What is your formula for a killer milkshake?

Normally I would just say really good vanilla bean ice cream and milk blended with ice, and optional frozen strawberries or whatever.

At one coffeehouse where I worked, they did the above like normal, but with condensed milk and half-and-half in place of the milk. It tasted like a heart attack in a glass, but so good. All the frozen blended coffee drinks (not frapuccinos, darn it!) were made this way, with like six shots of espresso. Their most popular one was that with a couple oreos blended in.

When I was travelling in New Zealand I asked for a chocolate milkshake. They took some chocolate milk and shook it up.

Here there is a place where we can make up our own milkshake. We are in control of the ingredients that go into our milky refreshment. We just have to take the base ingredient that is yummy vanilla ice cream and milk then we can add our favourite flavours chosen from a wide range of sweets, confectionery and cake items on display. We can try mixing Marmite with Oreos or Jaffa Cakes and Jelly Babies – just about anything we can think. Blend and voila the killer milkshake is ready!

vanilla ice cream, strawberries, and bananas in the blender.

Milk, strawberries and cyanide.

I worked at a diner for a while and made a ton of milkshakes. Strawberry has always been my favorite. We did not use fresh strawberries, which yes, that is a down side, but we used strawberries bascially in a sauce of their own juices. My key was to load up the ice cream, use just a splash of milk, and then also get enough strawberry juice to make it the right consistency, along with more strawberries than normal. Ummdkfjs yes!

Best chocolate shake I ever had was in Bonaire, in the Dutch Antilles.

I’m pretty sure it was made with goat milk.

I haven’t made one in years. We used just put vanilla ice cream, Hershey’s chocolate syrup, and some milk. Blend it up. We actually made them in day camp in a jar, stir a little, and then just shook it up.

Having made it through two hours in the dentist’s chair recently, I rewarded myself to a malted at a place called “Shakes.” I’ve always preferred malteds to shakes when given a choice, and always vanilla ones. This was the first one I’ve had in several years; they’re just too sweet for me anymore. This one was an 8 on a scale of 10, requiring a spoon to “drink” it. Really good ice cream but not quite enough malted. I always used to ask for extra malted, but I figured a place called “Shakes” didn’t need the request. Still, I loved every drop bite.

To answer the original question, when I used to blend shakes or malts at home, I used milk, lots of vanilla ice cream, a drop or two of extract of vanilla, powdered malt if I had it, and like I really needed to, some sugar. Ahhhhhhh.

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room What’s a ‘malt’, and where do you get it?

@longgone It’s a milkshake made with malt or malted milk, plus some ice cream and flavoring. I think malt is from barley and wheat. A malted milkshake tastes a little different and the texture is a little different.

Do you have malt ball candies (sweeties) where you live? In America a popular malt candy is called Whoppers.

I found this candy for the UK and other countries connected to the UK. I also noticed on the link Ovaltine, which is a malt drink, I clicked on it and it looks like Ovaltine is available in other countries, maybe you are familiar with it.

Ok, now that I’m not on my phone…

When I make them…

I crush a few ice cubes, add a ton of vanilla bean ice cream, just enough milk to make the ice cream blendable, a ton of chocolate syrup, and a splash or two of strong (cold) coffee.

Om nom nom nom…

@JLeslie Thank you. I know Ovaltine and Maltesers, but I had never heard of malted milk(shakes). I have to try those, now that I know they exist. I love malt. Can you buy malted milk in the store, or do people make it themselves?

@longgone Yes, you should be able to buy both malted milk powder and malted milk in your grocery stores. Try googling it. I don’t remember where you live exactly.

I think it was first created for infants and toddlers to add some more substance (cereal) to the milk they drank. But, it was used in baking and drinks as well for adults. I think of it as a nostalgic baking item almost. I like the flavor also.

@JLeslie Interesting. I live in Germany… I’ll check, but I don’t think we have it here. We do have powdered malt, so I could probably just add some of that to regular milk. Or to a vanilla milkshake, plus some crushed maltesers. Oh, the possibilities…! :)

Oh sure. Just google “malted milk powder recipes” for the site you usually use for baking. Here is one American one that came up, but it would use American measures. All sorts of yummy possibilties. Good time of year to try out some of the goodies.

@JLeslie Oh, man, does that look good. American measures are fine, I’ll just do a little maths. Thanks. Buying malt now!

I have no guarantees for those recipes, I have never used that site before. Let us know how whatever your try turns out. The malt powder you buy probably has a website with recipes also.

Standard ingredients – Milk, malted milk, homemade vanilla ice cream, white chocolate

Then I play around with caramel sauce, milk chocolate, coffee, and banana.

Blend it.

Whatever you make, add a touch of vanilla extract. Makes all the difference in the world.

2 frozen bananas
just enough milk to blend
lot of peanut butter

I went on a bike tour a few months back and they made milkshakes with malt powder. First time I ever had it and it was pretty damn good.

My uncle used to enjoy a pretty interesting milkshake: it was just plain ol’ vanilla ice cream, milk and ice in a blender… but then he added some of the syrup from blackcurrant preserves. For those who don’t know, preserves are kind of like jelly except you end up with big pieces of fruit and tons of sweet syrup. I still think those were some of the best milkshakes I ever had: not too thick and surprisingly refreshing.