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Magic Milk Shakes
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- 1-1/2 to 2 cups ice water
- 1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 to 1-1/2 trays of ice cubes, as much as you can spare
- 2 tablespoons corn oil plus a 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification purposes
Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4’s full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. Makes 4 – 12oz servings. For preparation tips please see below.
I love this recipe because it makes very rich milk shakes without any ice cream. I don’t always have ice cream in the house because the kids eat it so fast. With this recipe we can have delicious frosty milk shakes for a fraction of the cost of those using ice cream. And all the ingredients are on the pantry shelf.
Reader’s Tip: A reader named Chris made these with Splenda replacing the sugar measure for measure and said they turned out perfectly. If you like Splenda, then this tip would be a great way to reduce the calories and make them sugar-free. Thanks for sharing Chris!
Variations:
- Add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee for a mocha shake
- Add 1 very ripe banana for a chocolate banana shake
- Add a big spoonful of peanut butter for a decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake.
- Add a few broken red and white candy mints for a refreshing Chocolate Mint shake.
- To make Vanilla Milk Shakes, omit the cocoa powder, reduce the sugar to 1/2-cup and add 1 tablespoon (yes a full tablespoon) of vanilla flavoring. For a french vanilla milk shake crack in an egg too.
A few tips and a long rant:
I get more email about this recipe than I do about almost anything else. The people who love it always add the oil and the nonstick spray. The people who hate it seem to think they can get by without these ingredients. Let me make things clear. Fat makes things creamy. It may seem weird to add vegetable oil to a beverage, but manufacturers do it all the time. Coffee creamer has oil and shortening it. Fancy coffee mixes and hot cocoa mixes have oil and shortening added. Whipped topping and many ice creams have added vegetable fats. Read the labels if you don’t believe me. Dairy fat tends to go rancid when it is dried so it is seldom used in commercial products. Instead food manufacturers use vegetable fats, usually of the hydrogenated variety. They are cheaper than dairy fats, don’t require refrigeration, and are easier to use.
Fat is added to foods for many different reasons. For this recipe it acts as a flavor carrier and adds richness and depth to the texture and flavor of the finished shake. Oil is the ingredient that makes your milk shakes thick and creamy. If you make it without any added fat you will not get a milk shake that resembles Wendy’s Frosties. You will get chocolate ice. Chocolate ice is nice, but it isn’t a rich, creamy Frosty.
Think about how creamy mayonnaise is. It’s 99% vegetable oil. All of that creaminess comes from mixing oil with a small amount of vinegar and an emulsifier (eggs in the case of mayo). Then it’s all whipped to creamy perfection. To make your milk shakes creamy you need to emulsify the milk and the oil, the same way the oil and vinegar must be emulsified for mayonnaise. To emulsify something is to mix it up really well, so the particles won’t separate on standing.
Nonstick spray contains liquid lecithin as it’s active ingredient. Lecithin is found in eggs and in soybeans, both of which are natural emulsifiers. You can buy liquid lecithin at your local health food store or online from natural food resources. If you liked, you could use 1/2-teaspoon of liquid lecithin instead of the nonstick spray. Most folks don’t have liquid lecithin laying about the house though, so I give you the option of using nonstick spray instead.
Liquid lecithin is derived from soybeans. It is a fat; a healthy fat. When manufacturers discovered that liquid lecithin has nonstick properties they put it in a can with a propellent and thus invented nonstick spray. Before manufacturers discovered this, old hippies and health food freaks were using lecithin to grease their baking pans and adding it to salad dressings so they would stay mixed longer. Today, some vegans use liquid lecithin as an egg substitute in baking. Most store-bought chocolates and salad dressings have liquid lecithin added to give them the creamy satiny quality that we all look for in these products.
Which brings us back to this recipe. If you want a luscious, satisfying milk shake then follow the recipe and add the oil and the nonstick spray as directed above.
Before you write me and complain that this recipe advertises something that it doesn’t deliver, please check the recipe to see if you left anything out or fudged on any of the ingredients or directions. Try the recipe again, being sure to measure everything carefully. If you don’t add enough ice, then the recipe won’t be very thick. If you add too much water, then your blender will be overloaded. If you don’t add enough dry milk, then it will taste watery. If you only blend it for a moment or two, then it will be chunky instead of creamy. If you omit the oil and nonstick spray then you won’t get a milk shake. You’ll have something similar, but it will fall short of the mark. The directions are specific for a reason. If you follow them then you will have satisfying results. Assuming you doing everything as written and you still are not pleased, then you may write me and complain. I may be able to help out. Thank-you.
–The Management
P.S. In my original recipe I pointed out that for an almost fat free milkshake you may omit the oil and only use a squirt of nonstick spray instead. Many people were satisfied with this version and enjoyed it immensely. Since posting my rant, they have emailed requests that I include this option for others who may need it for dietary reasons. If you prepare milk shakes with this option and are not satisfied with your results, then try it with the oil added, to see if you like it better. After trying both versions you may write me and complain if need be.
