American · Drinks

Vanilla Milkshake

Vanilla ice cream blended with cold milk and a spoon of vanilla extract into a thick, pale shake.

5 min total Serves 2 servings Easy
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Vanilla Milkshake

Photograph credit: Vanilla milkshake at Lunchbox Laboratories by jencu from bay area, usa · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Method for Vanilla Milkshake

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  1. Pour the milk and vanilla into a blender and add the ice cream in scoops.

  2. Blend for 20 seconds until thick and smooth.

  3. Pour into two chilled glasses and top with the whipped cream.

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What Can Go Wrong

  1. Put the milk in first.
  2. Use hard ice cream.
  3. Chill the glasses.
  4. Blend for no more than 20 seconds.

A Little Background

The first summer of warm days is when a vanilla milkshake belongs. It is the simplest shake there is and the hardest to improve upon.

Three things make it good: ice cream, milk and restraint. Use a vanilla ice cream with real vanilla seeds if you can, and keep it in the freezer until the moment it goes in the blender. Milk goes in first, ice cream second. Starting with the milk lets the blades spin freely, and the ice cream breaks down cleanly.

The ratio is about four parts ice cream to one part milk, by weight. Add more milk only if the blender stalls. A teaspoon of extra vanilla extract brings out the flavour and makes the shake smell as it should.

Blend for 20 seconds, then pour into chilled glasses. Chilling the glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes keeps the shake cold for longer. Serve with a spoon and a straw, and nothing else.

On the Table Alongside

Burgers · Fries · Brownies · Hot dogs

Leftovers

Best drunk at once.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 1 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

522Calories
9gProtein
50gCarbs
31gFat
1gFibre
46gSugar
190mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .