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With nearly equal parts frozen cherries, ice cream, and milk, this Cherry Milkshake is a sweet treat that’s perfect on a warm summer day. Add a dollop of whipped cream, and this sweet treat is sure to make you smile.
This lovely cherry milkshake is a feast for the eyes as well as the body. Thick and creamy, this milkshake, along with my Cherry Lemonade, have been my recent go-tos when the heat is high and I’m craving a simple, satisfying snack.
Cherry Milkshake
On a hot summer day, my boys and I love mixing up thick, creamy milkshakes to beat the heat. So whenever I have some leftover ice cream in the freezer, I know exactly what I’m going to be making later in the week.
I love the contrast of sweet cherries and creamy, rich ice cream in this milkshake. Add in a touch of almond and light, refreshing whipped cream and you’ve got a treat that’s sure to become a summer staple.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Cherries – Frozen cherries provide a natural frozen base without diluting any sweet cherry flavor.
Ice Cream – I love using vanilla ice cream for a creamy, thick milkshake.
Milk – Adding milk helps balance out the consistency, making your drink perfectly pourable.
Almond Extract – For a rich, warm note, I like to add a tiny splash of almond extract.
Notes on Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Blender – My friends, this is THE blender. I’ve tried what feels like them all. The fancy ones. The cheap ones. I’ve come full circle. This basic blender is the same style that my grandma used, with an all glass pitcher, metal blades, and just two speeds. I couldn’t be happier.
How to Make a Cherry Milkshake
Combining the Ingredients: To start, you’ll want to add the cherries, milk, and almond extract to the pitcher of a blender.
Blending: I puree just until the berries break down. But, don’t overdo it on the cherries. You can find out why in the expert tip.
Adding Ice Cream: I add the ice cream to the pitcher. Then you just have to pulse it a few more times. We want a milkshake consistency that is thin enough to pour, but still thick enough to eat with a spoon.
Serving: Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream, then serve immediately.
Expert Tip
Managing the cherries is really important for controlling the final consistency in this cherry milkshake recipe. One of the most important steps where this comes into play is blending the cherries. Start with them frozen, and we are only going to blend them lightly. We want to prevent them from liquifying which thins the consistency.
Adjusting the Consistency – When it’s time to serve, if the drink is a little thicker than you’d like, add just a splash more milk and pulse a couple of times. A little thinner than you like? Add a scoop or two more ice cream and just pulse once or twice.
Pulsing the Ice Cream – Once you add the ice cream, make sure to only blend for a few seconds at a time. Waiting too long can make the milkshake runny. You’ll want the ice cream to blend enough to be smooth, but you’re still aiming for a thick, scoopable consistency.
Chilling the Glasses – While it’s totally optional, pouring it straight from the blender into glasses you’ve had resting in the freezer takes these fruity treats to the next level of indulgence.
Serving Suggestions
A cherry milkshake is terrific on its own, but when I want to turn this a feast of a dessert, I might serve these shakes along with a plate of the best homemade brownies. Cold and creamy against warm and fudgy is simply hard to beat.
But, if it’s just the two of us and we want something a little smaller, I’ll make a batch of nutella brownies for two. We can split a shake right alongside.
More Milkshake Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
The vanilla ice cream already provides some vanilla flavor. If you want a vanilla forward smoothie, just swap the almond extract for vanilla, and add it in increments to taste.
Definitely not. I add the ice cream straight from the freezer. It needs to be COLD to ensure a creamy, thick consistency.
Absolutely, but you’ll need to pit them first. Then you’ll need to freeze them before blending in order to get the right temperature and consistency.
I love serving this milkshake with whipped cream. It helps dress up the milkshake and adds a mild sweet touch.
Cherry Milkshake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups frozen cherries
- 1 cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1½ cups vanilla ice cream
- whipped cream for serving OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Combine the cherries, milk, and almond extract in the blender. Puree for just long enough to break down the berries.
- Add the ice cream to the blender and pulse a few times to achieve the desired consistency. Serve immediately. Top each glass with whipped cream, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
