DIY Deluxe Grimace Shake Recipe

If you've been scrolling on TikTok these past few weeks, you might have heard "Happy Birthday Grimace," as creators go wild faking comically horrific consequences after sipping on the new limited edition purple milkshake. McDonald's has rolled out plenty of characters over the years, and Grimace is the latest one to take the spotlight, with people flocking far and wide to get their hands on the now-iconic purple shake. Any jokes or memes aside, there's no denying that the Grimace shake has taken the internet by storm — but what if you aren't able to a McDonald's in time to try one out?

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for DIY deluxe Grimace shake and says, "I love hopping onto the current trends, so of course I had to join the bandwagon and create my own Grimace shake. I decided to use a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and blue spirulina to get the beautiful purple color and the taste is even better than the real thing!" Read on to learn how to whip together your own Grimace shake and decide for yourself.

Frozen blueberries and fresh raspberries make for the fruity base of this milkshake. "I like using the combination of some frozen fruit and some fresh so that we get an icy yet creamy shake. I typically have frozen wild blueberries in the house so that is what I've used here but standard frozen blueberries work just as well," Hahn shares.

We'll also need some vanilla ice cream, milk, and a spray can of whipped cream. To really enhance the purple color, we're using blue spirulina. To really make our shake festive, we'll lastly need some fun-colored sprinkles.

Let the ice cream sit out for a couple of minutes to soften up, which will make it easier to scoop.

Add the blueberries, raspberries, ice cream, milk, and blue spirulina to a blender.

Blend until the fruit has broken down.

Pour milkshake into a large glass or two small ones.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Add straws and enjoy.

In case you've never incorporated it into your diet before, you might be wondering exactly what blue spirulina is and how you use it. Spirulina is actually a type of algae, and quite the nutritious one at that — it's loaded with nutrients, it's rich in antioxidants, it can help lower your cholesterol, and it might even help support blood sugar control. It's no wonder it's a comment ingredient in many-a smoothie bowl.

There are quite a few types of spirulina out there, though Hahn favors the blue kind for an important flavor-related reason. "My favorite thing about blue spirulina is that it's tasteless, unlike green spirulina which can have a strong 'sea' scent and taste," she explains. Luckily, all the blue algae contributes to this recipe is a beautiful hue that gets us closer to a Grimace-y purple — and maybe some bonus health benefits.

Seeing as this is a DIY milkshake, there's quite a bit of room for customization. One of the easiest ways to switch things up is by using a different flavor of ice cream — while something like chocolate or cookie dough might not be the best option flavor- or color-wise, more neutral variations of vanilla like French, homestyle, or even frozen vanilla yogurt will all suffice. To stay on the purple color theme, you may even opt for ube ice cream, made with the purple sweet potato that's especially popular in Filipino treats. Ube packs a surprising amount of health benefits, so along with the blue spirulina, you can enjoy your shake and reap some unexpected nutritional bonuses, too.

Other easy ways to customize your shake include switching up the toppings. If you're a fan of minimalism, you may want to skip the whipped cream and sprinkles altogether. If you're a maximalist, you may opt to make your own whipped cream and, while you're at it, why not add in a little more spirulina powder? The only thing better than a purple milkshake is one with a purple whipped cream to match, and perhaps tack on some purple sprinkles for good measure.