Milkshake Recipes Cheat Sheet (how To Make Almost Any Milkshake)

Your cheat sheet of 30+ milkshake recipes. Make almost any milkshake with vanilla ice cream and a few simple ingredients.

I’ve posted quite a few milkshake recipes over the last couple of years, and it was about time to compile all of these recipes in one place for easy reference.

So I present to you my milkshake cheatsheet. If you’re craving a specific milkshake (or maybe don’t even know what milkshake you want) chances are you can find the recipe here.

How to Make The Best Milkshakes

If you’ve read my How to Make a Milkshake post , you’ll know that to make the best milkshake you need to start with the right ratio of milk to ice cream. The sweet spot for this is 1½ cups ice cream to ½-¾ cup milk.

This will give you a shake with a thick, creamy consistency but one that you can still drink it with a straw. Use more milk for a thinner shake, less milk for a thicker one.

All the recipes below start with this ratio + mix-ins. Put all those ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth and pourable, and you’re going to have a great shake on your hands.

More Milkshake Tips & Troubleshooting

• No blender? No problem: While fruit milkshakes can’t really be made without a blender because you need the blender to puree the fruit, milkshakes that include ingredients that don’t need to be crushed with a blender to mix, like shakes made with syrups and powders, are pretty easy to make without a blender. Go check out my post How to Make a Milkshake Without a Blender for full instructions.
• Using an older or under-powered blender: If your blender struggles to blend milkshakes without adding a ton of milk, start with slightly softened ice cream. Scoop the ice cream into the blender and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before blending. Softened ice cream is much easier for blenders to process than ice cream straight out of the freezer.
• Add a little sweetness: Using underripe fruit? Add a couple teaspoons of sugar to your shake. While it might seem like overkill to add sugar to ice cream, if you’re making a shake with out-of-season fruit that’s not at peak sweetness, a little sugar can really make all the difference between a mediocre shake and a great one.

Toppings

It’s not necessary to add toppings to shakes, but it sure is fun. And for an extra pretty shake, take any of the sauces below and swirl them around the inside of the glass before adding the blended shake.

• Whipped cream
• Fudge sauce
• Peanut butter sauce
• Nutella sauce
• Strawberry sauce
• Strawberry syrup
• Dulce de leche
• Shortcut Caramel Sauce

The Milkshake Recipes

Vanilla Milkshakes

• Vanilla Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + Scraped seeds from ½ vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• Bourbon Vanilla Bean Shake: Vanilla milkshake ingredients + replace 2 tablespoons of the milk with 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of bourbon

Chocolate Milkshakes

• Chocolate Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + 3 tablespoons fudge or chocolate sauce
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake: Chocolate milkshake ingredients + 1 slightly heaping tablespoon of peanut butter
• Chocolate Oreo Shake: Chocolate milkshake ingredients + 3 Oreos (break an additional Oreo into pieces and drop crumbs over the top of the finished shake)
• Chocolate Banana Shake: Chocolate milkshake ingredients + ½ to 1 whole banana
• Chocolate Cheesecake Milkshake: Chocolate milkshake ingredients + 2 ounces cream cheese

Banana Milkshakes

• Banana Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + 1 large banana (frozen for a thicker shake) + ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake: Banana milkshake ingredients + 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter
• Chocolate Banana Milkshake: Banana milkshake ingredients + 2 tablespoons chocolate fudge sauce or syrup
• Salted Caramel Banana Milkshake: Banana milkshake ingredients + 2 tablespoons salted caramel
• Banana Split Milkshake: Banana milkshake ingredients + swirl glass with fudge sauce before adding milkshake + top with whipped cream, more fudge sauce, sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry

Strawberry Milkshakes

• Strawberry Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + ¾ chopped strawberries + 1 tablespoon sugar
• Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake: Strawberry milkshake ingredients + 2 ounces cream cheese
• Chocolate-covered Strawberry Milkshake: Strawberry milkshake ingredients + swirl 1 tablespoon of chocolate fudge sauce or syrup around the glass before pouring in the shake + add 1 tablespoon sauce over the top (do not stir or your shake will turn brown)
• Strawberry Banana Milkshake : Strawberry milkshake ingredients + 1 ripe banana (fresh or frozen)
• Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Milkshake: Strawberry milkshake ingredients + 1 ripe banana + 2 ounces cream cheese

