This Homemade Cherry Milkshake is a sweet and refreshing summer dessert! Made with real cherries, they balance out the sweet vanilla ice cream and also add a beautiful, natural color to this cool treat. Add you need is 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip up this delicious summer shake!
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You will absolutely love this homemade sweet cherry and vanilla milkshake. It's thick, creamy, and of course, filled with fresh, real cherry flavor.
Not only is this shake super simple to make, but you only need 5 ingredients and not even 5 minutes to whip it up. Add everything to a blender, blend until creamy, then serve and enjoy.
It's a sweet and simple treat that's sure to hit the spot on those muggy summer nights!
Be sure to also check out these chocolate cherry brownies or black forest ice cream for more fun cherry recipes!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You only need 5 ingredients
- It takes less than 5 minutes to blend up
- You can make it with fresh or frozen cherries
- This sweet cherry milkshake is thick, creamy, and full of cherry flavor
- It's a perfect summer dessert to make for the whole family
Key Ingredients Needed
*the full ingredients list and measurements can be found in the recipe card below*
- Cherries: You can use either fresh or frozen cherries. I prefer frozen because they're already prepared, but you can pit and use fresh cherries if you prefer!
- Ice cream: Be sure to use a good quality vanilla ice cream. Trust me, it makes all the difference when it comes to flavor!
- Milk: Just a little bit of milk is needed to help blend this into a smooth, creamy shake, that you can drink with a straw
- Almond extract: Personally, I found that a little bit of almond extract helps to enhance the cherry flavor. You don't have to add it, but I highly recommend it.
- Milk powder: Optional, but HIGHLY suggested, milk powder adds a deeper flavor AND helps this milkshake stay super creamy.
How To Make A Cherry Milkshake
STEP ONE: Add all ingredients to a high speed blender
STEP TWO: Blend on high until your milkshake is smooth and creamy
What Kind Of Ice Cream Should I Use?
I prefer to use a good quality vanilla ice cream. Turkey Hill all natural is my go to because it is a good local brand, but feel free to use your favorite vanilla.
If you want a different flavor, you could use chocolate ice cream or even a cherry flavored ice cream for a fun twist!
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Fresh or frozen cherries: You can use either! Frozen will give you a thicker milkshake, so you may have to add a little more milk. If using fresh, just be sure to pit them first!
- Your preferred thickness: Depending on how thick you like you milkshake, just add more or less milk. Start with less, then slowly add more as needed.
- Make it chocolatey: In the mood for a chocolate cherry milkshake? Substitute the vanilla ice cream with chocolate and blend in some chocolate chunks as well!
- Enjoy right away: A milkshake isn't really a dessert that you can make ahead of time, so once you blend it up, serve immediately for best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you want you can use your favorite dairy free vanilla ice cream and dairy free milk to blend.
Be sure to leave the milk powder out as well!
I like to use frozen cherries because they're already prepared and help to make the milkshake thicker.
However, you can also use fresh cherries that have been pitted, you may just want to use less milk if you like a thicker shake.
According to the internet, you should use about ¼ cup of milk for every cup of ice cream.
This ratio does not take extra additions into account, so adding fresh fruit would reduce the amount of milk, while using frozen fruit would cause you to need a little more.
I use a Ninja blender! It works very well and always delivers a creamy shake.
Serving Suggestions
This cherry milkshake is best served right away, since it's a cold drink you don't want it to be sitting out long.
Personally, I like a little dollop of whipped cream on top, but that's totally optional. You could also add an extra cherry, mini chocolate chips, or sprinkles.
Did you make this recipe?
If so, I would appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Also, follow me on Instagram or Pinterest and tag me if you make one of my recipes so I can see and share it!
PrintHomemade Cherry Milkshake
This Homemade Cherry Milkshake is a sweet and refreshing summer dessert! Made with real cherries, they balance out the sweet vanilla ice cream and also add a beautiful, natural color to this cool treat. Add you need is 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip up this delicious summer shake!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Milkshake
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ⅔ cup cherries *see note*
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons milk powder (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender
- Place the lid on top and blend on high until your cherry milkshake is thick and creamy
- Pour into your glasses, garnish with whipped cream, and enjoy
Notes
- Fresh or frozen cherries: You can use either! Frozen will give you a thicker milkshake, so you may have to add a little more milk. If using fresh, just be sure to pit them first!
- Your preferred thickness: Depending on how thick you like you milkshake, just add more or less milk. Start with less, then slowly add more as needed.
- Make it chocolatey: In the mood for a chocolate cherry milkshake? Substitute the vanilla ice cream with chocolate and blend in some chocolate chunks as well!
- Enjoy right away: A milkshake isn't really a dessert that you can make ahead of time, so once you blend it up, serve immediately for best results.
Callie says
It was sweet, thick, and I loved how much the cherry flavor was prevalent!!