Strawberry Milkshake Recipe: Classic & Plant Based

A sweet and refreshing strawberry milkshake is the perfect drink for summer. They can be enjoyed as a healthy breakfast beverage, for an energizing snack or even as a lighter dessert. Here I share with you two different but equally delicious ways to make my favorite strawberry milkshake recipe – a classic shake prepared with milk, and a plant-based vegan version made with almond milk.

About Strawberry Shake

I love to make all kinds of fun recipes whenever strawberries are in season. From Shortcakes to Cream Cakes, strawberries are a perfect ingredient to use in your favorite sweet treats.

Not only are strawberries great to bake with, they’re terrific to include in other dishes like Fruit Salad and many no-cook summer recipes.

When I have an abundance of strawberries but don’t have the time (or simply don’t feel like) cooking, this strawberry milkshake is my go-to way to use fresh berries.

A strawberry milkshake is a cold, sweet drink made by blending fresh strawberries with milk, sugar, and optionally ice cubes or ice cream until smooth and creamy.

Not only are fruit shakes delicious, they are easy to make in just 10 minutes with a handful of ingredients. Plus, you can customize this Strawberry Milkshake recipe to fit your tastes.

Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions to prepare a traditional shake made with milk or a vegan strawberry shake that uses almond milk or your preferred plant-based milk substitute.

These milkshakes with strawberries can also be prepared thin or thick, however you like. I often make this milkshake without ice cream, and therefore this drink has a slightly thin consistency but lots of vibrant strawberry flavor.

But it is easy to make this recipe with ice cream – dairy or vegan-friendly – for a richer, thicker and creamier shake.

Make your Strawberry Milkshake recipe however you prefer for a tasty treat anytime of the day.

Speaking of fresh strawberries, you should check out these Strawberries Recipes for even more ideas of how to use a bounty of berries:

• Strawberry Smoothie – A refreshing and naturally sweet drink made with fresh strawberries, banana and coconut milk.
• Homemade Strawberry Jam – A simple and delicious preserve that lets you enjoy the flavor of strawberries year-round.
• Strawberry Milk – A quick, fuss-free Korean drink made by mixing macerated strawberry syrup with milk and a touch of sweetener.
• Strawberry Cream – A light, whipped dessert perfect for layering in trifles or serving on its own.
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries – Juicy berries dipped in melted chocolate, ideal for gifting or festive treats.

How to make Strawberry Milk

Prep Strawberries

1. First, rinse and drain 250 grams (about 22 to 25 small to medium) of fresh strawberries.

2. Slice off the green leafy part from all the strawberries. This is also called as hulling the strawberries. Then roughly chop them.

3. Add the chopped strawberries to a blender jar.

Make Strawberry Milkshake

4. Add 2 to 2.5 cups of chilled milk, depending on whether you want a thinner or thicker strawberry milkshake.

You can also add two or three scoops of vanilla or strawberry ice cream to make a thicker and creamier shake.

5. Add sugar as required. If the strawberries are very sweet or you’re using ice cream, then you don’t need to add any sugar. I added 3 tablespoons of raw sugar, but you can use granulated white sugar also.

Feel free to add 2 to 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream or strawberry ice cream at this point for a much thicker and creamier shake.

6. Blend the milkshake until smooth.

7. Pour into two tall glasses and serve the strawberry shake immediately. You can also add a scoop of vanilla or strawberry ice cream at the end for an extra sweet treat, or top with a few fresh strawberry slices or whipped cream.

I’ve added a scoop of strawberry ice cream, which has blended into the shake and isn’t visible in the photo.

Vegan Strawberry Shake

This strawberry shake version uses chilled plant-based almond milk for a delicious vegan milkshake. You can also prepare it with coconut or cashew milk, if you like.

Either way I recommend adding a scoop of vegan vanilla, strawberry, banana or chikoo (sapota) ice cream either while blending or as a topping before you enjoy.

Before you make this recipe be sure to check out my handy post on How to Make Almond Milk from scratch. (Note: It keeps well for about 2 to 3 days when made fresh.) Almond milk is a very good and super healthy alternative if you are allergic to milk or are a vegan.

Here are the easy steps for making a fresh and yummy vegan strawberry milkshake:

1. First, hull and chop 200 to 250 grams of fresh strawberries (22 to 25 berries).
2. Add them in a blender cup along with 2.5 cups of almond milk, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract (or vanilla powder or half of a small vanilla bean scraped), plus 1 to 2 tablespoons of raw sugar or powdered jaggery or maple syrup. You can also add a scoop of non-dairy vanilla or strawberry ice cream or sapodilla ice cream when blending for an extra thick vegan shake.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour into two tall glasses. If you like, place a scoop of the plant-based ice cream in the milkshake. Vegan vanilla ice cream and strawberry ice cream are my favorites for this recipe.
5. Garnish the milkshake with some chopped strawberries or nuts. I topped with some vegan sapodilla ice cream (chikoo ice cream).
6. Serve the strawberry almond milkshakes immediately.

Expert Tips

1. Strawberries: If possible use sweet and ripe strawberries. This will eliminate the need to add any extra sweeteners, and therefore makes this a healthy Strawberry Milkshake recipe.
2. Creamy Thick Shakes: You can also make a thicker, creamier shake by using frozen strawberries. Flash freeze fresh strawberries by rinsing, hulling, and placing on a baking sheet. Then place in the freezer for an hour or so before blending.
3. Flavoring Options: Feel free to add your choice of flavorings like vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, mint leaves, lavender or ground green cardamom while blending.
4. Ice Cream Shake: For a richer and thicker milkshake, blend in 2 to 3 scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream or Strawberry Ice Cream. Or, like I’ve done here, simply top the shake with 1 to 2 scoops before serving.
5. Sweeteners: Including any sweetener is optional and I recommend that you only add it if your strawberries are not sweet. Add your preferred choice of sweetener such as jaggery, granulated sugar, maple syrup or coconut sugar.

FAQs

Strawberry Milkshake recipe from the blog archives was first published on February 2015.