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Home Recipes Dessert Ice Cream How to Make a Milkshake

How to Make a Milkshake

by Jennifer Debth October 6, 2020
2 Comments
4.50 from 2 votes
JUMP TO RECIPE
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

How to Make a Milkshake: 3 Simple Steps and 10 Minutes for the perfect thick and creamy milkshake! Try vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint Oreo, and more!

four milkshakes in cups

Quick Navigation
  • General
  • Ingredients
  • How to make
  • Get the recipe
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Variations
  • How to thicken
  • Making without a blender
  • Tips
  • Other flavor ideas
  • How to store
  • Nutrition information

Ice cream has been and will forever be one of my favorite desserts. Whatever the season, it’s highly likely you’ll find me sitting with a bowl of ice cream.

Trevor is also an ice cream lover, but while I go for a blizzard or sundae, Trevor is allll about those milkshakes. But not just any milkshake, they need to be ultra thick and creamy! So, today, we’re talkin’ how to make the PERFECT, the BEST homemade milkshakes!

Ingredients

One of the best parts about homemade milkshakes is you get to customize it just for you! Mix and match flavors, stir in any of your favorite candies, load it up with whipped cream…anything goes!

  • Ice Cream – use your favorite brand and flavor! Go for full-fat for the creamiest texture. Today, we’re using use vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and mint Oreo.
  • Milk – whatever you have on hand, but the higher the fat content, the creamier the shake will be. I use 2% “plain”, strawberry, and chocolate milk today.
  • Syrup or Sauce – this is our flavor booster! Try caramel, strawberry jam, hot fudge, peanut butter, and more!
  • Optional: Mix-Ins – any mix-ins will work! Try your favorite candies, cookies, nuts, you name it!
  • Toppings – anything goes! Use whipped cream, crushed nuts, sprinkles, cherries, etc!
Pro tip
Go for the good stuff if you can! Artisanal ice cream may be more expensive, but there’s good reason for it . . . you can’t beat the taste and texture! They use higher quality ingredients and make smaller batches which results in creamier ice cream and better flavor.

How to make

Just 10 minutes to the perfect milkshake! Heck yes!

  1. Place ice cream, milk, and syrup of choice into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
  2. If using mix-ins, pulse in until just combined.
  3. Pour into glasses then top with garnishes. Serve and enjoy!
Pro tip
Let your ice cream soften for 10 minutes before blending. This allows you to use less milk, which results in a thicker milkshake!

chocolate milkshake in cup

Variations

Here are the four variations I made today…and they’re SO GOOD! If these aren’t your jam, feel free to play around with other flavors. You really can’t go wrong!

  • Vanilla – vanilla ice cream, milk, and caramel topping.
  • Strawberry – strawberry ice cream, strawberry milk, and strawberry jam.
  • Chocolate – chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk, and hot fudge sauce.
  • Mint Oreo – mint oreo ice cream, milk, hot fudge sauce, and Oreos.
Pro tip
Have some whipped cream, sprinkles, and maraschino cherries on-hand. They make the perfect finishing touch for any milkshake!

vanilla milkshake in cup

How to thicken

Just add more ice cream! The more ice cream there is in relation to the milk content, the thicker the milkshake will be. If you need to add more ice cream to thicken, feel free to add in more sauce, syrups, or mix-ins to flavor, if necessary.

Pro tip
Start with less milk and add more as needed. This should avoid having to add more ice cream later.

Can you make a milkshake without a blender?

A high powered blender is going to be your best bet for making a milkshake – you just can’t beat the consistency the blender achieves.

However, if you don’t have a blender available to you, you can try making it in a food processor or a stand mixer:

  • Food processor: place ice cream, milk, and syrup of choice into food processor and process until smooth. Pulse in mix-ins, if using.
  • Stand mixer: beat ice cream on medium speed until ice cream is creamy. Add milk, sauces, and optional mix-ins and beat on low speed until thoroughly combined.

