Shake Shack Just Released 3 Holiday Milkshakes—and I, a Food Editor, Ranked Them All

• What’s In It: chocolate frozen custard, chocolate cake, whipped cream, cake crumbles and sprinkles
• Price: $6.49

This was the thickest milkshake of the three, likely due to the blended cake pieces in the mix. They get soggy quickly, which made for a less-than-ideal texture IMO. However, I did love the slight coffee-like bitterness of the chocolate; this kept the drink’s sweetness in check. As someone who’s admittedly not a big chocolate ice cream fan, this one drove the message home without being excessively fudgy or nauseatingly decadent.

• What’s In It: apple cider donut frozen custard, whipped cream and cinnamon donut crunch
• Price: $6.49

OK, this really tasted like an apple cider doughnut?! I adored the crunchy doughnut bits, which somehow managed to stay crisp for an astounding amount of time. That said, the cinnamon-spice notes were pretty tame. I would’ve loved for it to have some kind of apple compote or pie filling (either on the inside and bottom of the cup or in the custard) for a touch of brightness or Granny Smith-like tartness. But all in all, I wasn’t mad at this fall sipper.

• What’s In It: sugar cookie frozen custard, whipped cream, crumbled shortbread and sprinkles
• Price: $6.49

This one had absolutely no flaws. Sure, it was sweet—but then again, it’s a milkshake. It didn’t knock me over the head with artificial cookie flavoring. It was more like a souped-up vanilla shake with malty, salty notes that conjured memories of nibbling bits of buttery sugar cookie dough in the kitchen every holiday as a kid (or as a grown-up…). The festive sprinkles merely gilded the lily.