Our favorite milkshakes don’t involve any milk; after proud Midwesterner Amanda Arnold showed us this vanilla shake made with spicy ginger ale, we’re whizzing one up for happy hour (bourbon optional but recommended). Get the recipe for Boston Cooler »

This creamy, sweet shake-made without ice cream-is a popular Indonesian snack.

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 »

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 »

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 »

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.

Throughout India, creamy, chilled lassis are the go-to beverage for cooling off during the warmer months. To make them, milk or water-thinned yogurt is blended with ingredients such as Rooh Afza, a scarlet-colored syrup tasting of rose petals and pine, or—for this recipe—ripe mangoes, resulting in a refreshing drink that’s as thick as a milkshake.

Maple syrup and a healthy dose of bourbon add a delectable kick to this grown-up take on a vanilla milkshake, served at Seattle’s Skillet Diner.

Throughout India, creamy, chilled lassis are the go-to beverage for cooling off during the warmer months. To make them, milk or water-thinned yogurt is blended with ingredients such as ripe mangoes or, as in this recipe, rose water and strawberries. Get the recipe for Strawberry Lassi »

This recipe for a chocolate and banana layered shake is based on one in Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes (Norton, 2009) by Adam Ried. Get the recipe for Vanilla Banana Black & White Milkshake »