy, slightly grassy, a little bitter but also a bit sweet, as well.

I love it- and I think you will too! A little sweetness does wonders for the bitterness, as in this shake. If you’ve never tried it before, start with just a teaspoon or two, and add more as you develop a taste for it. I used 1/2 a tablespoon in this recipe- which is a pretty hefty dose of caffeine, so don’t drink this before bed!

Dairy-free Green Tea Milkshake
Serves 2

1 heaping cup coconut milk ice cream (I used So Delicious, see above)
1- 2 cups ice (depending on desired thickness)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp matcha powdered green tea (start with less, if desired)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
sweetener of choice: I used 1/4 cup raw honey and 2 dates.
coconut whipped cream, as desired

1. Add ice cream, ice, vanilla and matcha to blender. Add a bit of sweetener, if desired. Top with coconut milk and blend until smooth. Add more ice to reach desired consistency.

2. Taste and add more sweetener as desired. Serve cold, with cold coconut whipped cream on top (the bit in the pictures is frozen).

So it’s not at ALL Irish- but it looks pretty, huh? Happy (early) St. Patty’s!