I Tried 5 Different Fast Food Peppermint Shakes And The Best One Completely Surprised Me

Peppermint is enjoyed all year round, but during the December holiday season, the flavor’s popularity skyrockets. Candy canes adorn trees everywhere you turn, peppermint candies line the shelves of your local grocery store, and mint flavoring seems to find its way into seemingly everything during the month. But what is it about peppermint that makes people associate it with the holidays? 

As the story goes, a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, asked a local confectioner in the late 17th century to create a hard candy for the local kids to suck on so they would keep quiet during Christmas Eve Mass. The confectioner made the candy in the shape of a crook after the shepherd’s cane, though some believe it was meant to be reminiscent of the letter “J” because of baby Jesus in the manger. Regardless of the reasoning, the kids took the candy, and more importantly—stayed quiet. It’s widely debated if this story is actually true, but fast forward to the 1920s, and candy canes were everywhere. Thus, the popularity of peppermint during the holiday season was born.

While I might not be the biggest fan of peppermint, I can appreciate how much admiration the flavor gets. And nothing gets more celebrated than the seasonal return of peppermint fast food shakes. That’s why I decided to take on the task of tasting five popular peppermint shakes to find the best one. Here are the results. 

How I Tested Peppermint Shakes

For my judgment, each shake was tested using the following criteria:

• Overall peppermint taste: Is there too much? Too little?
• Texture: Is it too thick? Is it creamy enough?
• Base: Is the peppermint mixed with anything else?
• Ultimately, would I order it again?

The Best Fast Food Peppermint Milkshakes, Ranked

5. DQ’s Peppermint Hot Cocoa Blizzard

Rating: 3/10

First of all: Yes, this is technically a Blizzard and not a milkshake. But I tried the highly-anticipated Peppermint Hot Coca Blizzard rather than Dairy Queen’s fan-favorite Mint Chip Shake, because the latter is only available around St. Patrick’s Day. And peppermint is peppermint!

Unfortunately, this Blizzard doesn’t live up to the hype. Despite being heavily topped off with crushed peppermint, the actual mint taste is overwhelmed by the chocolate base. It was way too thick to try to suck through a straw, yet started to melt practically as soon as I got it. If you want your peppermint fix from Dairy Queen, I suggest waiting until March for a proper mint milkshake. 

4. Starbucks’ Peppermint Mocha Frappucino

Rating: 4/10

Again, this technically isn’t a shake but during the holidays, Starbucks loves to get into the holiday spirit with its peppermint-themed drinks. This is why I tried the closest thing Starbucks has to an milkshake—the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino.

Of course, this had to be tasted with slightly different criteria than the other shakes, but even after taking that into consideration, this was still low on my list. The peppermint flavor was severely lacking and while I enjoyed the mix of mocha in the drink, it just was underwhelming. Perhaps the Peppermint White Chocolate version is better than the traditional Peppermint Mocha. It gets a bonus point for the little bits of chocolate mixed into the drink and on top. 

3. Chick-fil-A’s Peppermint Chip Milkshake

Rating: 5/10

Initially, I thought Chick-fil-A would come out as the winner. After all, its shakes are some of my favorites. But its Peppermint Chip Milshake, while good, was beat out by the others in the end. However, that’s not to say this wasn’t great. While there’s only a subtle mint taste, this shake has the proper consistency a shake should have and the peppermint hits the back of your tongue towards the end. This also has another chocolate base with little bits of chocolate mixed in, which I loved.

2. Whataburger’s White Chocolate Peppermint Shake

Rating: 8/10

This was my first time having anything from Whataburger, and I was pleasantly surprised that this shake was my overall favorite. Similar to the Chick-fil-A shake, there’s a slight peppermint taste that hits you in the end without being overpowering. The peppermint is mixed into a white chocolate base, which was a welcome change from the regular chocolate that the others offered. The shake consistency was also perfect for sipping on. I am definitely running to grab this one again before peppermint season ends. 

1. Five Guy’s Candy Cane Crunch Shake

Rating: 7/10

Now, I can hear what you’re thinking now—why is Five Guys in first place if I already named which one I would order again? Well, that’s because this taste test was a little unique compared to other ones I’ve done. I’m not a huge fan of peppermint, so if I am going to taste something that has peppermint, I prefer only a little bit of peppermint flavoring rather than something strong. But I know I’m not like everyone else, which is why Five Guys’ new Candy Cane Crunch Shake takes the top spot as the best fast food peppermint milkshake.

If you want an in-your-face peppermint-flavored shake, Five Guys has you covered. It has a great milkshake consistency, a beautiful red color, and gets topped off with a generous heaping of crushed candy canes. This is, without a doubt, the ideal shake for peppermint fanatics. But if you’re like me and want something a little more subtle, I recommend reaching for Whataburger’s or Chick-fil-A’s options.