Ice cream is great, but a milkshake is every bit as effective when it comes to satisfying sweet cravings and beating the heat. Plus, it’s less messy than a melty ice cream sandwich or cone. Without further ado, here are 27 of my favorite milkshake recipes to suit every craving and meal plan, whether you’re looking for something keto, low in sugar or decadent. Read on and pick your poison, from a peanut butter shake to a vegan mint matcha milkshake.
27 Decadent Milkshake Recipes to Make Right Now
Sip to your sweet tooth's content
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Published Aug 3, 2024
Liz Andrew/Erin McDowell/Katherine Gillen
1. Chocolate-Covered Cherry Milkshake for Two
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, gluten free, beginner-friendly
Nothing says romance like sharing a bev with your boo, Lady-and-the-Tramp-style. "You can make it boozy by adding cherry vodka or chocolate liqueur to the mix," writes PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen, "but the virgin version is sure to set the mood. Use the leftover cherry sauce for waffles, pancakes, ice cream sundaes and cocktails."
2. Raspberries and Cream Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
"Made with just five ingredients, the real star here is Baileys Deliciously Light, which has the taste of the original but with 40 percent less calories and sugar," writes recipe developer Katie Wayne. The whipped cream crown is just a bonus.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Ran out of your favorite Girl Scout confection? "If Do-si-dos are your jam, then this milkshake recipe, inspired by said cookies, is the only thing you'll need to get you through," writes recipe developer Erin McDowell. Enjoy it in the off season by substituting store-bought shortbread or peanut butter cookies.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Say yes to ice cream for breakfast…and sorry to Starbucks, because you’ll be trading in your Frappuccino for this espresso-spiked milkshake recipe. It couldn't be simpler to whip up: "I blended coffee ice cream with milk, cocoa, espresso powder and grated dark chocolate," explains McDowell.
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar, <500 calories
The frozen banana hack in this better-for-you milkshake recipe is my favorite way to fool myself into thinking I'm enjoying ice cream while keeping the calorie count low. Good looking out, coconut milk.
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
No fussy diet stuff here—just milk, vanilla ice cream and creamy peanut butter, coming together to make the crave-worthy milkshake recipe you so deserve. Smear grape jelly on the glass before filling it for more of a PB&J vibe, if you feel so inclined.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy
Unconventional? Yes. Strangely delicious? For sure. Rendered bacon fat adds depth of flavor, and the crispy breakfast meat also serves as a garnish to ensure the ultimate balance of salty and sweet.
9. Copycat Chick-fil-A Peach Shake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, no cook
Fans flock to the fast food chain every summer when this milkshake hits the menu for a limited time. Now, you can make it whenever a craving strikes. (Psst: It calls for frozen peaches, not fresh.)
10. Healthy Chocolate Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, <30 minutes
It turns out you can satisfy your sweet tooth and get your vitamins in one fell sip. Don’t believe us? Just suck down this blend of chocolate fro-yo, soy milk and nutritional powder to see for yourself.
11. Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Swap plant-based alternatives in for traditional ice cream and milk, et voilà—a dreamy, dairy-free milkshake that tastes like a Reese’s peanut butter cup.
12. Tahini Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan, no cook
Nutty, warm-spiced and elegant. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the unexpectedly scrumptious combination of tahini and cinnamon in this creative and decidedly classy dairy-free shake.
13. Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes with Pumpkin Spice Caramel and Maple Whip
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: dairy free, special occasion-worthy, <30 minutes
You don’t even need to have pumpkin pie leftovers on hand to whip up a dairy-free shake that tastes like sugar, spice and everything nice. All it takes is simple canned pumpkin.
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, <30 minutes
Peppermint and crushed candy canes pack a sweet, refreshing punch in this Christmas milkshake recipe. (It's never too cold for ice cream, right?) Bonus points for spiking it with peppermint schnapps.
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
I 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 a ton of candy, you can get a similar flavor by substituting chopped peanuts.
16. Vegan Mint Matcha Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, dairy free
Attention, vegan friends: Frozen coconut milk is the secret to this dairy-free milkshake recipe that tastes like the real deal. This sipper also just so happens to be packed with chia and flax seeds for a boost of fiber.
17. Simple Strawberry Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, <30 minutes
OK, this one is technically a smoothie…but if you can’t tell it from a strawberry milkshake, does it really matter? A whipped cream garnish will push it into dessert territory.
18. Chocolate Cake Batter Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
If guzzling down a glass of what's essentially cake batter isn't on your bucket list, it probably should be—especially when it's this easy to whip up. Bake the cake mix at 350°F for about five minutes to make it safe to eat.
19. Raw Spiced Chocolate Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan, special occasion-worthy
Good news: Vegans and raw foodies can finally enjoy the flavors of Mexican-inspired hot chocolate and the cold, creamy comfort of a milkshake in a single dessert. The recipe calls for agave, chili powder and cayenne.
20. Peanut Butter and Basil Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, <30 minutes
Peanut butter, coconut milk and basil might sound like the makings of a Thai-inspired dinner—but with some vanilla ice cream in the mix, these ingredients belong on the dessert menu.
21. Black Raspberry Pie Milkshakes with Black Raspberry Fudge
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy
Can we all just agree that raspberry pie has never looked sexier? Chalk it up to the from-scratch black raspberry fudge sauce, which you'll want to drizzle on just about everything.
22. Salted Pretzel Nutella Fudge Milkshake with Malted Milk Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, kid-friendly
This milkshake recipe is a drool-worthy mess…and I've never wanted anything more. The Nutella fudge is optional, but I consider it mandatory—especially since you can make a double batch in advance.
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, <30 minutes
Who needs milk? Matcha, an antioxidant-packed green tea powder, offers pleasant grassiness to this creamy vegan number, while frozen banana contributes body and sweetness.
24. Kahlúa Cookie Dough Milkshake
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Cookie dough ice cream, caffeine and booze in a single milkshake. Let’s just say this one covers all your bases (or vices, as it were).
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: keto, sugar free, low carb, <500 calories
This keto-friendly, sugar-free drink 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. I'll take a maraschino cherry on mine, please.
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, beginner-friendly
Why choose between booze and dessert when you can have both in one sweet, creamy cocktail? Vanilla bourbon or cinnamon whiskey would work well here, but use whatever you have on hand for convenience.
27. Churro Milkshake with Dulce De Leche
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
Homemade churros, coconut rum, vanilla ice cream and luscious dulce de leche unite to create a milkshake recipe worth abandoning your diet for. Omit the rum and you've got a kid-friendly crowd-pleaser for your next party.
