What is a Chocolate Shake?
A chocolate shake is a combination of milk, ice cream, and chocolate syrup and requires mixing till it’s smooth. The story of how it originates goes something like this: A Walgreens employee in Chicago, US, took malted milk, malt, and chocolate and added two scoops of ice cream. Boom! The chocolate shake was born. It's an effortless cold beverage to make. A chocolate shake is one of the classic flavours, with vanilla and strawberry as the other two. Though a chocolate shake might satisfy your sweet cravings, it's best as an occasional treat and not daily. These are highly sugary drinks loaded with fat. But don't let that hamper you just yet, do continue reading to get this simple recipe, which you can use to entertain your guests or enjoy for yourself on a warm summer night or with your kids as an energetic dessert-drink option. After learning the following recipe, remember to make one on September 12 to celebrate national chocolate milkshake day.
How to make a chocolate shake with a hand blender?
Plain ice cream, milk, and chocolate, either in powder or syrup form, easily make this drink. A hand blender, even known as an immersion blender, helps to mix all the ingredients smoothly. Despite being small but handy, it does the job well. On a side note, here is a fun fact: your regular blender was created to make a chocolate shake! Making shakes with a hand blender is straightforward and fun. You can whip up a quick shake using a hand blender and have fun once you get the hang of it. Following, we present to you the ingredients and recipe for 1 serving:
Ingredients for your indulgent chocolate shake
- 2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- ½ cup of milk, cold
- ¼ cup of chocolate syrup
Recipe for chocolate shake via hand blender
- Take out 2-3 scoops of ice cream and place it in a bowl. Let it thaw slightly. This helps to avoid adding extra milk, which may change the flavour.
- Add ½ cup of milk and blend it using a hand blender
- Now add in ¼ cup of chocolate syrup
- Blend again with the hand blender until smooth
- Your chocolate shake is ready in less than five minutes!
- Pour your chocolate milkshake into a mason jar or your choice of glass.
- Garnish with toppings, if preferred
- Serve immediately
Tips for boosting your chocolate shake
- A key thing to note is the ratio of milk to ice cream. Generally, you should start with ice cream in greater quantity than milk and then add more milk later to get the consistency you want.
- Avoid overmixing as your shake mixture can warm up and start to become watery.
- Using full-fat milk gives you the creamy and thick mixture of a shake.
- Chill the milk well before using
Variations
Alternate flavours:
- Classics: Strawberry and vanilla shakes are the classic alternatives to a chocolate shake. A timeless vanilla shake combines three ingredients of vanilla ice cream, milk and vanilla extract. For the strawberry shake, mix with hand-blender vanilla ice cream, milk, and chopped strawberries. Garnish with sliced strawberry pieces.
- The Chocolate on Chocolate: Combines chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup. A decadent double dose of chocolate. If you prefer a boozy version of a double chocolate shake then add Kahlua, a chocolate liquor, or vodka.
- Peanut Butter: The addition of peanut butter to a chocolate shake takes this shake to another level. A tablespoon of peanut butter suffices. Mix in or top off with peanut butter cups.
- Banana: Use a hand blender to mix frozen bananas with vanilla ice cream. Garnish this shake with fresh banana pieces.
- Coffee-infused: Start with vanilla or chocolate ice cream and mix in coffee powder or syrup.
- Mango: Peel and chop ripened mangoes and hand blend with cold milk and or ice cream and your mango shake is ready. You may sweeten it more with jaggery powder if required.
- Cookie and Cream: This shake has vanilla ice cream mixed with crushed Oreo cookie pieces. Yum! Crispy homemade cookies can be another variation of this mix.
- Hazelnut: If you prefer nuts, then consider adding hazelnuts to your chocolate shake. Mix in hazelnut paste with ice cream, milk, and chocolate syrup and garnish with sliced hazelnuts.
- Alternatives to Milk: If you would like to avoid dairy, then you may opt for plant-based options of coconut, soy, almond, or rice milk as alternatives. This also changes the flavour but helps maintain your desired thickness. You may also consider trying ground oats, avocado, and even yoghurt for a smooth and thick mixture.
- Garnishes: Following are options for finishing touches
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate chips
- Toasted nuts
- Fresh fruit pieces
- Cookie crumbles
- Drizzle of chocolate/hot fudge/caramel syrup
Go on now, do not wait. With the simple recipe, tips and tricks whip up a chocolate shake for yourself with a hand blender.