How much milk should I use in my milkshake?

How much milk do I put in a milkshake?

The rule of thumb is a small amount of milk and a lot of ice cream. Recipes most often use about a quarter to a half cup of milk per 3 scoops of ice cream. One popular guide uses 1 cup of ice cream to a quarter cup of milk as a starting point, and some cooks go to about two parts ice cream to one part milk for a very thick shake.

These are starting points, not exact rules. Scoop size, ice cream type and blender power all change the result.

Why start with less milk?

You can always thin a shake, but you cannot easily thicken one without adding more ice cream. Pour in the smaller amount, blend, then add milk a tablespoon at a time until it moves in the blender.

How do you make a thicker milkshake?

• Use very cold, hard ice cream, straight from the freezer.
• Use cold milk and chill the glass.
• Choose full-fat milk; cream makes it richer still.
• Blend only until smooth, because long blending warms and thins it.
• Add a frozen banana or extra ice cream for body.

How do you fix a runny milkshake?

Add another scoop of ice cream and pulse. Putting the shake in the freezer for a short time can also firm it up; stir it before serving.

What if the shake is too thick?

Add a splash of milk and pulse once or twice. Thick shakes can strain a weak blender, so cut hard ice cream into smaller scoops first.

Can you use other milk?

Yes. Whole, low-fat, oat, almond and soy milk all work. Lower-fat or plant milks usually give a thinner, less creamy shake, so use a little less than the recipe says.