Food & Cooking Recipes Drink Recipes Shake It Up: Our Very Favorite Milkshake and Float Recipes By Lynn Andriani Lynn Andriani Lynn is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 1, 2022 Trending Videos Photo: Anna Williams At once nostalgic and trendy, milkshakes and floats are a sweet way to cool off when temperatures climb, and there are versions for virtually every taste. At their heart, milkshakes are simply milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners; while floats combine ice cream with a soft drink or a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water. In both cases, there's plenty of room for variation. Before we get to the recipes, though, we'll put it out there that milkshakes and floats are super easy to make. The only real must for a milkshake is a decent blender (whew: a high-performance one isn't necessary for most milkshakes). There are a few tips that can make it marvelous, though: first, leave the ice cream out for 5 or 10 minutes before blending so it softens up a bit; second, make sure any other ingredients are fresh out of the fridge and super-cold, whether milk or fruit. Room temperature anything is not ideal here. And instead of adding ice, consider chilling your glass before serving, which will ensure your milkshake or float stays cold without being diluted. Grab a straw and indulge! 01 of 15 Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake Bryan Gardner Doctor vanilla ice cream with powdered peanut butter and Concord grape jelly for a milkshake inspired by the childhood favorite sandwich. View Recipe 02 of 15 Colorful Cows Remember the brown cow, that classic soda-fountain combo of ice cream, syrup, and soda? These colorful cows, made with simple blueberry, strawberry, or mint syrups, are lighter and brighter, but just as delicious. View Recipe 03 of 15 Malted Milk Shakes There's a reason why some drinks never go out of style. This classic calls for using chocolate or strawberry ice cream as well as vanilla ice cream and malt powder. The malted milk balls garnish is a must. View Recipe 04 of 15 Bananas Foster Milkshake Bryan Gardner The signature flavors from the dessert of the same name inspired this sweet-and-salty milkshake. View Recipe 05 of 15 Coffee Frappe Anna Williams This homemade take on a coffeehouse treat, sweet iced coffee is blended with vanilla ice cream. It makes a refreshing pick-me-up for the late-afternoon yawns, View Recipe 06 of 15 Orange-Vanilla Shake Frozen orange juice concentrate is the secret ingredient in this sippable version of a Creamsicle. View Recipe 07 of 15 Strawberry Shake Although the recipe calls for strawberries, you can use any other fresh or frozen berries, such as blueberries or raspberries, or even peaches in this fruity shake. View Recipe 08 of 15 Black Forest Shake Chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, and frozen cherries mix to create a bewitching milkshake reminiscent of the German dessert. View Recipe 09 of 15 Date Shake The date shake has been one of the iconic symbols of Palm Springs since the 1920s, and this delicious recipe makes it easy to see why! View Recipe 10 of 15 Rhubarb Refresher Tangy-sweet rhubarb nicely complements creamy buttermilk sorbet in this refreshing float. rhubarb produces a lot of tarts and pies. View Recipe 11 of 15 Cherry-Vanilla Milk Shake with Root Beer Granita Victoria Pearson Here's a fun reinvention on a traditional root beer float, where you whirl a quart of ice cream with sour cherries until frothy and then cap it with shards of frozen soda. View Recipe 12 of 15 Vietnamese Coffee Shake Chicory coffee and sweetened condensed milk make Vietnamese iced coffee distinctively delicious, and half-and-half adds another dimension. View Recipe 13 of 15 Spotted Cow This lighter version of a Brown Cow uses chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt but still tastes decadent. View Recipe 14 of 15 Salted Caramel-Pecan Shake A pinch of sea salt brings out the rich caramel flavor in this caramel-pecan shake. View Recipe 15 of 15 Orange Boston Cooler Typically made with vanilla ice cream and ginger ale, this Boston Cooler gets an orangey update with orange sherbet and homemade ginger ale (though store-bought is fine, too!). View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit