This Banana Milkshake is made with just four ingredients and is ready in just 5 minutes. The best part about this shake is that it's made without ice cream, making it a healthier yet still delicious and filling drink.
Also, try this delicious Korean Banana Milk and Coffee Slushie!
I love this banana milkshake because it's what my mother often made for us on hot summer days to have after school as a late afternoon snack. It's creamy, thick, and yummy. You don't even have to add ice cream to make it feel like it's an indulgent snack.
I now make it for my kids, and they absolutely love it. I'm on a shake kick lately, and we absolutely love these Chocolate Banana Milkshake and Mango Milkshake recipes. If you are more in the mood for a smoothie then try these Mango Lassi and Coffee Banana Smoothie recipes.
Why this Recipe Works even without Ice Cream
- Thick & Creamy: This banana milkshake is thick and creamy even without adding ice cream. And this comes down to the ratio of milk and the bananas. Less liquid, more fruit = thick & creamy shake.
- Frozen bananas: I highly recommend that you freeze the bananas for this recipe. Since we're not using ice cream we need something cold and creamy to make the milkshake thick. Enter frozen bananas!
- Variations: It can be made with tons of delicious variations, which I've listed down below.
- Healthy: This is a nutritious drink for younger kids, especially if you skip the sugar. My little one doesn't like bananas but he does happily drink this milkshake! P.S. If you're looking for a delicious dairy-free banana pancakes recipe then try these Banana Pancakes without Milk!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Milk: I used regular full fat milk, but you can use any milk of your choice, such as almond milk, oat milk, or even coconut milk for a tropical taste.
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas, because they are more sweet and flavorful. Freeze them for 20-30 minutes for an even creamier result.
- Sweetener: I use good old sugar for this milkshake, but honey would be a great alternative too. You can even skip the sweetener altogether if you prefer.
- Vanilla: Adding a little bit of vanilla is adds a lovely overall flavor to this milkshake.
- Ice
How to Make Banana Shake with a Blender
- Place bananas, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a blender or a Nutribullet. I highly recommend using a high powered blender for this milkshake as we are using frozen bananas. However, if you don't have one, just let the bananas thaw a little bit so that it's easier to blend them.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. This will take only a few seconds!
- Pour into serving glasses, top with whipped cream & chocolate sprinkles if desired, and enjoy!
How to Make it without a Blender
Don't have a blender? You can still make this milkshake in a food processor or even a food chopper such as this one. But since we are using frozen bananas here, I would recommend using a high-powered food processor or food chopper for smooth and creamy results.
Don't have any of the above? You can still make this banana milkshake!
Start by mashing the bananas really well. They must be mashed until smooth and no big chunks are left. Then add all the ingredients to a mason jar, put on the lid tightly, and shake well until everything is well incorporated.
Note: This method will not yield the same smooth & creamy results as a high-powered blender, but it does the trick and is good enough to satisfy those shake cravings!
Flavor Variations & Ideas
- Chocolate: Love chocolate? Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder to the recipe, and make it into a chocolate banana milkshake!
- Strawberry: Add 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries to add a delicious flavor! You can use other berries too such as blueberries.
- Mango: Add 1/2 cup of cubed mango to the rest of the ingredients, blend, and enjoy this fruity milkshake.
- Dates: Dates are a great way to add some nutrition and natural sweetness to the milkshake. Just make sure to use pitted dates that have been roughly chopped up - about 2-3 should be good for this recipe.
- Coffee: Need some energy? Add instant coffee, cold brewed coffee, espresso powder or even freshly brewed coffee that's been cooled down.
- Cinnamon powder: Add a little sprinkle of cinnamon powder to the milkshake to bring a lovely warmth to the overall flavor.
- Peanut Butter / Other Nut Butters: A teaspoon of nut butter of your choice will make this milkshake feel indulgent and delicious!
- Ice cream: Use vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream for best results. Skip the sugar, and add 2 scoops of your choice of ice cream.
- Chocolate Syrup: Drizzle with some chocolate syrup, maple or even caramel syrup would be excellent here.
- Nuts: Top with crushed walnuts, almonds or even cashew nuts!
- Whipped cream: It's not complusory, but I love to add whipped cream to milkshakes.
- Chocolate sprinkles: If making for kids, or even yourself, make it more fun by adding some sprinkles...my favorite are chocolate sprinkles but rainbow would be perfect for the kids!
Health Benefits of Bananas
- Superfood: Bananas are considered a superfood and are rich in many nutrients such as potassium and fiber.
- Good source of energy: this sweet, humble fruit is great for boosting your energy. Read more about the health benefits of bananas here: 11 Banana Health Benefits You Might Not Know About.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it's a healthy option given that there's no ice cream in this milkshake. If you want to ensure it's super healthy, simply skip the sugar.
This milkshake is best enjoyed immediately, but it can be stored in the fridge for a few hours. Remember, the banana is likely to oxidize, so the color of the shake will change.
More Delicious Drinks
- Hot Chocolate Coffee
- Sweet Lassi
- Golden Turmeric Milk Recipe
- Mohabbat ka Sharbat
- Kiwi Juice
- Cold Coffee with Ice Cream
Equipment
- Nutribullet or Blender
Ingredients
- 2 bananas frozen
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-5 ice cubes
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender or Nutribullet.
- Blend for 30 seconds or until the ingredients are fully incoporated.
- Pour into serving glasses.
- Top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas and if you have time you can freeze them for 20-30 minutes. Frozen bananas make the shake more creamy without having to add ice cream.
- Milk: Use full-fat milk for the best results. However, you can use other milk of your choice.
- Sugar: Depending on the sweetness of the bananas you can skip adding sugar or replace it without your choice of honey or sweetener.
- Vanilla extract: It adds a lovely flavor but can be entirely skipped if you don't have it on hand.
- Use a food processor or chopper, and follow the recipe as written.
- Mash the bananas really well, until smooth and no big chunks remain. Add all ingredients to a mason jar, put on the lid tightly, and shake well until all ingredients are incorporated. Note: This method will not yield the same results as using a blender or food processor would, but it will still be pretty good!
- Chocolate: Love chocolate? Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder to the recipe, and make it into a chocolate banana milkshake!
- Strawberry: Add 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries to add a delicious flavor! You can use other berries too such as blueberries.
- Mango: Add 1/2 cup of cubed mango to the rest of the ingredients, blend, and enjoy this fruity milkshake.
- Dates: Dates are a great way to add some nutrition and natural sweetness to the milkshake. Just make sure to use pitted dates that have been roughly chopped up - about 2-3 should be good for this recipe.
- Coffee: Need some energy? Add instant coffee, cold-brewed coffee, espresso powder or even freshly brewed coffee that's been cooled down.
- Cinnamon powder: Add a little sprinkle of cinnamon powder to the milkshake to bring a lovely warmth to the overall flavor.
- Peanut Butter / Other Nut Butters: A teaspoon of nut butter of your choice will make this milkshake feel indulgent and delicious!
- Ice cream: Use vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream for best results. Skip the sugar, and add 2 scoops of your choice of ice cream.
- Chocolate Syrup: Drizzle with some chocolate syrup, or even maple or caramel syrup would be excellent here.
- Nuts: Top with crushed walnuts, almonds, or even cashew nuts!
- Whipped cream: It's not necessaryary, but I love to add whipped cream to milkshakes.
- Chocolate sprinkles: If making for kids, or even yourself, make it more fun by adding some sprinkles...my favorite is chocolate sprinkles but rainbow would be perfect for the kids!
Tried the chocolate banana milkshake with just whole milk no ice cream and it was awesome. Ended up using about 11/4 cup milk as with only 3/4 cup it was too thick to drink. Will try different versions with strawberries or blueberries.
Glad to know you enjoyed it Kevin!
I LOVE that I can feel like I am treating myself without the added guilt from the ice cream!!
I rarely keep ice cream in my freezer so this is a great idea and handy to use up bananas too by freezing them.
My son is going to love this he is lactose intolerant trying this today!
I tried this milkshake, and it truly didn't need the ice cream. delicious!
Oh I love a banana milkshake. So yummy to be able to make a healthier version!