How To Make a Milkshake

Learn how to make a milkshake at home from scratch! We will teach you how to make delicious vanilla, strawberry and chocolate milkshakes plus give you ideas for more flavors and combinations. The possibilities are endless.  This dessert couldn’t be easier and is perfect anytime of year.

When was the last time you treated yourself to a milkshake? It’s one of our favorite desserts to make at home with the kids and I’m showing you how to make the best homemade milkshakes in not just one flavor but three!

Are you a chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla fan? Or maybe you like to be a little unique with an oreo milkshake? Whichever it is, you will love how easy it is to make a milkshake with ice cream that has just the right consistency. Add your favorite toppings and before you know it, you’ll have a shake that looks ike it came from a fancy soda shop!

Once you learn how to make a milkshake on your own, you might find yourself scheduling a family milkshake night every week!

Why This Milkshake Recipe With Ice Cream Works

• Once you have a base milkshake recipe, it’s so easy to customize the flavor. I’m showing you how to make vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry milkshakes and sharing some variations for even more flavors.
• The strawberry milkshake is made with fresh fruit for the best flavor! The chocolate has rich chocolate sauce, and the vanilla is a classic – simple and sweet!
• With the right ingredients and tools, you can make and serve your amazing milkshakes like a pro. Then the only thing you’ll need to worry about is how many you can drink in one sitting!

Milkshake Ingredients

• Vanilla milkshake: For this classic flavor, you will need vanilla ice cream and milk. So grab your favorite brand of ice cream, and you’re ready to go!
• Chocolate milkshake: To make a creamy chocolate milkshake, you’ll need vanilla ice cream, milk, and chocolate syrup.
• Strawberry milkshake: I love this flavor because it uses fresh strawberries! You’ll also need vanilla ice cream and milk.

For the ice cream, I recommend using a premium full-fat kind for the best results!

You can use whatever milk you lik, but I recommend using a higher fat milk because it will make the shake much more rich and creamy. We usually go with 2% milk to make a thick milkshake.

How To Make A Milkshake Step By Step

Scoop: Use a scoop to place the large scoops of ice cream into the blender. Then add the milk and, if you are making strawberry or chocolate milkshakes, add the fruit or sauce.

Blend: Process until the ingredients are well combined and creamy.

Decorate: Pour the completed milkshake into a glass, then top with whipped cream, a cherry, and some sprinkles. You can also add any of your other favorite toppings!

Serve: Add a fun straw and a long-handled spoon for serving. Enjoy!

How do I make different Flavors?

There are a lot of ways to change up this recipe to create all kinds of different milkshake flavors. Here are some that we love to make:

• Oreo Milkshake: Make a vanilla milkshake and add crushed Oreo cookies when you blend the shake.
• Double Chocolate: Use chocolate ice cream, milk, and cooled hot fudge sauce to make a rich and decadent treat! You can even top it with chocolate chips.
• Mint Cookies and Cream: Use chocolate or vanilla ice cream and add crushed mint Oreos when you blend.
• Very Berry: Make a vanilla shake with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries with milk to make a fruity creamy shake!
• Mocha Milkshake: Blend coffee ice cream with chocolate sauce and milk to make a delicious shake that tastes like a coffee house drink. You could also just add a shot of espresso (cooled) to chocolate shake.
• Tropical Shake: Mix fresh pineapple or mango with a vanilla shake to make a refreshing ice cream treat.
• Banana Milkshake: Blend a banana with vanilla or chocolate ice cream and milk.
• Banana Strawberry: Add fresh banana with strawberries and vanilla ice cream.
• Chocolate Caramel: Add caramel sauce to chocolate ice cream and milk and blend them together.
• Peach: Combine fresh peach slices with vanilla ice cream and milk.

Best Milkshake Toppings

Get creative with your toppings, too! Caramel sauce, blueberry sauce, and strawberry sauce are all great. You can also sprinkle crushed nuts or cookies on top of the whipped cream, too.

The options for milkshake toppings are endless! Here are a few of our favorite topping ideas.

• Chocolate syrup
• Strawberry sauce
• Caramel sauce
• Blueberry Sauce
• Hot Fudge Sauce
• Crushed cookies
• Sliced or chopped nuts
• Fresh fruit
• Candy
• Whipped Cream
• Melted marshmallow
• Hard candy toppings
• Sprinkles
• Peanuts
• Nut butter drizzle
• Cookie Dough

Do you put ice in a milkshake?

Nope! Ice will just make it thin and watery so skip it for the best result! The ice cream will make it cold enough and is super creamy, so the texture will be perfect too.

How do you thicken a homemade milkshake?

If you want a thicker milkshake, just add more ice cream. No one can ever have too much ice cream in a milkshake, right? And if you accidentally make it too thick, then you can add a splash of milk to thin it out!

How do you make a milkshake without a blender?

You can use a food processor or a hand blender (immersion blender). But making a milkshake in a blender is the easiest way!

What is the ratio of milk to ice cream in a milkshake?

We used 1 ½ cup ice cream to ¼ cup milk in this recipe. This creates a thick, creamy milkshake. If you want a thinner milkshake that’s easy to eat through a straw add more milk as you blend it until you reach the desired consistency.

What is the best milk to use for milkshakes?

You can use any type of milk you like, such as whole, skim or even dairy-free alternatives like oat or almond milk, but full-fat milk gives you the thickest, creamiest milkshake and best results. Do not use cream as it will clump in the blender.

Can you melt ice cream to make a milkshake?

If you don’t have a blender a great option is to melt the ice cream a little and stir it to make a milkshake. Place your ice cream in a microwave safe bowl then microwave it until it can easily be squished with a spoon about 15-30 seconds.

After your ice cream is softened, add milk and any mix-ins. Another option is to put it in a jar and shake it vigorously until well-mixed. If you have a food processor or immersion blender you can use that.

Your family will love homemade milkshakes! This is such a fun thing to make at home and the flavor combos are endless – although you can’t go wrong with the classics. Pick up the ingredients this week and treat yourself!

More Ice Cream Desserts

• Affogato is a classic Italian coffee ice cream dessert that is super simple to make!
• For a grown-up treat, make a Grasshopper Ice Cream Dessert! Light, fluffy, and so minty – you will love it.
• Dessert Nachos are a fun dessert treat with cinnamon tortilla chips, fruit, ice cream, and chocolate sauce. Perfect for sharing!
• Everyone loves a classic Root Beer Float! They are so easy to make!
• Love a good sweet and salty combo? Then you will flip over this smooth, creamy and delicious Peanut Butter Milkshake.

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE!