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Everybody loves a good homemade milkshake! As it turns out, it is not hard to make them at home. We’ll share the best milkshake recipe with a few simple ingredients!
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Make Your Own Milkshakes
I always thought the best milkshakes came from burger joints or ice cream shops—until I made one at home! Imagine my surprise when I blended just two simple ingredients and ended up with the creamiest, dreamiest milkshake recipe ever. The secret? The perfect ratio of high-quality ingredients. Once you’ve mastered the basics, the possibilities are endless! Let’s dive into the ultimate homemade milkshake guide, packed with mix-ins, flavors, and pro tips to make your milkshakes legendary.
How to Make a Perfect Homemade Milkshake
A classic milkshake starts with just two ingredients—ice cream and milk. But trust me, the brand and quality make all the difference! I always recommend premium ice cream and whole milk for that rich, smooth texture. Of course, you can use store-brand ingredients, but the high-quality ones take your shake to the next level.
Essential Ingredients for the Perfect Milkshake
- Ice Cream – The foundation of any great milkshake! A high-quality ice cream gives your shake a thick and creamy texture. I like Tillamook. 🙂 Try different flavors for variety.
- Milk – The key to getting the right consistency. Whole milk provides the best creaminess, but you can experiment with dairy-free options like almond or oat milk.
Blend until smooth, and voilà—you’ve got a thick, creamy milkshake! Now, let’s customize it.
Milkshake Flavors
The simplest way to change the base flavor of your milkshake is to use flavored ice cream. Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla are all great base flavors for any milkshake recipe! You can also stick with vanilla ice cream and use flavored ice cream syrups, like Hershey’s chocolate syrup, to change the flavor. Use 2 tablespoons of syrup per milkshake.
Variations of Milkshake Recipes
Start with our basic vanilla milkshake recipe in the recipe card below. Then, choose a recipe below and add the mix-ins accordingly!
- Chocolate
add 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup or hot fudge
top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and Maraschino cherries - Cookies and Cream
add 3 Oreo cookies, any flavor
top with whipped cream and crushed Oreo cookies - Berry Milkshake
add ½ cup of fresh or frozen berries
top with whipped cream - Reese’s
add 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup or hot fudge and 3 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
top with crushed Reese’s cups or Reese’s Pieces - Grasshopper
add 3 Oreos, 1 teaspoon mint extract, and a drop or two of green food coloring (optional)
top with whipped cream and crushed Oreos
Milkshake Mix-In Ideas
There are so many possibilities when you are making a milkshake. My kids love to try all kinds of flavor combos. If you have any favorite milkshake recipes, then let us know in the comments below! Mix-ins go in the blender with the ice cream and milk.
- Syrup – Chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, and strawberry syrup are all great ways to add flavor without a lot of work. Simply drizzle the syrup over the top of the ice cream and watch it blend into the color of your choice!
- Cookies – Crush Oreos for a delicious Oreo shake! Cookie dough is always a fun way to make a cookie dough ice cream shake. Use mini round cookie dough balls and drop them in while it is blending or mix them with a spoon.
- Peanut Butter – MMM, a delicious peanut butter shake is just what you need for a savory dessert.
- Coconut Flakes – Always light and tasty with an extra texture to enjoy! Scoop a spoonful of coconut right into the blender.
- Nuts – Almonds, walnuts, and pecans are so delicious mixed into a shake! Plus, you get an extra crunch in your drink.
- Fruit- Blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, bananas, blackberries, mango, peaches, and strawberries are all just the beginning of fruit happiness! There are so many options when it comes to fresh or frozen fruit!
- Chocolate – Butterfingers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chocolate chips, or any candy bars are a great addition to making a tasty milkshake.
- Crackers – Graham crackers crushed are yummy with a special texture that is sweet and savory.
- Extract – Extracts are the secret weapon of delicious milkshake recipes! Mint, almond, or vanilla extract is so delicious for adding a splash of flavor that is light and delicious!
Toppings
After you have made your homemade milkshake and poured it into a tall glass, then add your delicious toppings!
- Whipped cream – Make a pretty whip topping on top of your blended milkshake cup.
- Sprinkles – You can’t go wrong with sprinkles in every color or change it up for special occasions. Have it blue or pink sprinkles for a gender reveal party or the holiday colors like red and green for Christmas!
- Crushed Oreos – Sprinkle the extra crushed Oreos on top for a spoonful of deliciousness!
- Sauce – Drizzle caramel sauce, hot fudge, or chocolate sauce that will melt and drizzle along the sides.
- Maraschino cherries – Top it off with a cherry on top!
Milkshake Tips & Tricks
Want your milkshake to be just right? Here are some quick tips:
- For a thicker milkshake – Use less milk or blend for a shorter time.
- For a thinner milkshake – Add a little more milk or blend longer.
- No blender? No problem! – Use an immersion blender, food processor, or a whisk (though you’ll need some elbow grease!).
Reviews About Our Milkshakes
“My daughter used this recipe to make us some strawberry milkshakes. She had so much fun, and they were delicious! Her favorite part was adding the cream and sprinkles on top. 🙂”
-Kara
Milkshake Recipe Questions
Yes! Use frozen bananas or a mix of milk and heavy cream with sweetener for a homemade alternative.
Use non-dairy ice cream and substitute almond, oat, or coconut milk.
Blend in a scoop of your favorite protein powder, blended cottage cheese, or some Greek yogurt.
More Ice Cream Treats
If you love our milkshake recipe, then you have to try some of our other ice cream recipes! You scream we all scream for thick, delicious, and creamy ice cream every time! It is so simple to make and the best dessert for gathering friends and family together!
- Fried Ice Cream Cake (No Fry) – Crunchy, cinnamon-sugar coating with creamy ice cream.
- Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches – Soft cookies filled with creamy ice cream.
- Raspberry Almond Fudge Ice Cream Cake – Tart and fudgey with some crunch.
- Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream – Classic, rich, and creamy.
- Banana Ice Cream (1 ingredient!) – Simple and healthy.
- Ice Cream Sandwich Cake – Any easy ice cream dessert for a crowd.
- Pink Lemonade Ice Cream Pie – Only 3 ingredients and a tangy creamy favorite.
- Fried Ice Cream – A classic Mexican dessert.
- Copycat Wendy’s Frosty – Thick, chocolatey, and smooth.
Homemade Milkshake
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup ice cream
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- mix-ins if desired
- whipped cream
- sprinkles
- Maraschino cherries with stems
Instructions
- Place ice cream, milk, and mix-ins if using in the blender.
- Blend just until smooth and drinkable through a straw.
- Pour into a glass and add whipped cream, sprinkles, and Maraschino cherries.
Video
Nutrition Information
Making milkshakes at home is fun, easy, and totally customizable! Try different flavors and toppings, and let me know in the comments—what’s your favorite milkshake flavor? 🍦🥤
Love this recipe!! We are huge milkshake fans over here & they came out so good!
So fun to make for my kids, they were just like my grandma used to make me!
My daughter used this recipe to make us some strawberry milkshakes. She had so much fun, and they were delicious! Her favorite part was adding the cream and sprinkles on top. 🙂