Restaurant-quality Oreo milkshake recipes come together in under five minutes using just three simple ingredients you likely have right now. The secret to that ultra-thick, spoonable texture lies in using the correct ratio of solid ice cream to cold liquid. I stopped buying the drive-thru version once I realized how much fresher and richer this homemade cookies and cream shake tastes.
Why This Recipe Beats the Rest
The key to avoiding a watery Oreo drink is blending the base ingredients before adding the cookies. Most recipes throw everything in at once, which pulverizes the cookies into gritty sand and turns the shake gray. By pulsing the cookies at the very end, you maintain those delicious, crunchy crumbs that define a true cookies and cream milkshake. After testing this method over a dozen times, I found that freezing the serving glasses for 10 minutes beforehand keeps the texture thick until the very last sip.
Jump to:
- Why This Recipe Beats the Rest
- What You'll Need for This Treat
- The Method for Perfect Shakes
- Top Tip
- Ways to Customize This Oreo milkshake
- Storage and Make-Ahead
- What to Serve With This Oreo milkshake
- Why I Love This Recipe
- Common Questions About This Treat
- More Recipes You'll Love
- Thick Homemade Oreo Milkshake
- Related
- Pairing
What You'll Need for This Treat
Main Ingredients
- Vanilla Ice Cream: Premium, full-fat ice cream provides the structural base for a thick shake; avoid "frozen dairy desserts" which melt into water too quickly.
- Whole Milk: High fat content in whole milk creates a velvety mouthfeel that skim or almond milk simply cannot replicate in a milkshake dessert.
- Oreo Cookies: The classic chocolate sandwich cookie adds the essential flavor and texture; you need enough to flavor the base plus extra for that crucial crunch.
Optional Ingredients
- Whipped Cream: Adds a light, airy contrast to the dense shake and mimics that classic dessert sundae presentation.
- Chocolate Syrup: Drizzling this inside the glass and over the top boosts the chocolate factor and creates a stunning Oreo milkshake aesthetic.
Get Precise Measurements in the Recipe Card Below
The Method for Perfect Shakes
Prep the Glasses
Place your serving glasses in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before you start blending. A frosted glass prevents the ice cream from melting on contact, ensuring your Oreo thick shake stays dense and cold.
Blend the Base
Combine the vanilla ice cream and whole milk in a blender, processing on high until completely smooth and combined. Blending the dairy first ensures a creamy consistency without over-processing the cookie chunks later.
Crush the Cookies
Add the Oreo cookies to the blender and pulse 3-5 times max, just until they are broken into chunky pieces. You want visible bits of cookie floating in the mixture, not a uniform gray liquid.
Pour and Garnish
Drizzle chocolate syrup down the inside walls of your chilled glasses, pour in the shake, and top immediately with a mountain of whipped cream and an extra cookie. Serve immediately with a wide straw or a long spoon to scoop up the cookie chunks.
Top Tip
- speed with the milk, the machine generates heat that melts the ice cream and destroys the texture.
- Use extremely cold milk – Keep your milk in the coldest part of the fridge until the second you pour it. Room temperature liquid is the enemy of a fluffy ice cream texture.
- Soften the ice cream slightly – Let the tub sit on the counter for 5 minutes so it scoops easily. This puts less strain on your blender and requires less liquid to get things moving.
- Adjust consistency manually – If the blender stalls, stop and stir with a spatula rather than adding more milk. Adding extra liquid is the fastest way to turn an Oreo milkshake into chocolate milk.
- Break cookies by hand – For even bigger chunks, break the Oreos into quarters by hand before tossing them in. This guarantees those satisfying bites that make this the ultimate Oreo milkshake.
Ways to Customize This Oreo milkshake
No Ice Cream Version
For an Oreo milkshake recipe without ice cream, blend frozen milk cubes (freeze milk in a tray beforehand), sugar, vanilla extract, and cream. The frozen milk mimics the texture of ice cream surprisingly well.
Double Chocolate Shake
Swap the vanilla ice cream for chocolate ice cream to create a rich, brownie-like flavor profile. This brownie milkshake variation is intense and perfect for serious chocolate lovers.
