How to Make a Banana Milkshake (Without Ice Cream + Variations)
How to make a banana milkshake (without ice cream) that is smooth, creamy, and sweet. It contains just 3 simple ingredients as a base but has tons of flavor variations. This banana milkshake recipe is gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and can be made dairy-free.
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.For a thicker, creamier banana milkshake recipe, I recommend using frozen banana for the shake. Freezing them in slices is easiest for your blender.
Give the banana shake a taste and adjust the sweetener if needed. Then transfer to a glass/glasses of your choice and top with any of your favorite toppings such as whipped coconut cream, crushed nuts, shaved chocolate, cacao nibs, etc.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Store: I recommend drinking the banana milkshake as soon as it's ready for the best flavor. However, it can be stored in the fridge for several hours if needed.Note that if you use frozen fruit, it's best to enjoy it immediately – to avoid textural changes.
Notes
Using fresh or frozen banana: you can use whichever you prefer. The fresh banana creates a banana shake that is silky, smooth, and creamy. Frozen banana is creamy too, but also wonderfully thick and a great way to feel like you're drinking a shake with ice cream but in a healthier way.
Avoid ice: to avoid a watered-down milkshake. Instead, use frozen fruit and/or chill the glass for several minutes before serving. All ice will do is make a super watered-down banana shake in no time at all.
Sugar-free banana shake: if your bananas are sweet enough, you may find that you don't need any additional sweetener. So, I recommend starting by blending just the banana and milk, tasting, and adjusting.
Optional add-ins and flavor variations:
Salt: just like with a chocolate shake, adding a pinch of salt helps to balance and enhance the flavors in this banana milkshake recipe.
Nut butter: a peanut butter banana milkshake is a must-have, at least every now and then. However, you could also use almond butter or another nut butter of your choice. Add one spoonful to add a rich creaminess to your shake. Add a second spoonful to pack in flavor, too.
Berries: whether you're in the mood for a blueberry banana milkshake or strawberry banana milkshake, there are several popular fruity additions that can help boost the flavor in this fruity shake. I recommend adding ½ cup of other fruit and increasing to personal taste. Plus, you can use fresh or frozen fruity for an even creamier treat.
Chocolate: who wouldn't love a chocolate banana milkshake?! You can easily adapt this recipe by adding unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder to the banana shake. For a more decadent option, a Nutella banana milkshake is possible using this homemade vegan Nutella.
Coffee: a coffee banana milkshake is the ultimate breakfast shake. Just dissolve 1-2 tsp of instant coffee granules with a bit of water and add to the blender for the creamiest results.
Spices: adding a tiny pinch (or two) or different spices can easily up the flavor in this banana milkshake recipe. My favorite options are cinnamon powder, allspice, and ginger.
Toppings: you can also easily add extra pizazz with toppings. Coconut whipped cream (or dairy whipped cream), crushed nuts, chocolate shavings, cacao nibs, etc.
Drizzle: you can drizzle the banana milkshake with chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, or even caramel sauce. The caramel could even be blended directly into the shake for more of a treat.
Ice Cream: Okay, I know I've specifically titled this recipe as a banana milkshake without ice cream, but if you do want more of a decadent treat, you could add some vanilla, caramel, chocolate, or even peanut butter ice cream! For a healthier option, you could use frozen yogurt.