There is nothing more comforting on a chilly evening than curling up with a rich, creamy milkshake. chocolate milkshakes hold a special place in my heart. This classic dessert have the perfect blend of smooth chocolate flavor and thick, luxurious texture. After much testing and tweaking, I believe I’ve finally achieved milkshake nirvana with this recipe. Rather than using ice cream store-bought, which can be loaded with sugar and stabilizers, this milkshake starts with a homemade chocolate custard base.
Recipe ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups homemade chocolate custard (see instructions below)
- Whipped cream for an extra decadent touch
- Fine chocolate shavings for decorative sprinkles
How to Make This Best Chocolate Milkshake Recipe
Making the Chocolate Custard
- Heat the Milk: In a small saucepan, warm the milk just until steaming but not boiling. This helps the other ingredients incorporate smoothly.
- Temper the Eggs: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs lightly to break them up. Slowly pour in a ladleful of the warm milk, whisking constantly. This raises the temperature of the eggs gradually to prevent curdling.
- Add Flavorings: Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and add the chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Whisk to fully combine.
- Cook with Patience: Cook the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. It’s ready when it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10-15 minutes.
- Chill Completely: Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate overnight until very cold and thickened.
Serving Instructions
- Remove the custard from the fridge 30 minutes before blending to soften slightly.
- In a blender, combine the chilled custard and milk. Blend on high speed until frothy and homogenous, about 1-2 minutes.
- For a fun presentation, pour into chilled glasses and garnish with whipped cream and shavings.
- Enjoy right away for best texture and flavor! Refrigerate any leftovers.
Storage Instructions
- The custard base can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. The cold temperature prevents growth of any bacteria.
- For the freshest flavor, I recommend making a new batch each time. But it’s perfectly suitable for leftovers.
Freezing Instructions
- You can absolutely freeze the extra custard for future milkshakes. Simply pour the custard into an airtight freezer container, leaving 1/2 inch headspace for expansion.
- Freeze for 2-3 months. The cold temperature prevents degradation.
- To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before blending as usual. The texture may soften slightly but the flavor will be just as delicious.
Related Desserts:
FAQs
While you can substitute ice cream, making the custard from scratch results in a smoother, richer texture without extra stabilizers or sugar. But a high-quality vanilla ice cream can work in a pinch.
Using homemade low-sugar custard instead of ice cream and limiting added sugars keeps this treat relatively healthy. It provides calcium from milk without too much fat or calories compared to regular milkshakes.
Absolutely, you can easily double or triple this recipe to serve a crowd. Just be sure to use a large blender that can handle double batches smoothly. The custard also scales up well.
Swap the chocolate for your favorite flavor like vanilla, coffee, peanut butter or fruit. The custard base takes flavors beautifully.
Yes, the custard can be made up to 3 days in advance. It allows the flavors to develop even more. Just be sure to store it covered in the fridge.
Best Chocolate Milkshake
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups homemade chocolate custard
- Whipped cream for an extra decadent touch
- Fine chocolate shavings for decorative sprinkles
- 3 tbsp chocolate syrup
Instructions
- Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge.
- Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and lightly beat.
- Slowly pour the warm milk into the eggs while whisking constantly to temper them.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan. Whisk in the chocolate syrup, cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth.
- Cook the custard over low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, 10-15 minutes. It will coat the back of a spoon.
- Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface.
- Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days until very thick and cold.