Boozy Adult Shake
Add 2 ounces of Baileys Irish Cream or Kahlúa to the blender for a grown-up dessert drink. The alcohol will thin the mixture slightly, so reduce the milk by a tablespoon to compensate.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Best Served Fresh
An Oreo milk shake relies on the crystalline structure of frozen ice cream, so it is best consumed immediately after blending.
Freezer
If you have leftovers, pour them into popsicle molds and freeze for cookies and cream shake pops. You can also freeze the mixture in a container, but it will freeze solid and need to be eaten with a spoon like regular ice cream.
What to Serve With This Oreo milkshake
Salty Fries
The classic diner combination of salty, hot french fries dipped in a cold, sweet shake is unbeatable. The temperature and flavor contrast highlights the creaminess of the shake.
Cheeseburgers
A savory, juicy smash burger pairs perfectly with the sweet richness of this drink. It’s the quintessential American meal that rivals any Oreo Milkshake Mcdonalds experience.
Spicy Fried Chicken
The cooling dairy in the milkshake helps soothe the heat from spicy foods. This pairing balances the intense spices with sweet, creamy relief.
Why I Love This Recipe
I created this homemade version because I was tired of driving to the fast-food joint only to find the ice cream machine was "broken" again. There is also a huge difference between a shake made with real dairy and one made with the powdery soft-serve mix used at chains like Oreo Milkshake KFC. I wanted something that tasted like a premium ice cream parlor treat but could be made in my pajamas on a Friday night.
After testing various ratios, I found that many online milkshake ideas call for way too much milk, resulting in a thin, watery drink that separates quickly. By reversing the ratio and using minimal liquid, I achieved that gravity-defying thickness that requires a spoon. My kids now prefer this "mom-made" version over anything we can buy, and it costs a fraction of the price of an easy Starbucks drink recipe.
Similar Shake Recipes You'll Love
- Classic Vanilla Bean Shake: Uses the same high-ratio ice cream technique for a pure, floral vanilla flavor that pairs with everything.
- Strawberry Cheesecake Shake: Incorporates frozen strawberries and cream cheese for a tangy, fruity twist on the classic dessert.
- Chocolate Malt: Adds malted milk powder to the base for that nostalgic, nutty flavor found in old-school soda fountains.
Common Questions About This Treat
How do you make an Oreo milkshake without a blender?
You can make an Oreo milkshake without blender blending by placing the ice cream and milk in a large jar and letting it soften slightly. Crush the cookies in a bag with a rolling pin, add them to the jar, and shake vigorously until combined, or mash everything with a fork for a rustic texture.
How many calories in a 250 ml Oreo shake?
A typical 250ml homemade Oreo shake contains approximately 350-450 calories, depending on the fat content of the ice cream and the number of cookies used. You can lower this by using light ice cream or skim milk, though the texture will be less creamy.
How to make a 3 ingredient Oreo milkshake?
Simply blend 3 large scoops of vanilla ice cream, ½ cup of milk, and 4-5 Oreo cookies. This how to make Oreo shake method strips away the garnishes but delivers all the core flavor you need.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes, substitute the ice cream for a coconut or almond milk-based frozen dessert and use oat milk as the liquid. Ensure you use original Oreos, which are accidentally vegan, to keep the Oreo milkshake recipe suitable for dairy-free diets.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you enjoyed this decadent treat, you must try my Heart Shaped Brownies for another chocolate-loaded dessert that looks amazing on a platter. For a lighter sweet option, my Deviled Strawberries offer a creamy cheesecake filling inside fresh fruit. And if you love rich, comforting dishes, the Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole is the perfect breakfast counterpart to this indulgence.
Thick Homemade Oreo Milkshake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place two serving glasses in the freezer to chill.
- Combine vanilla ice cream and milk in a blender.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Add 8 Oreo cookies and pulse 3-5 times until chunky.
- Drizzle chocolate syrup inside the chilled glasses.
- Pour the shake into glasses and top with whipped cream and extra cookies.
Nutrition
Notes
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Oreo milkshake:
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