Ice cream is great and all, but a milkshake is every bit as effective when it comes to satisfying sweet cravings and beating the heat—and it’s mess-free, to boot. Without further ado, here’s a roundup of milkshake recipes to suit every lifestyle, whether you’re looking for something that’s keto-friendly, sugar-free or straight-up sinful. Read on and pick your poison.
25 Decadent Milkshake Recipes to Make Right Now
Published Jun 30, 2022
Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Do-si-do Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: Kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
It's a whole new way to savor the peanut buttery goodness of your favorite Girl Scout cookie. (And enjoy it well past cookie-selling season—just substitute store-bought shortbread or peanut butter cookies in the meantime.)
Photo: Liz Andrew/ Styling: Erin McDowell
2. Mocha Milkshakes
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Say yes to ice cream for breakfast…and sorry to Starbucks, ‘cause you’ll be trading in your Frappuccino habit for this espresso-spiked milkshake from now on.
Grandbaby Cakes
3. Skinny Chocolate Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar, <500 calories
The frozen banana hack in this skinny milkshake recipe is our new favorite way to fool ourselves into thinking we’re enjoying ice cream whilst keeping the calorie count low.
Simply LaKita
4. Peanut Butter Shake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <15 minutes
No fussy diet stuff here—just milk, vanilla ice cream and creamy peanut butter coming together to make the craveworthy milkshake you so deserve.
Cookie Named Desire
5. Bacon Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: Stand mixer, high protein
Unconventional? Yes. Strangely delicious? Oh yes. Rendered bacon fat adds depth of flavor, and the crisped-up breakfast meat serves as a garnish to ensure the perfect balance of salty and sweet in this offbeat but oh-so delicious recipe.
Jessica in the Kitchen
6. Mint Chocolate Chip Green Smoothie
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten-free, vegan, morning boost
Here, a healthy green smoothie masquerades as a creamy milkshake thanks to decadent coconut milk, sweet banana and loads of fresh mint flavor.
Butter Be Ready
7. Pumpkin Pie Butter Pecan Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 7 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
This exceedingly easy recipe makes brilliant use of leftover pumpkin pie to create an oh-so festive milkshake that breathes new life into everyone’s favorite holiday dessert.
Brown Sugar Mama
8. Healthy Chocolate Milkshake & Healthy Skoop
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten-free
It turns out you can satisfy your sweet tooth and get your vitamins at the same time. Don’t believe us? Just suck down this blend of chocolate fro-yo, soymilk and nutritional powder and see for yourself.
Make It Dairy Free
9. Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients
Swap vegan alternatives in for the traditional ice cream and milk, and voila—a dreamy dairy-free shake that tastes like a Reese’s peanut butter cup.
Feel Good Foodie
10. Tahini Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 2 minutes
- Why We Love It: Gluten-free, vegan
Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the unexpected tahini and cinnamon combo in this creative and decidedly classy dairy-free shake.
The Pig and Quill
11. Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes W/ Pumpkin Spice Caramel And Maple Whip
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: dairy-free, special occasion-worthy
Psst: You don’t even need to have pumpkin pie leftovers on hand to whip up a dairy-free shake that tastes like pumpkin, spice and everything nice.
Spend With Pennies
12. Creamy Peppermint Shake
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Peppermint and crushed candy canes pack a sweet and oh-so minty punch in this Christmassy recipe. Bonus points for spiking it with peppermint schnapps.
Spoon Fork Bacon
13. Snickers Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 7 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
We probably don’t need to tell you that a blend of caramel, chocolate sauce and crushed-up Snickers bars is next-level delicious. If you don’t want to use up a bunch of Snickers bars, you can still get a similar flavor profile garnishing with some chopped nuts, since the recipe already calls for plenty of chocolate and caramel.
Snixy Kitchen
14. Vegan Mint Matcha Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, gluten-free
Attention, vegan friends: Frozen coconut milk is the secret to a dairy-free milkshake that tastes like the real deal.
Cookie and Kate
15. Simple Strawberry Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, gluten-free
OK, this one is technically a smoothie…but if you can’t tell it from a strawberry milkshake, does it really matter?
Averie Cooks
16. Chocolate Cake Batter Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 2 minutes
- Why We Love It: <15 minutes, kid-friendly
If drinking down a glass of cake batter isn’t already on your bucket list, it probably should be. Especially when it’s this easy to whip up.
Gimme Some Oven
17. Raw Spiced Chocolate Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten-free, vegan
Good news: Vegans and raw foodies can finally enjoy the flavors of Mexican hot chocolate and the cold, creamy comfort of a milkshake in a single dessert.
Minimalist Baker
18. Peanut Butter And Basil Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, gluten-free
Peanut butter, coconut milk and basil might sound more like the makings of a Thai-inspired dinner—but with some vanilla ice cream in the mix, they’ll feel right at home on the dessert menu, too.
How Sweet Eats
19. Black Raspberry Pie Milkshakes W/ Black Raspberry Fudge
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Can we all just agree that raspberry pie has never looked sexier?
Half-Baked Harvest
20. Salted Pretzel Nutella Fudge Milkshake With Malted Milk Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
This milkshake is a sexy little mess…and we’ve never wanted anything more. The Nutella fudge is optional, but we consider it mandatory—especially since you could make a double batch in advance, enjoying it as-is immediately, then atop this shake in the near future. Talk about living the dream.
Simple Veganista
21. Matcha Coconut Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, gluten-free
Matcha, an antioxidant-packed green tea powder, lends a pleasant grassiness while frozen banana contributes body and sweetness to this creamy vegan number.
The Almond Eater
22. Kahlúa Cookie Dough Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients,
Cookie dough ice cream, caffeine and booze in a single milkshake. Let’s just say this one covers all the bases (or vices, as it were).
Wholesome Yum
23. Vanilla Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: Keto, sugar-free, low carb, <500 calories
This keto-friendly, sugar-free shake might not taste like a classic vanilla milkshake, but it’s the next best thing when you’re determined to stick to your diet on a hot summer day.
Minimalist Baker
24. Pumpkin Bourbon Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, gluten-free
Why choose between booze and dessert when you can have ‘em both in one sweet and creamy cocktail?
Half-Baked Harvest
25. Churro Milkshake With Dulce De Leche
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
Homemade churros, coconut rum, vanilla ice cream and gooey dulce de leche come together to make a milkshake worth abandoning your diet for.
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