How to Make a Banana Milkshake Without a Blender

Reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward

Last Updated: June 9, 2024 References

While a blender does make a thick, smooth milkshake, you can still make a milkshake without a blender by improvising with a few basic tools. Perfect for times when the weather's so hot the electricity grid has blown and you're left with clearing everything out of the fridge fast, or just perfect for those times when you can't be bothered with the blender and all its noise. Here's a recipe to make one serving.

Ingredients

1 ripe banana
1 cup ice cream
1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy choices are fine)
Optional sweetener such as a little extra ice cream, caster sugar (superfine sugar) or dextrose, or honey to taste

Steps

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1
Peel the banana.^{[1]
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Research source} Mash it with a wooden spoon or a whisk until very smooth in a bowl.^{[2]
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Research source}
- Many children love mashing banana. If you have children, ask them to help with this step!
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Add ice cream and continue to beat until smooth and the mix is well blended. Aim to have no banana lumps, as lumps of banana can make it harder to use a straw when drinking.^{[3]
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Research source}
- Aside from vanilla ice cream, chocolate is a great flavour, as well as other fruit ice creams or gelato that would work with banana.
- A rotary whisk may remove most of the banana lumps.
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Add milk and using a hand whisk, whisk until creamy and frothy (about 2 minutes). This will make a fairly thick milkshake, so you can add more milk and desired sweetener to balance it out to a preferred consistency.^{[4]
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Research source}
- Older fashioned milkshakes appear to favour a high milk and sugar ratio to icecream and fruit to make an easy to drink consistency and was shaken with the aim to get a big head of foam when poured in the glass (a bit like an iced cappuccino in concept). More modern recipes seem to favour the "thick-shake" cream-like consistency, so it's easy to make this to suit both styles.
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Alternatively, use a cocktail shaker if you have one, by transferring the banana ice cream and milk into that and shaking away. You can also use container with a tight seal (such as a large jar or other storage container).^{[5]
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Research source}
- Cocktail shakers or a large jar make the best milkshakes; after all, while the "milk-bar" age was when power blenders were mainstream, they had to use something before electricity was available and most bars would be incomplete without a cocktail shaker. Further to that, shaking or churning milk in a jar is an age old way to make butter.
Shake again briefly to mix. It's easiest to add extra ice cream, honey or other syrups which mixes in smoothly, as sugar can stay powdery or gritty in a thick, cold liquid which already contains some sugar.
You may pour the milkshake through a sieve if you want a super smooth milkshake but that does add to the washing up, something less desirable on a hot day!

Community Q&A

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Question

Is it okay to use granulated sugar as a sweetener?

Community Answer

You can use whatever you like, but if your bananas are ripe enough, they will contain enough natural sweetness that added sugar isn't necessary.

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Can the milkshake be refrigerated?

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Community Answer

Yes, the banana milkshake can be refrigerated. It will change color over time but tastes the same.

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Can I make banana milkshake without ice cream?

Community Answer

Yes, you can use frozen bananas, chopped up with milk or almond milk and chocolate.

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Tips

Bananas are ripe when they are starting to go just past the yellow stage and their skins start to develop some caramel colors.^{[6]
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Research source} If the banana is too under-ripe and hard, it doesn't mash well or taste good. Over-ripe is also a problem as it can taste too strong. It is better to use over-ripe ones for banana bread instead.

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This article assumes that there is no blender, blending wand, food processor or any electronic mixing device involved, otherwise using one of those will be easier.

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It would also be easier to use a banana flavoured syrup or powder, but that would be cheating and it wouldn't taste anywhere near as good.

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