How to Make a Milkshake in Three Easy Steps

Updated: Jun. 19, 2022

Strawberry? Peppermint fudge? Banana? Any flavor you like! Learn how to make milkshakes from scratch with our step-by-step guide (plus pretty pictures).

Milkshakes are one of the most iconic American desserts. They’re refreshingly cool, slurp-ably sweet and come in pretty much any flavor you can imagine. But you don’t need to belly up to a vinyl booth to enjoy one. Making a milkshake from scratch is simple. If you’ve got a tub of ice cream on hand, you’re halfway there. Follow along as our test kitchen shows how to make the most flavorful milkshake.

By the way, these are our best milkshake recipes of all time.

How to Make the Best Milkshake Ever

Ingredients

1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 cups ice cream
Delicious mix-ins

Tools

Blender

Directions

Step 1: Add the Milk, Ice Cream and Mix-Ins

Taste of Home

Send your ingredients straight to the blender. For best results, put in your milk first. That will get the blender mixing quickly. Be sure to let your ice cream soften before scooping. If it’s too hard, you might end up having to add more milk, which thins the shake. We’re going to make a strawberry shake, so we’ll add 1/2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries and 1 tablespoon strawberry preserves.

Test Kitchen tip: For the best results, use 2%, whole milk, or a blend of milk and half-and-half. But never use heavy cream. If you send that through the blender, it’ll create little bits of butter.

Also, remember that any ingredients you add will soon be pulverized in the blender. If you want to keep the size and shape of mix-ins like sprinkles, cherries or chocolate chips, it’s best to reserve as a garnish.

Step 2: Blend ’til smooth

Ice cream, milk and strawberries in a blender

It’s time to blend away. You’ll want to keep an eye on the consistency. This recipe creates a Goldilocks-style shake: not too firm and not too runny. Of course, the perfect consistency is totally up to your preference. Use less milk for a thicker, spoonable shake; more for a thinner, sippable one.

Step 3: Pour and Enjoy!

Strawberry milkshake in a glass with a green striped straw sticking out

Pour your milkshake into a chilled glass to serve. It tastes great straight-up or topped with a tower of whipped cream. Feeling fancy? Layer on toppings like chocolate syrup, cereal or rainbow sprinkles. Once you’ve mastered the classic garnishes, try these over-the-top milkshakes.

Easy Milkshake Ideas to Try

Now that you know how to make a basic milkshake, try some additional variations:

- Low-fat milkshake: Substitute frozen yogurt or sherbet for the ice cream, or fruit juice for part of the milk.
- Make it a malt: It’s easy to mimic those old-fashioned malted milks you get at a restaurant. Simply pick up malted milk powder from the store. It’s usually found near the breakfast and chocolate milk mixes. Add 2-4 tablespoons per 1 cup of milk. Or try this fancy caramel pecan version.
- Old-fashioned soda: Stir in ginger ale or soda after making the milkshake. Just make sure not to blend; it’ll cause a fizzy mess! Check out our recipe for Old Fashioned Strawberry Soda to see how it’s done.
- Love lemon? You won’t want to miss this luscious lemon milkshake with lemon drop candies and…a silky secret, cream cheese!

Tips for Making a Milkshake

How do I make a milkshake without a blender?

If you don’t have a blender, you can also make a milkshake with an immersion blender or even a food processor. With either of these alternative methods, make sure you keep an eye out for consistency. Blend the milkshake slowly, in bursts, until it reaches the right texture for you.

How Do You Thicken a Milkshake?

It’s incredibly easy to over-blend a milkshake, and luckily thickening it back up is just as easy. Simply add an additional scoop or two of ice cream to your blender and process until the shake has thickened up.

How To Make a Milkshake Ahead of Time

Since milkshakes are fairly quick to put together, we’d suggest making them fresh for the best results.

That said, there is a way to make a milkshake ahead of time. First, follow the steps above. Then, transfer the prepared milkshake into a paper or plastic cup and pop it into the freezer. To use, remove the milkshake from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes or so, and give it a good stir.

Next, take a look at some delicious shakes and smoothie recipes.

1 / 18

Thick Strawberry Shakes Exps Ghtjm17 38487 C01 31 4b 5

Thick Strawberry ShakesYou'll love this thick and rich treat that will remind you of a malt shoppe! After all, nothing says summertime more than a strawberry milkshake.