Strawberry Milkshake Recipe

The easiest way is to start with less milk and add more only if you need it. For this recipe the vanilla ice cream does most of the work when it comes to creating that thick 'n' creamy texture.

If your milkshake is too thin after blending add another small scoop of vanilla ice cream and blend briefly. If it is too thick add milk one tablespoon at a time until it pours easily.

Avoid adding ice to fix a thin shake. It can make the drink colder but it also adds water and can dilute the strawberry and creamy flavours. This is what we recommend based on our testing in our kitchens.

The other important trick is not to overblend. Blend just until everything is smooth. Blending for much longer can soften the ice cream and leave you with a thinner shake.

Yes. Frozen strawberries work very well and can actually make the milkshake colder and thicker because they add less liquid than fresh berries.

Fresh strawberries are still the best choice for this particular recipe because they give you a brighter fresher berry flavour. We also macerate the fresh strawberries with sugar first which draws out their juices and makes their flavour much more noticeable. We highly recommend this technique because it intensifies the fruit flavour in this shake.

If you use frozen strawberries, let them sit for a few minutes so they are slightly easier for your blender to handle. You may also need a little extra milk depending on how powerful your blender is.

If your fresh berries are disappointing, pale or lacking flavour, good quality frozen strawberries can actually be the better choice.

For this recipe whole milk is the best choice. It gives the shake a richer 'n' creamier taste than semi skimmed or skimmed milk, while still allowing the strawberries and vanilla to remain the main flavours.

The important thing is not to use too much. Milk is there to help everything blend and give you the consistency you want. Too much milk turns a thick milkshake into a thin strawberry drink. Start with the amount in our recipe and only add more if the finished shake is too thick.

Yes but it will be a different drink. Ice cream is what gives our recipe much of its thick, rich and creamy texture so removing it means you lose some of what makes this feel like a proper indulgent shake. Several recipes do make berry milkshakes without ice cream, usually replacing its creaminess with frozen fruit, yoghurt, banana or frozen milk.

For this particular recipe I wouldn't leave out the ice cream. A good quality vanilla flavour works especially well because it adds creaminess and a gentle vanilla flavour without taking attention away from the fresh fruit.

If you need an ice cream free version, frozen strawberries combined with Greek yoghurt can make a good lighter alternative but it will taste more like a creamy fruit shake than this dessert style shake.

The most common reason we've found is simply too much milk. Fresh strawberries also contain quite a lot of water so adding a large amount of milk on top of them can quickly make the finished shake thinner than you intended. This is why we suggest starting with less milk and adding it gradually. There are a few other things that can cause a watery result:

1) Your ice cream may have softened too much before blending.

2) You may have used very watery strawberries.

3) You may have added ice which melts and dilutes the drink.

4) You might have blended for too long, allowing the ice cream to warm up and loosen.

If it happens, don't throw it away. Add a small scoop of cold vanilla ice cream and blend briefly. If it still needs thickening, add another small scoop.

The biggest improvement is to macerate the strawberries before blending them.

Toss the fresh berries with the sugar and vanilla, then leave them for 20 to 30 minutes. The sugar draws out some of the fruit juice and creates a sweet concentrated syrup around the fruit. That syrup goes into the blender too so none of that flavour is wasted.

Use ripe, fragrant strawberries whenever possible. If the berries are naturally sweet you may need less sugar. If they are tart a little extra sugar can make a big difference.

A small amount of vanilla helps round everything out while the tiny pinch of salt makes the sweetness and strawberry flavour stand out.

Finally, use good quality vanilla ice cream and whole milk and serve the shake immediately after blending. A chilled glass also helps keep that thick creamy texture for longer.

For this drink specifically the winning combination is fresh strawberries that have been macerated with sugar, cold whole milk, good vanilla ice cream, a little vanilla extract and a tiny pinch of salt. Then the whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and nonpareils give you the fun dessert finish without overpowering the berry flavour.