I just love these homemade drink recipes. Here’s another favorite of mine for a chai tea mix.
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40 Responses to “Magic Milk Shakes”
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Very good. I made this quite successfully using 1/3 c honey instead of sugar and frozen pureed pumpkin replacing the ice (couldn’t taste it) and olive oil for a bit healthier version.
Very good indeed! Loved this milkshake. Used up all my non fat dry milk powder.
It had a very bitter aftertaste.
Hi there. I was wondering if this recipe can be made with canola oil instead of corn oil? I have a huge thing of canola oil, but no corn oil, and I don’t want to buy a new thing of oil for just one recipe. Any idea if it will work?
My 10 year old son ADORES these. I have tried it without the non-stick spray, but did add the oil & couldn’t tell much difference. thanks for a great recipe!
Hello, I have been making this recipe for years now and I always use canola oil. My family loves these!
This milkshake was amazing! Using all ingredients in my pantry, I pulled it off. Absolutely cool to make a milkshake without using ice cream,who needs it now……… Even cooler, telling my family it completely homemade.
Wonderful! These are great when your having a sweet tooth attack and have nothing in the house that will satisfy it.
A few notes, I mixed the water,sugar,milk and cocoa in my blender first, so that there were no lumps (which I had the first time). Also I added a dash of salt, wich makes the chocolate more chocolately.
We use stevia for a lot of our sweeting needs (Now brand), if you are looking to make this lighter we used 1 teaspoon of stevia and added 1/8 th cup sugar. Depending on taste you could use all stevia or just a small aount of sugar to round out the flavor.
Last, this is wonderful with fresh strawberries, just reduce the amount of water.
Omitted the cocoa powder, added banana, used olive oil – consistensy is brilliant but I can definitely taste the milk powder so I added a little more vanilla – still didn’t fix it. I think when using the milk powder you NEED to use a stronger flavoring such as your cocoa powder if you don’t want the aftertaste. Again brilliant recipe – I will play with it some more.
WOW! Great Recipe!! I had some free Nescafe samples laying around, and tossed them in the mix….YUMO! Better than Dunkin Dounuts Coolata!! And Waaaay cheaper! Definately be sure you add LOTS of ice….I did not at first and it was a bit thin but tasty. I returned it to the blender with more ice, and Viola! Perfection! Thanks for this!!!!!!
I use regular milk for this too, it gives it a better taste, canola oils works fine
I thought this was delicious and my kids loved it too! Simple to make and the ingredients were ones that I always keep. Thanks!
How much regular milk did you use? and was is skim, 2% ?
This is in response to the request Denise had about a strawberry version of the magic milkshake. This is our favorite smoothie and if you’re using a
Magic Bullet type blender, this fits in one of the cups and makes it very creamy.
Strawberry Smoothie Milkshake
2/3 cup frozen sliced strawberries
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. strawberry flavored syrup
4 tsp. Splenda sweetener
4 or 5 ice cubes
2 tsp. coffee whitener powder, we like French Vanilla flavor
Place all in blender container and blend until smooth and creamy.
We use 1% milk. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
Paula
My husband makes great milk shakes that taste like cheesecake by adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and a bit of vanilla to the milk and frozen strawberries. It is also good w/ crushed pineapple or frozen ripe cantelope
Just a clarifying question: do you use the non-instant dry milk, or the regular Carnation kind? I buy bulk non-instant because it’s way cheaper, but it’s twice as concentrated as the instant kind.
Hi – I have made a Cream-fruit flavored milkshakes that we love. Make the “Vanilla” kind add one pkg of Kool-Aid (Might have to add a bit more sugar – it almost needs 3/4 cup – but it is to your own taste – like everything, experiment!) This is great! We just love this website!!
To answer the question about the type of oil. I have experimented with different types of vegetable oils and they all work well. These are an awesome milk shake. We used to spend oodles of money on all natural ice cream…..now we have a much more economical ice cream treat. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
This tastes like powdered milk.
My husband and children adore this recipe…i was wondering though do you have single serving size that i could make in my Magic Bullet instead of in my big blender?
Fantastic recipe worked brilliantly tasted great and is so much cheaper to make than fruit and yougurt smoothies, and since it was choclate my kids felt a little bit like it was a nuaghty treat. thank you so much for this fantastic website
Thank you so much! We’re using a lot of powdered milk right now and I have made several variations on this shake. All of them taste delicious thanks to the oil and long blending time!
If you use frozen fruit like sliced banana, peaches, cherries, etc, you can substitute for some of the ice. I experimented to adjust the measurements to get a satisfying single serving. This is such an easy, healthy, and quick go to indulgence, when that sweet tooth calls. I successfully used Stevia for sweetener and coconut oil, but that takes away from the economical benefit and it is certainly great just as the recipe calls for. Thanks for this recipe and the reminder to resist dependence and our precious cash flow on commercial prepartions.