Tips

  • Use good ice cream. This might go without saying, but ice cream is the base for the milkshake so make sure you’re using the good stuff!
  • Use full-fat ice cream. Light ice creams will also work but full-fat ice cream will make your milkshake extra creamy.
  • Use fall-fat milk. Or half-and-half or heavy cream! The higher the fat content, the creamier the shake.
  • Use slightly softened ice cream. This allows you to use less milk, which creates a thicker milkshake.
  • Less is more. Start with very little milk and add more as needed. Too much milk and your shake will be runny.
  • Use flavored milk. Example: using strawberry milk in the strawberry milkshake keeps the strawberry flavor strong, instead of diluting the flavor with “plain” milk.
  • Pulse in your mix-ins. You want the milkshake to be creamy with larger chunks of mix-ins. If you blend in the mix-ins instead of pulse them in, they may become too small and make the milkshake gritty instead of creamy.
  • Chill your glasses. Stick your cups in the freezer for a few minutes before serving up your milkshakes. This prevents the milkshake from starting to melt as soon as it hits the cup.
  • Serve right away. It’s thicker and creamier that way!

Other flavor ideas

Although I LOVE all of the variations in this recipe, there are SO MANY ways to make a milkshake. Here are some other flavor combination ideas!

  • Mocha. Coffee ice cream, coffee (instead of milk), hot fudge sauce, and chocolate covered espresso beans.
  • S’mores. Vanilla or chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, graham cracker crumbs, and mini marshmallows.
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Vanilla ice cream, vanilla extract, and cookie dough.
  • Peanut Butter Cup. Vanilla or chocolate ice cream, peanut butter, and mini peanut butter cups.

Like I said, pretty much anything goes! You can’t go wrong with an ice cream-based recipe, right? 😉

strawberry milkshake in cup

How to store

I highly recommend serving your milkshake right away for that perfectly creamy and delicious texture.

– Jennifer

four milkshakes lined up

How to Make a Milkshake

4.50 from 2 votes
How to Make a Milkshake: 3 Simple Steps and 10 Minutes for the perfect thick and creamy milkshake! Try vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint Oreo, and more!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Yield: 2 milkshakes
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Equipment for this recipe

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 1 pint ice cream softened for 5-10 minutes
  • 2 tablespoons milk + more as needed*
  • 2 tablespoons syrup, sauce, or flavor booster (hot fudge, caramel, chocolate sauce, peanut butter, etc.)
  • 1/2 cup mix-ins (cookies, candy, etc.) optional
  • Whipped cream, sprinkles, crushed nuts, cherries, etc. optional as garnish

Recipe Video

Instructions

  • Place ice cream, milk, and syrup into a high powered blender.
  • Blend until smooth, adding more milk, as needed.
  • If using mix-ins, pulse in until *just* combined.
  • Pour into glasses and top with optional garnishes!
  • Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
Rate This Recipe

Notes

*I used about 1/4 cup, you might need more if you don’t have a high powered blender.
Flavors Shown in Photos
  1. Vanilla: 1 pint vanilla ice cream, 1/4 cup 2% milk, 2 tablespoons caramel topping
  2. Strawberry: 1 pint strawberry ice cream, 1/4 cup strawberry milk, 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
  3. Chocolate: 1 pint chocolate ice cream, 1/4 cup chocolate milk, 2 tablespoons hot fudge
  4. Mint Oreo: 1 pint mint Oreo ice cream, 1/4 cup 2% milk, 2 tablespoons hot fudge, 1/2 cup oreos
Nutritional information will vary based on ice cream, milk, flavor booster, and mix-ins used. 

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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
How to Make a Milkshake
Amount Per Serving (1 milkshake)
Calories 586 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 17g106%
Cholesterol 79mg26%
Sodium 272mg12%
Potassium 640mg18%
Carbohydrates 82g27%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 65g72%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 946IU19%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 274mg27%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: chocolate, ice cream, mint oreos, strawberry, vanilla
Enjoy this recipe?
Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Jennifer Debth

Filed Under: Dessert, Drinks, Gluten Free, Ice Cream, Recipes, Vegetarian

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  1. Anonymous

    Glenwood, Illinois

    July 17, 2022 at 10:22 am

    4 stars
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  2. Anonymous

    Kenya

    October 8, 2021 at 9:07 am

    5 stars
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