12 Crazy Milkshakes We’re Drooling Over
Updated: Jan. 13, 2023
We issued a challenge to the Taste of Home staff and its sister publications—come up with the craziest, most out-there milkshake you can imagine. No rules, no limits. The results? Wild, wacky, and positively show-stopping!
Unicorn Milkshake
What could be cuter than this Unicorn Milkshake, all happy rainbows and pretty pastel colors? We suggest you start with the garnishes, all desserts in themselves: decorated macarons (you could do unicorn berries, too!), a slice of cake, frosted sugar cookies, whipped cream, and a sugar cone at the very top. When you get to the shake itself, you’re treated to sweet cream, strawberry ice cream and Twinkies with a dripping garnish of blue candy melts. Pure magic! If you want to make the rainbow layer cake from scratch, we’ve got just the recipe.
Created by Josh Rink/Taste of Home.
Breakfast in Bed Milkshake
Loaded with breakfast-y goodness and enough caffeine to wake you up, this is a complete brunch to go! The shake is loaded with coffee ice cream, Irish cream and coffee liqueurs, a shot of espresso and a packet of hot chocolate mix…then decked out with whipped cream, mini pancakes, mini donuts, homemade hot fudge, cereal and bacon—with a drizzle of maple syrup to top it all off. A post-brunch nap is not included, but suggested!
Created by Shannon Roum/Taste of Home.
Peanut Butter Pretzel Shake
The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate makes this an unforgettable treat. Start with a batch of Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares and then (if you can keep from eating them!) use them to crown a shake made of vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate sauce, low-fat milk (because you have to reduce the fat somewhere!), crushed mini pretzels and whipped cream. Before you begin, check out our guide on how to make a milkshake.
Created by Beth Tomkiw/Taste of Home.
Go Fish! Shake
Your eyes do not deceive you, that is fried shrimp on top of that shake. This healthy alternative to a classic milkshake transforms a pineapple, papaya and spinach smoothie into a frozen treat with the addition of milk and crushed ice. Garnished with whipped cream, toasted coconut, coconut shrimp (and a maraschino cherry), this is a tropical getaway in a glass, clocking in at only 220 calories. And if you’re looking for a great recipe for coconut shrimp, we’ve got you covered.
Created by Christine Rukavena/Taste of Home.
California Street Food Mango Shake
If food trucks served up this shake, we’d never eat at home! Smooth, refreshing, with a bit of spice, this shake celebrates the flavors of the Golden State’s food on the go. Fresh mango, lime juice and vanilla ice cream jazzed up with sea salt and cayenne make up the body of the shake, with whipped cream, mango, fresh mint and a sprinkle of—yes, more cayenne!—deliver a refreshing drink with a kick. And if you like vintage glassware as much as we do, check out these other beauties.
Created by Marcia Roepke/Family Handyman.
Birthday Cake Shake
The Birthday Cake Shake is ice cream and cake and cookies all in one glass—a complete party in one deliciously cool indulgence! A relatively understated and elegant classic vanilla shake is stepped up with rainbow chip cake mix, frosted animal crackers and lashings of whipped cream. Here are 10 more wild ways to use animal crackers.
Created by Mariah Cates/Family Handyman.
Green Tea Matcha Milkshake
Between green tea, avocado, fresh mint leaves and lots of pistachios, green is the way to go with this frozen treat. Honey and fresh bananas sweeten things up, and vanilla adds richness. Dairy-free vanilla ice cream and dairy-free whipped cream make this a great treat for those who can’t have lactose, and are easily switched for traditional if you like. It might not be easy being green, but it sure goes down smooth! (If you’re dairy-free, too, check out these other friendly desserts.)
Created by Elizabeth Flaherty/Family Handyman.
The Maltimate Milkshake
If you prefer your milkshakes malted, try this one on for size! Malted milk powder, malted milk balls—even rye whiskey, a sweet and fiery liquor made with a hint of malted barley. It’s a celebration of all things malt. (We’re just surprised there’s no malt beer in there!)
Created by Christine Rukavena/Taste of Home.
S’mores Shake
It’s the classic campfire treat in frozen form! The S’mores Shake combines ice cream, marshmallow cream, chocolate syrup and crushed graham crackers and then tops it with Nutella, and more marshmallow cream—which is then torched to give the whole affair that fresh-from-the-campfire scorching.
Created by Elizabeth Flaherty/Family Handyman.
Raspberry Valentini
You might want to save the Raspberry Valentini for Valentine’s Day. Or then again, why wait? Vanilla ice cream, raspberry syrup, raspberry jam, fresh raspberries soaked in raspberry liqueur, and then the whole thing dressed up with chocolate candies…this one is sweet perfection, and summer is when the raspberries are freshest, so indulge now and freeze some berries for a February 14 recap!
Created by Marcia Roepke/Family Handyman.
Sweet Tooth Shake
Why put leftover Halloween candy in a bowl when you can put them in ice cream? This Sweet Tooth Shake will satisfy your cravings—ice cream, with fun-sized Snickers and Twix bars…and some chocolate chip cookie dough, just in case you needed a little bit more fun! Looking for other things to do with cookie dough? Check out these options.
Created by Mariah Cates/Family Handyman.
Happy Dog Mutt Shake
And finally, here’s one for your best friend. Your four-legged best friend, that is—this one is for dogs only! This mixture of Greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey, banana, cheese whiz, and doggie treats will have Fido drooling (even more than usual), but would probably not go over well with humans. And if you want to make your pooch some everyday treats, you can whip up a batch in cheddar or beef flavor.
Created by Peggy McDermott/Family Handyman.
Originally Published: August 25, 2018