Hi! Instead of 2T cornoil and 5 seconds non-stick spray I use a dash (about a teaspoon) of olive oil and a handful (about 3 tablespoons) lecithin crystals. I couldn’t find liquid lecithin anywhere in my small town, but was able to buy a huge jar of the powder (crystals) at GNC. I also use Splenda instead of sugar. My husband loves these milkshakes, and so do I. I especially love that I really don’t have to measure anything!
We just made these shakes and my kids are raving about them!!! not your typical night time snack BUT, they were great to fill the craving for something!!!Thanks so much for the receipe!!! The amazing thing is that I had everything to make them!!! Thanks again!!!
I HAD to make this and I am so glad I did! It was delicious and fun! The best thing about it was that it didn’t leave me feeling all “goopy” like a shake made with ice cream would. WOOHOO! BONUS…my whole family loved it, too. How often does THAT happen? THankS!
If you can get a good deal on bananas, buy as many as you can. Peel and slice them and freeze them on cookie sheets. When they’re firm, move them to freezer bags or other containers. When you’re ready for ice cream, pull out some frozen banana slices and pop ‘em into your food processor. You can add a splash of milk, coconut milk, or juice to help your machine, if needed. Add some vanilla extract if desired. Voila! You have easy, healthy, dairy-free “ice cream”. It has the consistency of slightly melted soft serve. You could add cocoa powder to it, or chocolate chips, nuts, whatever.
would like to use (un)sweetened silk soymilk. creamy. obviously has soybeans. think i could skip lecithin then? could/would you give me ideas for a soymilk milkshake? thanks. karen
I never put the lecithin (or non-stick spray)in, I do add the oil or it is not creamy. I found the spray had a funny aftertaste, and with just the oil it seems plenty creamy and thick. I think you could switch to soy milk, you just have to keep the number of ice cubes high to get it thick, might want to start with extra cold soy milk so it’s not too watered down. Using ice cubes and dry milk makes it very thick, so I would guess if you start with liquid milk (or soymilk) it won’t be as thick. I would just experiment, mix it up, get out your spoon and have abite, decide if you need more ice or something else…
Ellie–maybe, if using soy milk, don’t add the ice water? Then it wouldn’t be too watery? That would be my suggestion.
i use unsweentened SOYmilk ’cause it’s creamy, for hot flashes, etc.. since lecithin in soybeans could i not add spray? with cow’s milk, would an egg take the place of spray too?? thanks. karen
re # 28, silk soymilk is much creamier than even 4% milk-and won’t clog arteries. use in place of 1/2 and 1/2 for cream soups w great results. have seen ideas for soft tofu or cottage cheese (tastes like cheese cake?) online. guess i’ll have to experiment-i do not have good instincts. just wanted to know if soymilk and or egg serve as emulsifiers and i could thus not add lecithin-which i gladly will if it helps. thanks. k
I noticed a comment that they taste like powdered milk. Powdered milk does taste different from regular milk. However, the powdered milk flavor in these gives it almost a malt taste. That said, my family loves these and they are super easy to make. Even non powdered milk drinkers adore them. The trick is to make sure that you blend it enough to get the right texture and flavor.
Is there a recipe for one serving?
These are just great! We really love these, especially on hot summer evenings. I make them according to the original recipe, & I don’t notice any powdered milk taste. (And I don’t like the taste of powdered milk). Thanks for a great recipe that we truly enjoy!
I made a half receipe, used olive oil and Splenda, 1 cup ice water and one half of the rest of the ingredients. Worked out pretty well. Since I was serving it to adults (my husband and I) and we were at home, I added a shot of Kahlua and it was fantastic. Hubby said he would take that over ice cream any night, and he is usually extremely critical of anything made with a sugar substitute.
I was wondering if anyone would know if I could make this with “Better Than Milk” soy-milk powder or if I could use a non-dairy powdered creamer or a mix of the two and if I would need as much or more of the soy-milk powder or creamer. Our son can not have dairy and the store bought non-dairy frozen deserts are really expensive. Any help would be great. Thank you, CharlieAnn
This was great! I did do some substitutions based on what I had in my pantry. I used Dari-Free powdered “milk”, demerara sugar (Sugar in the Raw), and extra virgin olive oil as subs. I also don’t use the non-stick spray with soy lecithin. I’m guessing I could omit that next time. It still turned out wonderfully! I need more ice cubes next time to make it thicker. Thanks for sharing!
We have some food allergies, so I had to modify this a little. I used rice milk, and canola oil. Because of a soy allergy, I couldn’t use the cooking spray. But the flavor was good, and the girls loved it.
I make these everyday the kids beg for them we add Whey Chocolate protein (get chocolate or vanilla bag 5lb. from Sam Club 27.95) in them and they are just going down to the local ice cream shop and ordering a Chocolate milk shake! I have had to replace my blender do to all the shakes and smoothies we make now that we have changed our daily eating habit! I have also found that the instant dry milk makes all the difference in the world!