Banana Milkshake

In a sea of creamy shakes, the sleeper hit of the soda shop menu might just be an old-fashioned homemade banana milkshake. All you need is a few scoops of ice cream, a carton of milk, and a large banana to blend up this creamery classic.

Bananas sweeten as they ripen, so slightly spotty fruit will give your milkshake the best banana flavor (save those really brown ones for banana bread). No fresh bananas on hand? Not to worry: You can use frozen bananas instead. In fact, doing so will give your banana shake an extra-velvety texture. Just don’t add ice cubes to the mix, which will turn it watery. Want to play around? Add a scoop of cocoa powder to make a chocolate-banana milkshake (topped with fudge sauce, it’s a dream dessert), a spoonful of peanut butter to make a peanut butter-banana milkshake, or a splash of maple syrup or vanilla extract for extra warm flavor. How about a strawberry-banana milkshake? Just trade the vanilla ice cream for strawberry. And, if you’re looking for a vegan alternative, swap in your favorite nondairy milk alternative, such as oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk, along with dairy-free ice cream (we like cashew-based).

This banana milkshake recipe takes just a moment to whip together, but if you want to plan ahead, stash the glasses in the freezer so they get nice and frosty. Serve with caramel sauce, chocolate chips or sprinkles, and whipped cream—or keep it simple with a dusting of ground cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg.

This recipe was adapted from ‘Moosewood Restaurant: Simple Suppers’ by the Moosewood Collective. Buy the full book on Amazon. Get more of our favorite soda fountain drinks here →