Oreo Milkshakes

• Oreo Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + 4 Oreos (break an additional Oreo into pieces and drop crumbs over the top of the finished shake)
• Bailey’s Cookies and Cream Milkshake: Oreo milkshake ingredients + replace ¼ cup of the milk with 2 ounces (¼ cup) of Irish cream liqueur
• Chocolate Oreo Milkshake: Oreo milkshake ingredients + 2 tablespoons of fudge sauce
• Peanut Butter Oreo Milkshake: Oreo milkshake ingredients + 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter

Coffee Milkshakes

• Coffee Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder + 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso powder
• Caramel Coffee Milkshake: Coffee milkshake ingredients + 1 heaping tablespoon of caramel Boozy Coffee Milkshake: Coffee milkshake ingredients + replace 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup of the milk with Kahlua, Irish cream, or your choice of alcohol

Caramel Milkshake Recipes

• Caramel Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
• Banana Caramel Milkshake: Caramel Milkshake ingredients + ½ to 1 whole ripe banana
• Vanilla Bean Caramel Milkshake: Caramel Milkshake ingredients + the seeds scraped from ½ of a vanilla bean

Dulce de Leche Milkshakes

• Dulce de Leche Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + 2 tablespoons dulce de leche
• Banoffee Pie Shake: Dulce de Leche Milkshake ingredients + 1 whole ripe banana + 1 (full-sheet) graham cracker + top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings
• Boozy Dulce de Leche Shake: Dulce de Leche Milkshake ingredients + 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of whiskey

Peanut Butter Milkshakes

• Peanut Butter Milkshake: 1½ cups vanilla ice cream + ½ to ¾ cup milk + 2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter + ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nut Butter Milkshake: Peanut Butter Milkshake ingredients but replace peanut butter with nut butter of your choice

Ingredients

Milkshake Base

• ▢ 1½ cups ice cream about 3 large scoops, slightly softened
• ▢ ½ to ¾ cup milk any percentage

Vanilla Milkshake

• ▢ Seeds scraped from ½ vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Chocolate Milkshake

• ▢ 3 tablespoons chocolate sauce

Banana Milkshake

• ▢ 1 large banana
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Milkshake

• ▢ ¾ cup chopped strawberries
• ▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Oreo Milkshake

• ▢ 4 Oreos
• ▢ 1 additional Oreo broken into pieces for topping

Coffee Milkshake

• ▢ 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso powder

Caramel Milkshake

• ▢ 2 tablespoons caramel sauce

Dulce de Leche Milkshake

• ▢ 2 tablespoons dulce de leche

Instructions

• In a blender, combine ice cream, milk, and any mix-ins, and blend until pourable.
• Pour into a glass, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

How to make an easy and delicious homemade mocha, no espresso machine or hot chocolate mix needed.

I’ve shared a bunch of easy coffee recipes on the site in the past, my Iced White Chocolate Mocha , Chai Tea Latte , Pumpkin Spice Latte , and Caramel Macchiato , but this homemade mocha might be the easiest of them all.

It’s sweet, chocolatey, and takes hardly more time to make than adding cream and sugar to your morning coffee so it can be the thrown-together treat that gets you through a crazy busy morning or something to sip slowly on a lazy Sunday morning.

Ingredient Notes

• Homemade chocolate syrup: Instead of using store-bought chocolate syrup or hot chocolate mix as many recipes do, you’ll make a quick syrup of cocoa powder, sugar, and water to flavor the mocha base.
• Coffee: True mocha lattes are made with espresso, but we’ll stick to regular coffee for this homemade version since that’s what most people have available. Use whatever coffee you have on hand, decaf works fine.
• Your choice of milk: By default, Starbucks uses 2% milk in their coffee drinks, but you can use any milk you’d like including non-dairy milks. The higher fat your milk, the richer and creamier your drink will be.
• Heavy cream: Cream is optional, but a little splash adds a really delicious richness to the coffee. You can also use half and half if that’s what you keep on hand. For leftover heavy cream, check out my post What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream for storage tips and recipe ideas for the leftovers.

How to Make A Homemade Mocha

1. In a small pot or microwave-safe cup, stir together sugar, cocoa powder, and water. Heat on the stove or in your microwave, and stir until sauce is completely smooth.
2. Add coffee and milk and continue to heat until steaming . If making on the stove, you can whisk the mixture vigorously until foamy. Pour into a cup, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!

Mason Jar Method

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Screw on lid securely and wrap top with a towel (in case your jar leaks). Give a few very good shakes, until everything is well-mixed and milk is foamy. Pour into a mug and microwave for 30 seconds or until steaming.

Mocha Variations

• Peppermint Mocha : Crush a full-size candy cane in a plastic bag and add it to the sugar/cocoa powder/water mixture and stir until completely dissolved.
• Caramel Mocha : Add a heaping tablespoon of caramel or salted caramel when you add the coffee and milk. You can also use dulce de leche for a dulce de leche mocha.
• White Chocolate Mocha : Use chopped white chocolate instead of the homemade chocolate syrup. For full measurements, find the recipe here .

Can I make this an iced mocha?

It’s really easy to make an iced mocha at home, but for best results, the method you’ll want to use is slightly different than this recipe. Go check out my Iced Mocha Recipe if you’re craving your mocha cold today. (That recipe will also walk you through making your mocha a frappuccino if that’s more your jam.)

Is there caffeine in a mocha?

Yes. This particular recipe has about 95 mg of caffeine. But if you’d like to skip the caffeine, you can use decaf coffee.

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely. This recipe scales up with no preparation changes needed. To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.

More Morning Favorites

• Pancakes for One
• Small-batch Cream Scones
• Small-batch Cinnamon Rolls
• The Best Waffles

More Coffeehouse Recipes

• Iced Chai Tea Latte
• White Hot Chocolate
• Caramel Latte
• Cinnamon Dolce Latte
• London Fog Latte

Equipment

• Mason jar with lid, optional
• Kitchen towel, optional

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons ( 12g to 25g ) granulated sugar to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 5g ) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water omit if making using the mason jar method
• ▢ 1 cup hot coffee
• ▢ ¼ cup milk any percentage
• ▢ 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
• ▢ Whipped cream for topping, optional

Instructions

Stovetop or Microwave

• In a small pot or microwave-safe cup, stir together sugar, cocoa powder, and water. Heat on the stove (or in your microwave for about 15 seconds), and stir until sugar and cocoa powder dissolve and sauce is completely smooth.
• Stir in coffee and milk and continue to heat until steaming (about 30 seconds in the microwave). If making on the stove, you can whisk the mixture vigorously until foamy. Pour into a cup, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!

Mason Jar Method

• Combine all ingredients except the water and optional whipped cream in a mason jar. Screw the lid on securely and wrap top with a towel (in case your jar leaks). Give a few very good shakes, until everything is well-mixed and mixture is foamy.
• Pour into a mug and microwave for 30 seconds or until steaming. Top with whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

These are the BEST chocolate chip waffles. Crispy, fluffy waffles packed with gooey chocolate chips ready to be topped with your favorite waffle toppings.

When was the last time you had a bit of fun with your breakfast? If your answer is, Too long ago or I don’t remember , friend, let’s fix that.

You should have chocolate chip waffles for breakfast.

These waffles are gooey, crispy, SO decadent, and completely delicious. They’re just about the most fun you can have before 8 AM.

What’s Great About These Waffles

• Crispy exteriors, soft and fluffy insides: These waffles (based off my favorite waffle recipe in the entire world) are designed to be ultra-crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy inside.
• Gooey, melty chocolate chips: There are a lot of chocolate chips in these waffles, so with every bite you get plenty of gooey, melty chocolate.
• Easy to make: On top of being really good, these waffles are also ridiculously easy to throw together. They use oil so you don’t have to melt any butter, and they’re perfectly fluffy all on their own so you don’t have to worry about whipping egg whites or digging a package of yeast out of the back of your cupboard.

Tool & Ingredient Notes

Waffle Maker: Yes you have to have a waffle maker to make waffles. If you don’t own one, this is the waffle maker I use . It’s not fancy or expensive but makes wonderful waffles, and I love that it can be stored vertically so it takes up very little cupboard space. Corn starch: Corn starch is the secret to crispy waffles. I absolutely recommend using it, but if you don’t have any and really really want waffles NOW, you can replace it with the same amount of all-purpose flour. Buttermilk: No buttermilk? No problem. You can make a quick buttermilk substitute with milk and lemon juice or vinegar (there are more detailed instructions in the recipe card below). If you do have real buttermilk, check out my post What to Do With Leftover Buttermilk for freezing tips and ideas for using up the leftovers (I recommend a batch of Beef Pasties ).

How to Make Chocolate Chip Waffles From Scratch

This is a quick overview of the recipe process with extra tips and tricks. For the full printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below.

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium-to-large bowl.

