So You Want To Know How to Make a Milkshake?
Reminiscent of the days of drive-ins and diners, no sweet treat stacks up to the classic milkshake. There’s just something about a frosty glass full of blended ice cream that brings out your inner child and gives you feelings of nostalgia.
The good news is that milkshakes are super easy to make in your kitchen; no roller skates are required. You can go with a simple vanilla shake or add your favorite candy, cookies, or other mix-ins for a customized dessert. You only need a blender and a few ingredients, and you’re a few minutes away from a cold treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Whole milk
- 3 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream
- Leave it plain or add chocolate syrup, strawberries, or other mix-ins, depending on your flavor preferences.
Different Types of Blenders For Making Milkshakes
Invented in the early 1900s, blenders were created due to the high demand of consumers wanting to make malted milk drinks at home. With doctors prescribing these drinks as a strength builder in such high numbers, patients needed a solution.
Blenders have certainly come a long way in the last 100+ years. Now you can get several different styles, from the traditional countertop ones your parents had when you were a kid to immersion and bullet blenders. The best one comes down to your needs and personal preference. You’ll be able to blend up your favorite smoothie, milkshake, sauce, or soup with any style, so be sure to pick the one that is right for you.
Countertop
A countertop blender is ideal for mixing up more than one serving of a recipe. A countertop blender would be a great choice if you wanted to make a batch of milkshakes for the family. The pitcher-style container makes it a breeze to make sharable batches of your favorite recipes.
The quality of a countertop model can’t be matched by most other styles, as the power base gives these machines their strength. With the ability to crush ice cubes and transform frozen fruit into sorbets and smoothies, a countertop blender will be your greatest tool when making the perfect milkshake.
Immersion
An immersion blender is great for people who are low on space or don’t see themselves blending many drinks but instead using their blender for sauces and soups. An immersion blender’s appeal comes from inserting the blender into what you are blending instead of the other way around.
An immersion blender can handle the job if you need to blend up a single serving or a whole gallon. Known as a hand blender or stick blender, these space-saving blenders can blend directly in a cup, bowl, pot, or pitcher. They’re lightweight and compact, small enough to fit in a drawer.
Milkshake Blender
Milkshake blenders, or milkshake makers, look like a combination of a stand mixer and an immersion blender. They typically come with a stainless steel cup in which you’ll place your ingredients before blending. Then you slip the blending arm into the cup, snap the cup into place on the base, and mix your milkshake.
The stick-style blending arm is nice because you can hold the cup and move it around to control where you’re blending, so you don’t have to worry about any of your milk, ice cream, or mix-ins not being adequately incorporated. Milkshake blenders were explicitly designed for shakes, ensuring a thick, creamy treat every time.
How To Make a Milkshake
Now that you have the tools and ingredients you need, it’s time to blend up the perfect milkshake!
1. Add the ingredients into the blender or glass.
Gather your ice cream, milk, blender, and a measuring cup. Scoop your ice cream into the vessel, then measure and pour your milk. Always add the ice cream first to avoid splashing.
2. Blend until smooth.
Now it’s time to blend! Put the lid on the pitcher of your blender or slip your immersion blender in your cup and press the button. You can pulse if you prefer, but a vanilla milkshake should blend up pretty quickly.
3. Pour and Serve
Once your shake is at the preferred consistency, pour it into your favorite glass. You can coat the rim of your glass in melted chocolate and roll it in sprinkles, top your shake with fudge and other goodies, or keep it simple and go with the classic toppings of whipped cream and a cherry.
Other Great Tips For How To Make A Milkshake
If you have been dreaming of the thick, creamy milkshakes you got during the summers as a kid and can’t seem to recreate that taste and texture at home, don’t fret! Your milkshake dream can still be realized.
To get a thick, creamy shake:
How To Make A Customized Milkshake
One of the best parts of making milkshakes at home? Being able to make them exactly how you want them! Did you ever want to try a cheesecake-m&m-peanut butter-cookie shake as a kid? Well, now you can.
Whether you want to keep things simple and add in a banana or a few fresh strawberries, or go big and add all of the cookies and candy, there are millions of combinations you can choose from. You can even switch the type of ice cream for something else.
Some flavor combinations that would be yummy:
How To Make Diet-Friendly Lowfat Milkshakes
If you’re on a diet and have been reading this, wishing you could eat whatever you want, you don’t have to feel left out. There are plenty of ways you can lighten up your milkshake, making it a diet-friendly treat you can enjoy without guilt.
One way to reduce fat and calories is to swap your ingredients for healthier versions. You can use reduced-fat or fat-free ice cream and milk instead of the full-fat versions. Alternatively, you can use frozen yogurt as a replacement for ice cream. Do you prefer soy milk? Use that.
You can also reduce the amount of ice cream or frozen yogurt and swap it for a frozen banana, sherbert, or your favorite frozen fruit. Because the fruit is frozen, it will add to the thick, creamy consistency you are looking for.
