Vanilla Milkshake

Nothing is better than a thick, creamy classic vanilla milkshake. Now, you can make the best milkshake of your life to keep you cool all summer long! You only need 3 ingredients and a few of my best tips and recommendations to make the perfect milkshake.

Why you'll love it

Milkshakes are one of the greatest ways to make your day amazing. Nothing beats a cold, creamy shake after a long hot summer day. I wanted to share this creamy vanilla milkshake because it is perfect on its own and is also the perfect blank canvas for adding in any of your favorite flavor combinations. 

It only takes a couple of minutes until you are sipping on a delicious treat.

Ingredients

Any good vanilla milkshake has the same simple ingredients.

• Vanilla ice cream - Since this is a simple recipe, I highly recommend using good-quality ice cream. This is a great opportunity to use my recipe for vanilla ice cream. The better and more nuanced the flavor of the ice cream you use, the better your drink will be!
• Milk - You can use any kind of milk you want. Personally, I prefer whole milk or even heavy cream. A high fat milk will add more flavor and keep things nice and creamy. You won't need more than a half cup milk. 
• Vanilla - Even though we use vanilla ice cream to get some vanilla flavor, I like to add a touch more vanilla to ramp up the flavor a bit more. Even a half teaspoon vanilla extract can make a big impact. You can use extract, vanilla bean paste, or if you want to be fancy, fresh vanilla beans

Making Creamy Milkshakes

A good milkshake should be thick and creamy and flavorful. Making one is one of the easiest things in the world to do once you know what to do.

One of the most overlooked aspects of making a great shake is the ratio of ice cream to milk. I prefer to use about ½ cup of milk to a pint (2 cups) of ice cream.

All you need to do is combine the ingredients together and mix them together using a blender or a milkshake machine until the ingredients are combined, thick, and creamy!

If you want to learn more, you can check out my guide on how to make a milkshake.

1. Add your ingredients to the blender. Start with about half the milk.
2. Blend until it is all combined and creamy. Add the remaining milk, if needed to thin out the milkshake. 
3. Pour into tall glasses and top with your favorite toppings like whipped cream, fresh strawberries, or a maraschino cherry. 

Blender vs milkshake maker

So, if you've ever been to a diner or a nice ice cream shop, you probably noticed they used a funny little machine with a long metal rod that goes into the cup. That is a milkshake maker. It is specifically made to create the perfect milkshake.

Unlike blenders, it keeps the ice cream thick while completely incorporating the milk. It also aerates the mixture to give it a really nice mouthfeel. It also helps to keep the shake nice and cold unlike blenders which tends to just whir the mixture around and can melt the ice cream a bit too much.

Does this mean you need to invest in a milkshake maker? No way! It'd be nice, sure but who wants an appliance that does only one thing? If you have one, that's awesome, but if not (I don't have one!) a blender is just as good to get the job done. You can even just use an immersion blender. 

F.A.Q.s

Related recipes

If you want to sip on more milkshakes, you should try these (you can make them regular or boozy!) S'mores milkshake, blueberry pancake milkshake, cake batter milkshake, matcha milkshake, strawberry mango milkshake, salted caramel milkshake, thin mint milkshake, bacon milkshake, and coffee cookies and cream milkshake.

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