Chocolate Milkshake Recipe

If you’re craving something smooth, sweet, and creamy, you just can’t beat a chocolate milkshake. After all, it’s classic and so timeless.

It’s the ultimate treat in summer, but you can whip one up any time of year!

A tall glass of creamy chocolate milkshake topped with whipped cream. - 4

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While any milkshake will do in a pinch, a chocolate milkshake is one of my favorites.

Luckily, they’re just as easy to make as most other shakes. (Even easier than some!) All you’ll need are a few ingredients and a blender.

Ingredients for Chocolate Milkshake

This is my favorite chocolate milkshake recipe to date. Here’s what you need for it:

Chocolate ice cream – The base of any good shake is, of course, ice cream. Use chocolate ice cream for the ultimate in chocolate goodness.
Whole milk – For the best shake, stick to full-fat milk. It’s the richest and most flavorful and will yield the best-tasting shake. You can use skim, 1% or 2%, if you don’t have any.
Chocolate syrup & cocoa powder – These ingredients add even more chocolatey richness to the already chocolatey milkshake. I usually use Hershey’s syrup and whatever brand of Dutch-processed cocoa powder I have.
Vanilla extract – A simple flavor enhancer that’ll make the shake taste better.
Garnishes – I opt for the traditional whipped cream and chocolate shavings garnish. I also typically add some extra chocolate sauce. You can stick to those or add something different. (Like strawberries and banana slices!)

How to Make a Chocolate Milkshake

There’s only a single step in this recipe:

Make the shake! Combine all the milkshake ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Then, simply add your garnishes and enjoy!

How to Thicken a Milkshake

Because this shake uses ice cream and whole milk, it’s usually pretty thick. If yours is too runny, there are a few things you can try.

Add extra ice cream until you reach your desired thickness.
Add ice cubes or a frozen banana to the blender and blend until smooth.
Use 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup milk instead of 1/2 cup milk.
Reduce the amount of milk you add.
Use fudge instead of chocolate syrup.
Don’t over-blend the ingredients!

Chocolate milkshake in a clear glass with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. - 6

Recipe Variations

Want to swap things up a little? Try one (or more) of these variations:

Use vanilla ice cream as a base. This shake has a lot of chocolate in it. If you find it too chocolatey for your tastes, start with a vanilla ice cream base. The cocoa powder and chocolate sauce will still yield a chocolate milkshake.
Make a vegan-friendly shake. Substitute vegan milk, vegan ice cream, and a vegan chocolate sauce. Because you’ll use plant-based ingredients, a vegan chocolate shake may be too thin. Check out the tips above for ideas on how to thicken it.
Make it boozy. Add a couple of ounces of rum or unflavored vodka to the blender with the other ingredients. Just keep the milkshake away from the kiddos.
Give it a caffeine kick. For a mocha-flavored shake, replace half the milk with cold brew coffee. You can even add a chocolate-covered coffee bean garnish on top!
No ice cream? No problem! Instead of ice cream, use two frozen bananas and a handful of ice cubes as the base. Then, add the other ingredients as directed.
Mint chocolate chip, anyone? I love the combination of chocolate and mint. Use mint chocolate chip ice cream as the base for a chocolate mint shake. Then, instead of chocolate syrup, use a chocolate-mint syrup. Or, simply add a few dashes of peppermint extract.

Two chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream in a tall clear glass. - 7

More Milkshake Recipes

Here are some other delicious milkshake recipes to help you beat the heat:

Pumpkin Milkshake
Peanut Butter Milkshake
Strawberry Milkshake
Chocolate Cake Shake
Copycat Grimace Shake (McDonalds)

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