2. Make a well in the center and add your wet ingredients. It will seem like this is a LOT of liquid, but don’t worry, the recipe is correct. Mix until the batter is just combined. You shouldn’t see any dry flour in your bowl, but a few lumps are normal and expected.

3. Rest your batter. Why does the batter need to rest? Resting the batter allows the gluten to relax and for it to absorb some of the liquid and thicken slightly. Don’t skip this step. If you’re serving your waffles with fruit or a full breakfast spread, this is a perfect time to start prepping the rest of your breakfast.

4. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter.

5. Cook the waffles in a preheated waffle iron according to iron instructions. All waffle irons are a little different, so follow the instructions for your particular machine. For mine, it takes 1 cup of batter and cooks in about 2½ to 3 minutes per side.

Filling Your Waffle Iron: For any waffle iron, make sure it’s properly preheated before adding the batter. Ladle the batter in slowly, filling holes where more batter is needed. Give the batter just a bit to set (about 10 seconds) before closing the lid. This will help prevent it from squeezing out the sides when you close the lid.

6. Transfer cooked waffles to an oven-safe cooling rack (if you have one) placed over a baking sheet in your warm oven while you cook all the batter. The cooling rack will allow air to circulate under the waffles keeping the bottoms crispy while they sit. The steam from just-cooked waffles sitting for too long directly on a surface can make the bottoms soggy.

7. Plate up, top with toppings, and enjoy!!

What toppings go on chocolate chip waffles?

You can serve chocolate chip waffles with classic butter and syrup. They’re also incredibly good with sliced fruit, fudge sauce , whipped cream , and a bit of syrup.

For a truly indulgent treat, make a waffle sundae and add a scoop of ice cream, chocolate sauce or peanut butter sauce , and sprinkles.

Do I need to grease my waffle maker before cooking the waffles?

If you have a non-stick waffle maker, you shouldn’t need to grease the plates before cooking your waffles. BUT if you typically need to use cooking spray with your particular waffle maker, go ahead and do so.

How much batter does this make/ how many does it serve?

This recipe will make a bit over 2 cups of batter, which depending on your waffle maker translates into about 2 to 4 waffles. This generously serves 2 but can be stretched to serve 3 to 4 if you’re serving kids or serving the waffles with a full breakfast.

Can this waffle recipe be doubled?

Absolutely. You can double or triple the recipe with no preparation changes needed. To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.

Can I freeze chocolate chip waffles?

Yes! Chocolate chip waffles (and waffles in general) freeze really well.

To freeze your waffles, store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to reheat them, place frozen waffles on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through and crispy.

More Chocolate Chip Recipes

• Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
• One Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Small-batch Chocolate Banana Muffins

More Breakfast Recipes

• White Chocolate Mocha
• Pancakes for One
• Small-batch Cinnamon Rolls
• Blueberry Waffles

Ingredients

• ▢ ¾ cup ( 90 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ cup ( 30g ) corn starch
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 12g ) granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk *
• ▢ ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ cup chocolate chips
• ▢ Melted butter optional for serving
• ▢ Syrup optional for serving

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Make a shallow well in the dry ingredients and add buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir together until just combined.
• Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 200°F or set it to the warm setting and set a baking sheet (with cooling rack if you have one) inside.*
• After the batter has rested, fold in the chocolate chips.
• Preheat waffle iron and cook batter according to your iron’s instructions*, typically 4 to 6 minutes per waffle, until waffle is nicely golden and has mostly stopped releasing steam.
• Transfer waffle to your warm oven while you cook the rest of the batter.*
• Top with melted butter and syrup if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

Milkshake Recipes Cheat Sheet

Ingredients

Milkshake Base

• 1½ cups ice cream about 3 large scoops, slightly softened
• ½ to ¾ cup milk any percentage

Vanilla Milkshake

• Seeds scraped from ½ vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Chocolate Milkshake

• 3 tablespoons chocolate sauce

Banana Milkshake

• 1 large banana
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Milkshake

• ¾ cup chopped strawberries
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Oreo Milkshake

• 4 Oreos
• 1 additional Oreo broken into pieces for topping

Coffee Milkshake

• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso powder

Caramel Milkshake

• 2 tablespoons caramel sauce

Dulce de Leche Milkshake

• 2 tablespoons dulce de leche

Instructions

• In a blender, combine ice cream, milk, and any mix-ins, and blend until pourable.
• Pour into a glass, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition