Strawberry? Peppermint fudge? Banana? Any flavor you like! Learn how to make milkshakes from scratch with our step-by-step guide (plus pretty pictures).
How to Make a Milkshake in Three Easy Steps
Updated on Jun. 19, 2022
Milkshakes are one of the most iconic American desserts. They’re refreshingly cool, slurp-ably sweet and come in pretty much any flavor you can imagine. But you don’t need to belly up to a vinyl booth to enjoy one. Making a milkshake from scratch is simple. If you’ve got a tub of ice cream on hand, you’re halfway there. Follow along as our test kitchen shows how to make the most flavorful milkshake.
By the way, these are our best milkshake recipes of all time.
How to Make the Best Milkshake Ever
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1-1/2 cups ice cream
- Delicious mix-ins
Tools
- Blender
Directions
Step 1: Add the Milk, Ice Cream and Mix-Ins
Send your ingredients straight to the blender. For best results, put in your milk first. That will get the blender mixing quickly. Be sure to let your ice cream soften before scooping. If it’s too hard, you might end up having to add more milk, which thins the shake. We’re going to make a strawberry shake, so we’ll add 1/2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries and 1 tablespoon strawberry preserves.
Test Kitchen tip: For the best results, use 2%, whole milk, or a blend of milk and half-and-half. But never use heavy cream. If you send that through the blender, it’ll create little bits of butter.
Also, remember that any ingredients you add will soon be pulverized in the blender. If you want to keep the size and shape of mix-ins like sprinkles, cherries or chocolate chips, it’s best to reserve as a garnish.
Step 2: Blend ’til smooth
It’s time to blend away. You’ll want to keep an eye on the consistency. This recipe creates a Goldilocks-style shake: not too firm and not too runny. Of course, the perfect consistency is totally up to your preference. Use less milk for a thicker, spoonable shake; more for a thinner, sippable one.
Step 3: Pour and Enjoy!
Pour your milkshake into a chilled glass to serve. It tastes great straight-up or topped with a tower of whipped cream. Feeling fancy? Layer on toppings like chocolate syrup, cereal or rainbow sprinkles. Once you’ve mastered the classic garnishes, try these over-the-top milkshakes.
Easy Milkshake Ideas to Try
Now that you know how to make a basic milkshake, try some additional variations:
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- Low-fat milkshake: Substitute frozen yogurt or sherbet for the ice cream, or fruit juice for part of the milk.
- Make it a malt: It’s easy to mimic those old-fashioned malted milks you get at a restaurant. Simply pick up malted milk powder from the store. It’s usually found near the breakfast and chocolate milk mixes. Add 2-4 tablespoons per 1 cup of milk. Or try this fancy caramel pecan version.
- Old-fashioned soda: Stir in ginger ale or soda after making the milkshake. Just make sure not to blend; it’ll cause a fizzy mess! Check out our recipe for Old Fashioned Strawberry Soda to see how it’s done.
- Love lemon? You won’t want to miss this luscious lemon milkshake with lemon drop candies and…a silky secret, cream cheese!
Tips for Making a Milkshake
How do I make a milkshake without a blender?
If you don’t have a blender, you can also make a milkshake with an immersion blender or even a food processor. With either of these alternative methods, make sure you keep an eye out for consistency. Blend the milkshake slowly, in bursts, until it reaches the right texture for you.
How Do You Thicken a Milkshake?
It’s incredibly easy to over-blend a milkshake, and luckily thickening it back up is just as easy. Simply add an additional scoop or two of ice cream to your blender and process until the shake has thickened up.
How To Make a Milkshake Ahead of Time
Since milkshakes are fairly quick to put together, we’d suggest making them fresh for the best results.
That said, there is a way to make a milkshake ahead of time. First, follow the steps above. Then, transfer the prepared milkshake into a paper or plastic cup and pop it into the freezer. To use, remove the milkshake from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes or so, and give it a good stir.
Next, take a look at some delicious shakes and smoothie recipes.
Thick Strawberry ShakesGrab your spoon: this strawberry milkshake is thick, bright with strawberry flavor and infinitely customizable.
You'll love this thick and rich treat that will remind you of a malt shoppe! After all, nothing says summertime more than a strawberry milkshake.
Thin Mint MilkshakeSave a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies for this creamy milkshake that's fun for kids and adults, too. —Shauna Sever, San Francisco, California
If you've ever tried the Girl Scout cookie, you are bound to love this summer treat too! This fun colored shake is minty, refreshing and oh-so-sweet.
Peanut Butter MilkshakesSpecial treats are sometimes the simplest ones, as is the case with a peanut butter milkshake. This tasty treat requires just four ingredients, and you probably have them on hand already. Enjoy!
If you're in a pinch, this easy milkshake can be put together with just a few ingredients you most likely already have in your cupboard. If you love peanut butter cups, we know you will love this just as much (if not more!)
Creamy Lemon MilkshakesTangy and sweet and unexpectedly delightful, this lemon shake recipe is one you'll return to again and again.
With simple ingredients like lemon sorbet and vanilla ice cream, this shake is simply delicious. You will love the rich lemon flavor coming from the lemon zest, and the creamy vanilla flavor coming from the vanilla extract.
Date ShakeThe shake has the rich taste of dates. We recommend using Medjool dates for the most flavor. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
With the richness and sweetness coming from the dates, this shake is equally as sweet as it is refreshing. If you are looking for a unique and easy-to-make shake, this is it. It only has four ingredients so you can sip away in no time.
Strawberry Cream FloatsStrawberry floats are fruity, fizzy and fun! This summery twist on a frosty float features homemade soda made with fresh strawberries, lime juice, sugar and carbonated water poured over scoops of vanilla ice cream.
When summertime is approaching, you simply can't go wrong with fresh strawberries. This creamy float full of sliced strawberries offers everyone a treat to cool down with when it gets too hot.
Banana-Almond MilkshakesA few sips of this flavorful shake will curb the hungriest sweet tooth. For a lighter version, substitute a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder for the chocolate chips.—Athena M. Russell, Florence, South Carolina.
For a lighter version of this creamy milkshake, substitute a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder for the chocolate chips. Kids and adults will love this summertime favorite that will drive you bananas!
Pineapple Colada ShakeThis frothy, refreshing coconut and pineapple shake is sinfully delicious! Cool and creamy, it just begs to be your poolside companion. —Melissa Jelinek, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
This frothy, refreshing coconut and pineapple shake is sinfully delicious! If you aren't going on a vacation this summer, this drink should do the trick. Take a sip of this tropical shake and you will feel like you're in paradise.
Makeover Nutty Monkey MaltsGet all the flavor of a classic diner milkshake with only a fraction of the calories and fat. Flavored with peanut butter and bananas, this is one drink the kids will go crazy for! —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
Get all the flavor of a classic diner milkshake with only a fraction of the calories and fat. Flavored with peanut butter and bananas, this is one drink the kids will go crazy for!
Spiced Pumpkin Coffee ShakesThe winter holidays are my favorite time of year, and this spiced pumpkin drink is one reason I love the season so much. If you don't have a coffee maker, it's OK to use instant coffee—just make it stronger. —Kathie Perez, East Peoria, Illinois
If you're a fan of the cult favorite Pumpkin Spiced Latte, then you're going to love this one too (if not more). With the sweetness from the canned pumpkin and slight spice from the pumpkin spice, this sweet treat is bound to be a fall favorite.
Eggnog Shakes
Although this shake is made with fat-free ingredients, it retains the thick creamy consistency of the classic Christmas beverage. Bottoms up!
Makeover Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Milkshake
Chocolate covered strawberries are indulgent, romantic and perfectly satisfying. This shake is decadent and refreshing, perfect for a summertime date night with your partner.
Copycat McDonald’s Shamrock Shake
The Shamrock Shake is usually available at McDonald's in February and March, but with this recipe you can make it any time of the year. With the peppermint extract, this sippable shake is fresh and minty.
