Making milkshakes without ice cream is easy and simple. There's no limit to your creativity with these tasty frozen drinks.

Have you ever just really wanted a milkshake only to find that you didn't have the right ingredients on hand? Or perhaps you just wanted to reduce some of the fats and sugars while still getting a sip of your favorite drink.
This recipe is going to show you how to make your own milkshakes without ice cream so that you can whip up a batch of your favorite drink whenever you want, no matter what the reason may be.
Once you have the basics figured out you can really make the milkshakes your own. Try this Oreo Milkshake (No Ice Cream) for a fun variation!
Why This Recipe Works
- They're way more convenient than you'd think! No ice cream in the house but you still have milk and ice? You can make a milkshake in minutes and still have it taste wonderful.
- Versatile flavors. You can add in a little flavoring syrup or add-ins and create new and exciting drinks while using this recipe as the base for them all! See the tips and notes below for turning your milkshake from vanilla to chocolate, strawberry, and more!
- Perfect for sharing. One recipe makes a great amount of milkshake. For kids you can easily divide it up into (4) 8 ounce sized glasses or you can fill one and a half large milkshake glasses.
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🥘 Ingredients
Whole milk- This is needed to help you get the right consistency and the amount needed may vary depending on how thick you like your shake.
Heavy cream- For that added richness and creamy consistency without actual ice cream.
Vanilla extract- A flavor enhancer.
Powdered sugar- This will make the milkshakes nice and sweet, without changing the consistency.
Ice cubes- You'll need ice to pulverize as this is what makes the milkshakes thick and cold.
Salt- Adding in a little salt will help to enhance the flavors as well as keep the drink colder for longer.
For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make milkshakes without ice cream with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Place all of the ingredients into your blender.
Blend until creamy.
Add in more milk or ice to suit your desires.
Divide into drinking glasses and enjoy.
🧾 Substitutions
Heavy cream. Instead of using heavy cream you can use coconut milk or whole fat milk. The results won't be as rich and creamy as if they had been made with heavy cream, but they will still be very delicious.
Milk. If you want, you can use nondairy milk, low fat milk, or even half and half instead.
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
This base recipe will make 2 glasses of vanilla flavored milkshake. You can then add in any number of ingredients to make it more unique.
For example:
- Adding in a few oreos will create Oreo Milkshakes
- Adding in ¼ cup of chocolate syrup will make chocolate milkshakes
- For a strawberry milkshake you can add in ¼ cup of strawberry flavored ice cream syrup
You could also add in a hand full of chocolate chips, cereal, sprinkles, or cookies to create much more unique flavors. Even adding in flavored extracts could help make a memorable experience.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Why heavy cream
The heavy cream in this recipe is needed to help give you that rich creamy consistency and taste you would normally get from ice cream. That said, you can use different kinds of milk instead of cream.
🍦Scaling
You can double or halve the recipe as needed depending on how many shakes you want to make.
What really matters when multiplying this recipe is making sure that you have enough space in your blender to hold it all!
💭 FAQs
While you could freeze the milkshakes, they will become a solid block and no longer be drinkable. Thawing them will take a long time and then the consistency will still be off. For best results, enjoy your milkshakes while they are freshest.
To make your milkshake thicker you can always add in chocolate syrup or more ice cubes. Both work wonderfully at helping to make a thicker consistency.
Follow this recipe exactly and place it into a food processor. Pulse or blend the milkshake ingredients until smooth and creamy.
More great frozen beverage recipes to check out soon
- Fruit Loop Milkshake
- Coffee Milkshake
- 15 Gluten Free Milkshakes
- Cookies N Cream Milkshake
- Homemade Shamrock Shake
📖 Recipe
Milkshakes Without Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole milk ($0.38)
- 1 cup Heavy cream ($0.99)
- 3 teaspoons Vanilla extract ($0.06)
- 1 cup Powdered sugar ($0.23)
- 3 cups Ice cubes ($0.00)
- 1 pinch Salt ($0.02)
(Optional add-ins)
- ¼ cup Chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup
(Optional toppings)
- Sprinkles
- Whipped cream
- Maraschino cherries
- Straws
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into your blender.
- Blend until creamy.
- Add in more milk or ice to suit your desires.
- Divide into drinking glasses and enjoy.
Notes
Substitutions
- Heavy cream. Instead of using heavy cream you can use coconut milk or whole fat milk. The results won't be as rich and creamy as if they had been made with heavy cream, but they will still be very delicious.
- Milk. If you want, you can use nondairy milk, low fat milk, or even half and half instead.
Recipe Add-Ins
This base recipe will make 2 glasses of vanilla flavored milkshake. You can then add in any number of ingredients to make it more unique. For example:- Adding in a few oreos will create Oreo Milkshakes
- Adding in ¼ cup of chocolate syrup will make chocolate milkshakes
- For a strawberry milkshake you can add in ¼ cup of strawberry flavored ice cream syrup
- You could also add in a hand full of chocolate chips, cereal, sprinkles, or cookies to create much more unique flavors. Even adding in flavored extracts could help make a memorable experience.
Recipe Tips
- You can double or halve the recipe as needed depending on how many shakes you want to make.
- To make your milkshake thicker you can always add in chocolate syrup or more ice cubes. Both work wonderfully at helping to make a thicker consistency.
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