Every summer for almost 15 years, I’ve ditched the cold San Francisco weather for a few weeks on Cape Cod to visit my husband’s family. There are lots of tasty traditions I look forward to like lobster dinners and fried clams, but the best one of all is a trip to Sundae School, the local old-fashioned ice cream place with ice cream so good the line can stretch out the door. While my family goes straight for their hot fudge sundaes, I steadfastly order the same thing every single time: a raspberry-Oreo frappe (New Englanders’ term for milkshake). It’s so thick with raspberry ice cream that I always start with a spoon since I’m impatient, then sip with the straw after it softens up.

I wanted to recreate this at home, so I made a goal to perfect the method. My criteria? A perfect milkshake is thick enough for a spoon to stand in but still drinkable. Any mix-ins should still be in little pieces, and there should be a really pure ice cream flavor that’s not diluted with too much milk.

Yes, milkshakes are essentially just ice cream and milk, but a few tiny tips (plus tasty variations!) will help you make milkshakes that taste just as good as the ones you usually order at the ice cream parlor. Once you’ve created your dream milkshake, pour it into chilled glasses and garnish to your heart’s content. Serve with straws and a long spoon if you’ve got chunky mix-ins. Relish each and every sip, which I highly recommend you do outside in the sun.

Why you’ll love it

Key ingredients for milkshakes

How to customize your milkshakes

My favorite milkshake combos

Helpful tips

Classic Milkshake

Serves 2

1 pint ice cream (about 2 cups)

2/3 cup milk, preferably whole

Flavor boost options:

1 tablespoon malted milk powder or powdered milk

1 tablespoon strawberry jam

1 tablespoon vanilla or chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or espresso powder

Mix-in and topping options:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped candy, nuts, cookies, or fruit

Chocolate syrup or sauce

Caramel sauce

Whipped cream

Maraschino cherries

Sprinkles

Finely chopped nuts

1. Let one pint ice cream sit out at room temperature until starting to soften, 10 to 15 minutes (softened ice cream will blend with ease and require less milk to get things moving). Give the container a squeeze — it shouldn’t be rock hard and should give slightly when it’s ready. Meanwhile, chill the glasses and prepare any mix-ins.

2. If you have room in your freezer, stick two tall drinking or milkshake glasses in there, or else chill the glasses in the refrigerator. This will ensure the milkshake stays cold as long as possible. Coarsely chop until you have 1/2 cup mix-ins of your choice, you want the pieces to be about 1/2-inch.

3. Layer the ingredients in a blender in this order: 2/3 cup milk, flavor boost(s), if using, and softened ice cream. Don’t put in any mix-ins yet!

4. Starting on the lowest speed and working your way up to medium speed, blend until the milkshake is smooth and pourable, about 1 minute. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides or stir as needed to keep things moving. You want a final consistency that pours like lava.

5. If using mix-ins, add 1/2 cup to the blender and stir it in so that it’s submerged. Pulse a few times (6 to 8 pulses) to just combine, do not overmix or the mix-ins will pulverize and make the milkshake gritty.

6. If desired, drizzle some chocolate syrup or caramel sauce down the sides of the chilled glasses. Divide the milkshake between the glasses. Garnish with toppings as desired and serve immediately with straws.

(Christine Gallary is a senior recipe editor for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

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