Easy Cherry Banana Milkshake Recipe

Summer in Georgia is hot and humid; the perfect mix for enjoying a cool, creamy milkshake on the patio in the evening. Because there is a Sonic one mile from our house, we often indulged in their Summer of Shakes. Half-price shakes after 8? Sign me up. This year, not only did they cancel their promotion, I overindulged in baking during the first three months of COVID. I still craved something sweet, but I wanted something with less sugar, fat, and calories. That’s when I took my “nice cream” recipe and adapted it into an Easy Cherry Banana Milkshake Recipe.

Easy Cherry Banana Milkshake Recipe:

Hardly anyone believes you can create a delicious drink with the consistency of a milkshake without the addition of ice cream. But, I promise, it can be done and with only 4 or 5 ingredients! With minimal prep and tons of cherry flavor, this gluten-free, vegetarian recipe is the perfect way to beat the heat.

Printable Recipe:

Easy Cherry Banana Milkshake Recipe

Recipe Type: dessert

Author: Pam

An easy gluten-free milkshake that’s made without ice cream.

Ingredients

2 large bananas, peeled, sliced, and frozen
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
3/4 cup milk
7 to 8 maraschino cherries
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt, optional

Instructions

Add bananas, maraschino cherry juice, milk, and maraschino cherrie to blender. Blend 10 seconds. Scrape down the side of the blender and press any banana chunks down to the bottom of the blender. Pulse 10 seconds. Repeat steps until mixture is blended.
Add vanilla and salt, if using, process an additional five seconds.

Freezing Bananas:

*The secret to the milkshake feature is from frozen bananas. To freeze bananas; peel the bananas and cut into 1-inch slices. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Add the banana slices to the tray, making sure the edges do not touch. Freeze until bananas are firm, approximately 2 hours. Remove slices from the tray and store in airtight storage containers for up to 3 months.
*If you want the bananas to retain their color without turning brown, dip them in lemon juice before freezing.
*This is a great way to use overripe bananas. Purchase overripe bananas on sale and prepare them for the freezer immediately. You’ll always have bananas on hand.

Preparation Tips:

*When blending the milkshake, pulse for 10 seconds. Push any frozen bananas down into the base of the blender and scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula. Pulse again for 10 seconds and repeat steps as needed, until bananas are well mixed.
*Use your favorite type of milk in this recipe; soy, almond, or coconut are all good choices.
*For a decadent Chocolate-Cherry version, add 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup to the ingredients before blending. Top with whipped cream and an additional cherry.

Have you tried any version of this banana milkshake? What are your favorite mix-ins?

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Easy Cherry Banana Milkshake Recipe