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Who can resist the thick, luxurious texture of a perfect creamy milkshakes that still manages to be smooth and sippable? The proportion of solid ice cream to liquid milk is initially what determines the thickness of a milkshake; our old-fashioned vanilla milkshake uses a 4:1 ratio of ice cream to milk, for example. However, even a simple milkshake recipe runs the risk of a runny outcome, particularly if things start to melt too fast. We consulted milkshake expert Harris Mayer-Selinger, chef and owner of Creamline, for his advice on how to fix a runny milkshake if you don’t want to add more ice cream.
Chef Mayer-Slinger says, “We make a soft serve milkshake, so the thickness of ours has a lot to do with the temperature we set. Ours is as thick as it can be, while still being able to pull it through a straw.” Soft serve has a much smaller proportion of milkfat than regular ice cream, and a much higher proportion of air to achieve that light, soft texture. It is also served at a warmer temperature than ice cream to maintain its consistency.
However, since soft serve is served fresh out of a special machine, it probably won’t be the foundation for a homemade milkshake. So chef Mayer-Selinger’s simple solution to a runny milkshake is, he says, to “get it very cold, and it will begin to freeze and thicken.” You then need to serve it quickly and drink it before the cold ingredients defrost and thin everything out.
How to freeze milkshake mixture
Freezing your milkshake mixture will solidify the water into ice crystals, thereby thickening the drink as a whole. But it’s not as simple as sticking your milkshake into the freezer and coming back an hour later. You should freeze your milkshake mixture gradually in 20-minute increments — it’s a bit like making ice cream. After each stint in the freezer, stir the milkshake to maintain the smooth consistency until it reaches the desired thickness. If you leave the milkshake in the freezer for too long, you’ll risk it getting icy, sabotaging the creaminess we love about milkshakes.
Freezing milkshake takes time and a watchful eye. So, if you want a more instant solution, there are other ways to thicken a milkshake. Instead of another scoop of ice cream, try adding a spoonful of malted milk powder like this 10-ounce bag from Scratch. Along with thickening the milkshake, you’ll also get added richness and a nostalgic aftertaste to boot. Another thickening and binding agent that won’t affect the flavor of a milkshake is xanthan gum. Of course, most milkshakes come with a Cool Whip topping or a homemade whipped cream topping like the one in our iconic chocolate milkshake recipe. The fat content in the milk you use also has an effect on the consistency of your milkshake, with a high-fat milk providing a much creamier thickness.
