If you’re craving something smooth, sweet, and creamy, you just can’t beat a chocolate milkshake. After all, it’s classic and so timeless.

It’s the ultimate treat in summer, but you can whip one up any time of year!

Chocolate milkshake in a glass mug topped with whipped cream and straw.

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While any milkshake will do in a pinch, a chocolate milkshake is one of my favorites.

Luckily, they’re just as easy to make as most other shakes. (Even easier than some!) All you’ll need are a few ingredients and a blender.

Ingredients for Chocolate Milkshake

This is my favorite chocolate milkshake recipe to date. Here’s what you need for it:

Chocolate ice cream – The base of any good shake is, of course, ice cream. Use chocolate ice cream for the ultimate in chocolate goodness.

Whole milk – For the best shake, stick to full-fat milk. It’s the richest and most flavorful and will yield the best-tasting shake. You can use skim, 1% or 2%, if you don’t have any.

Chocolate syrup & cocoa powder – These ingredients add even more chocolatey richness to the already chocolatey milkshake. I usually use Hershey’s syrup and whatever brand of Dutch-processed cocoa powder I have.

Vanilla extract – A simple flavor enhancer that’ll make the shake taste better.

Garnishes – I opt for the traditional whipped cream and chocolate shavings garnish. I also typically add some extra chocolate sauce. You can stick to those or add something different. (Like strawberries and banana slices!)

Two glass mugs of chocolate milkshake topped with whipped cream dusted with chocolate

How to Make a Chocolate Milkshake

There’s only a single step in this recipe:

1. Make the shake! Combine all the milkshake ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Then, simply add your garnishes and enjoy!

How to Thicken a Milkshake

Because this shake uses ice cream and whole milk, it’s usually pretty thick. If yours is too runny, there are a few things you can try.

Add extra ice cream until you reach your desired thickness.
Add ice cubes or a frozen banana to the blender and blend until smooth.
Use 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup milk instead of 1/2 cup milk.
Reduce the amount of milk you add.
Use fudge instead of chocolate syrup.
Don’t over-blend the ingredients!

Two mugs of whipped cream topped chocolate milkshake beside cookies and chocolates on a wooden table.

Recipe Variations

Want to swap things up a little? Try one (or more) of these variations:

Use vanilla ice cream as a base. This shake has a lot of chocolate in it. If you find it too chocolatey for your tastes, start with a vanilla ice cream base. The cocoa powder and chocolate sauce will still yield a chocolate milkshake.

Make a vegan-friendly shake. Substitute vegan milk, vegan ice cream, and a vegan chocolate sauce. Because you’ll use plant-based ingredients, a vegan chocolate shake may be too thin. Check out the tips above for ideas on how to thicken it.

Make it boozy. Add a couple of ounces of rum or unflavored vodka to the blender with the other ingredients. Just keep the milkshake away from the kiddos.

Give it a caffeine kick. For a mocha-flavored shake, replace half the milk with cold brew coffee. You can even add a chocolate-covered coffee bean garnish on top!

No ice cream? No problem! Instead of ice cream, use two frozen bananas and a handful of ice cubes as the base. Then, add the other ingredients as directed.

Mint chocolate chip, anyone? I love the combination of chocolate and mint. Use mint chocolate chip ice cream as the base for a chocolate mint shake. Then, instead of chocolate syrup, use a chocolate-mint syrup. Or, simply add a few dashes of peppermint extract.

Two glasses of chocolate milkshake with straw topped with whipped cream.

More Milkshake Recipes

Here are some other delicious milkshake recipes to help you beat the heat: