My dad has been making the BEST milkshakes for as long as I can remember, with all the key ingredients, most importantly being ice cream. And this creamy strawberry banana milkshake would get his seal of approval! It's the perfect way to indulge in a fruity treat! It's made with only 4 ingredients, and it's ready in just 5 minutes. Plus this thick milkshake can easily be made vegan!
This strawberry banana milkshake recipe is perfect for summer when strawberries are ripe and in season. Ripe fruit adds a natural sweetness to this milkshake, so you don't have to add any extra sugar. You can also make this delicious drink year round with frozen fruit.
Top your shake with vegan whipped cream, an extra scoop of ice cream, sprinkles, or crushed cookies for a monstrous milkshake!
I love making this strawberry milkshake on rotation in the summer along with banana chocolate smoothies and peanut butter avocado smoothies. I find that a cold, creamy drink is the perfect way to keep cool in the heat of summer.
Ingredients
- Vanilla ice cream - Ice cream is essential to make a milkshake thick and creamy. You could use other flavors of ice cream, but they may overpower or clash with the strawberries and banana. I usually use an oat milk-based ice cream to make this vegan.
- Strawberries - Rinse fresh strawberries in cold running water, then trim off the green tops. Or use frozen strawberries for a thicker milkshake texture.
- Banana - Fresh or frozen bananas both work great in this recipe; just make sure your banana is ripe or overripe so it adds plenty of natural sweetness to your milkshake.
- Milk - Milk helps to thin the milkshake just enough to make it easy to sip through a straw. Any type of milk works in this recipe; I usually use oat milk or almond milk.
How to Make a Strawberry Banana Milkshake
1. Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor for 2 to 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula or spoon and blend again, to ensure the mixture is smooth.
2. Divide the blended milkshake between two glasses.
Add any optional toppings like ice cream, fresh strawberries or banana slices, whipped cream, sprinkles, or caramel sauce.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Make sure you use a ripe or overripe banana. An underripe banana that's still green won't add enough sweetness to your milkshake.
- If you use fresh bananas in your milkshake, it will have a consistency closer to a smoothie. For a thicker consistency, use frozen bananas.
- If your milkshake is too thick, add a little extra milk and blend it again until it's a smooth consistency.
- You can easily double this recipe.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan: Make this milkshake dairy free and vegan by using plant based milk and ice cream. I usually use oat milk and coconut milk ice cream.
- Protein: Add a scoop of protein powder to make a tasty banana strawberry protein shake.
- Healthy: To make this recipe healthier to enjoy at breakfast, you can substitute the ice cream with yogurt or an extra frozen banana. It'll be more like a smoothie than a milkshake, but still tasty!
Storing
Milkshakes are best when enjoyed right after being blended.
However you can store it in the fridge for up to one day. Stir the milkshake before enjoying it, in case it has separated.
Frequently Asked Questions
A milkshake contains ice cream, while smoothies are mainly made with fruit. Both can be made with milk and other mix-in's like peanut butter.
You can use any high speed blender or food processor to make a milkshake.
A lower speed blender can also work, but you may need to use just fresh (not frozen) fruit and a little more milk to help the blender pulverize everything into a creamy mixture.
Peel the banana and place it in an airtight container or on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Store it in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 months.
If you freeze a banana with the peel still on, the peel freezes to the banana and it's really hard to get off.
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries if fresh strawberries aren't ripe or available. I'd suggest to either use fresh (not frozen) bananas or add more milk, to make sure your milkshake isn't too thick.
Since this milkshake contains ice cream, it's not necessarily the optimal "healthy" drink. However, it does contain bananas and strawberries, which provide potassium, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Plus milkshakes taste freaking amazing, so it's good for the soul... 🙂
More Frozen Fruity Smoothies and Desserts
- Peanut Butter Avocado Smoothie Bowl
- Banana Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
- Green Avocado Smoothie Bowl
- Vegan Frozen Yogurt (Without Bananas)
- Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Bark
- Mint Chocolate Chip Avocado Pie
Strawberry Banana Milkshake
Ingredients
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream (about 1 cup total)
- 2½ cups rinsed strawberries, with the green tops removed (about one pint; fresh or frozen)
- 1 medium peeled banana (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Blend everything in a blender or food processor for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides a few times with a rubber spatula or spoon to ensure everything is blended smoothly.
- Divide between two glasses and serve. Optional toppings: extra ice cream, fresh strawberries or banana slices, whipped cream, sprinkles, or chocolate sauce.
Notes
- If you use fresh bananas in your milkshake, it will have a consistency closer to a smoothie. For a thicker consistency, use frozen bananas.
- Make sure you use a ripe or overripe banana. An underripe banana that's still green won't add enough sweetness to your milkshake, since there's no added sugar in this recipe.
- If you're using both frozen strawberries and frozen bananas, you may need to add a little extra milk to get everything to blend into a creamy, smooth consistency.
- Make this milkshake dairy free and vegan by using plant based milk and ice cream. I usually use oat milk and coconut milk ice cream.
Morina
Woah very tasty!!!