A relic from the days of soda fountains, the milkshake blurs the line between drink and dessert. There's nothing quite like that rich mixture of ice cream and flavorings, blended until just barely thin enough to sip through a straw. From family-friendly classics to adults-only indulgences, we’ve rounded up our favorite milkshake recipes.
Chocolate versus vanilla is an age-old conflict in the ice cream world. We don't think you need to make a choice. Our black and white shakes pairs vanilla ice cream with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sorbet, plus banana to add a little fruitiness and creaminess.
For something extra fruity, our strawberry milkshake incorporates strawberry flavor in three ways: with ice cream, sorbet, and jam. A little lemon juice brightens the shake up, while milk thins it out slightly. Or go for blueberries with our blueberry pie milkshake, which actually contains a whole piece of blueberry pie blended with vanilla ice cream.
The Grasshopper is a sweet, minty cocktail made with crème de menthe and crème de cacao. Adding ice cream to the mix makes for a rich grown-up milkshake. The basic formula is versatile—make a Golden Cadillac by substituting the crème de menthe for Galliano, a sweet liqueur with a vanilla-anise flavor. The Pink Squirrel replaces the crème de menthe with almond-flavored crème de noya. The liqueur’s red color makes the drink a whimsical shade of pink that will make you feel like a kid again.
Find all of these shakes and more in our collection of our favorite milkshake recipes.
Supposedly invented in the 1930s by a California date farmer, date shakes are a popular drink at roadside stands in the Coachella Valley. Get the recipe for Date Shake »
A scoop of vanilla ice cream and a hefty slice of pie go into the blender together, and out comes the ultimate dessert: A creamy shake with buttery crumbles of pie crust and ribbons of gorgeous fruit filling throughout. Get the recipe for Blueberry Pie Milkshake »
Vanilla ice cream is a natural partner for dark, Grade B syrup: simple and bracingly cold, with overlapping layers of sweetness, they're at their best blended together in a milkshake. Get the recipe for Maple Syrup Milkshake »
This chilly treat is an adaptation of one served at the Royale Eatery, a burger and shake shop in Cape Town, South Africa. A simple purée of avocado, ice cream, mint leaves, and ice, it's sweet, rich, and dense enough to stand a spoon in. Get the recipe for Avocado-Mint Shake »
At the Greenwood Supper Club in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, the minty grasshopper gets a soda-shop twist with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Get the recipe for Grasshopper »
The Greenwood Supper Club in Fish Creek, Wisconsin mixes Galliano with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream for a grown-up sundae. Get the recipe for Golden Cadillac »
This rose-hued variation on a grasshopper from The Greenwood Supper Club in Fish Creek, Wisconsin trades crème de menthe for almond-flavored crème de noya. Get the recipe for Pink Squirrel »
Caramel and rum are perfect partners for bananas in this thick and creamy milk shake, a riff on a classic New Orleans dessert; we got the idea for the shake from our friend Drew Curren, chef of 24 Diner in Austin, Texas. You can substitute a porter beer for the rum, if you like. Bananas Foster Milkshake »
This recipe for a chocolate and banana layered shake is based on one in Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes (Norton, 2009) by Adam Ried. Vanilla Banana Black & White Milkshake »
