The Banana Milkshake recipe
for your table
Slice the ripe banana, arrange the slices separately on a plate in the freezer, and let them freeze solid for at least three hours.
Squeeze a teaspoon of lemon juice over the frozen slices before they go into the blender; this slows down browning.
Put the banana, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and 10 cl of ice-cold milk in the blender and blend briefly on the lowest setting until no chunks remain.
Pour into a tall glass, add a wide straw, and serve immediately, optionally with a pinch of cinnamon on top.
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The story
The banana is the most commonly used fruit in milkshakes, and that is because of its texture. A ripe banana contains little moisture and lots of starch that changes into sugar as it ripens, and when blended, that mass becomes creamy rather than watery. This means you can thicken a shake with banana without adding extra ice cream or cream. In ice cream parlors and smoothie bars, it appears in almost everything blended with milk, and with rum added, the same combination is a classic on every tropical cocktail menu. At home, it is mainly the fruit that is already sitting on the counter.
The right glass
A banana milkshake is thick, so it belongs in a tall glass of at least 35 cl with a wide opening. Tall because it may have whipped cream or a layer of cinnamon on top, and wide because it needs to accommodate a wide straw. A thick-walled glass stays cold longer, which helps with a shake you drink slowly. A heavier base also helps when stirring it with a long spoon; for shorter models, see the tumbler glasses.
Bormioli Rocco Stone Highball Glass 49 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 48,90.
The right tools
For a banana milkshake, besides the glass, you use a citrus juicer for the splash of lemon and a grater for the cinnamon. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 51,85.
Which splash works in a banana milkshake?
A banana milkshake is alcohol-free: banana, ice cream and milk. If you want the adult version, rum is the classic choice, such as Havana Club or Captain Morgan. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Half a teaspoon of cinnamon over the shake or in the blender gives it a warmer flavor. A teaspoon of honey makes it sweeter without making it thinner. A tablespoon of peanut butter makes it thicker and fuller and pairs well with banana. For a chocolate version, add a tablespoon of cocoa powder or chocolate sauce to the blender, or replace the vanilla ice cream with chocolate ice cream. Combining is fine: cinnamon with honey works, and peanut butter with chocolate does too. More inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
Serve immediately after blending, because both the color and the thickness quickly fade. A wide straw is necessary; a narrow straw will clog. Grate a little cinnamon over it at the last moment so it stays on top instead of sinking.
Good to know
How ripe should the banana be?
Use a banana with brown speckles on the peel. As it ripens, the starch in the banana turns into sugar, so the riper it is, the sweeter and fuller the shake will be and the less sugar you will need to add yourself. A still-green or just-yellow banana tastes mealy and floury and produces a flat-tasting shake. Completely black is too far gone: the flavor starts to become yeasty.
Frozen banana instead of ice cubes
Cut the banana into slices and place them separately on a plate in the freezer for at least three hours. Frozen banana makes the shake cold and thick at the same time, while ice cubes only make it cold and dilute it as they melt. Spread the slices out rather than piling them up, otherwise they will freeze together. They keep for months in a sealed bag.
The ratio: one banana, one scoop of ice cream, 10 cl of milk
This is the basis for one glass of around 35 cl. For a thinner shake, use 15 cl of milk. For a thicker shake, use two frozen bananas and leave out the ice cream; the banana alone makes it thick enough. Blend for as short a time as possible on the lowest setting, because blending for too long incorporates air and makes it runnier.
Why does the shake turn brown?
As soon as you cut a banana, the flesh comes into contact with oxygen and changes colour from cream to grey-brown. This happens within a few minutes and continues after blending. It hardly affects the taste; it's mainly a matter of appearance. A teaspoon of lemon juice over the banana slows it down, because the discolouration progresses more slowly in a more acidic environment. Frozen banana also discolours more slowly than fresh.
Which milk do you use?
Whole milk gives the fullest shake. Semi-skimmed works too, but makes it watery when combined with a light-coloured banana. Coconut milk goes well with banana and makes it creamier; oat milk works too and is naturally a little sweeter. Use the milk ice-cold from the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a banana milkshake without ice cream?
Yes, that's actually the easiest version. Use two frozen bananas per 10 cl of milk and leave out the ice cream entirely. The frozen banana naturally becomes creamy and thick when blended. It will be less sweet than with vanilla ice cream, so optionally add a teaspoon of honey.
How do I prevent the shake from turning brown?
Squeeze a teaspoon of lemon juice over it before the banana goes into the blender and use frozen rather than fresh banana. Then pour it straight into the glass and serve immediately. You can't stop it completely, but this way it will certainly stay lighter in colour for ten to fifteen minutes.
Which banana is best for a shake?
An ordinary yellow banana with brown spots. It's at its sweetest and blends the smoothest. Plantains are unsuitable because they are starchy and not sweet. If you only have green bananas, put them in a paper bag with an apple for a day; they'll ripen faster.
Which glass do you use for a banana milkshake?
A tall glass of at least 35 cl with a wide opening, so it can fit a wide straw and still leave room for whipped cream or cinnamon on top. Thick-walled glass keeps the shake cold for longer. Put the glass in the freezer for half an hour beforehand.
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