Chocolate Banana Milkshake

I love the flavors of chocolate and banana together, don’t you? It’s a perfect combination, especially in a shake! And this, my friends, is a real chocolate banana milkshake recipe—not a smoothie. It’s made with vanilla ice cream, just like how they make milkshakes at your favorite ice cream shop.

This chocolate banana milkshake is a quick and easy treat with classic flavors, a winner in every category.  You can keep it pretty simple or fancy it up with some whipped cream and a cherry on top.

If you got this far into reading this post and chocolate and banana together isn’t your thing, you might love a Nerds milkshake or a strawberry basil milkshake. If you’re looking for more of a protein boost, try my mocha protein shake.

Frosty Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Easy to make. Just add everything to the blender and in 5 minutes, you’re sipping a creamy chocolate banana milkshake. You don’t even have to remember to freeze the banana first like you do with a smoothie!

Rich, creamy, and delicious. This is a legit milkshake recipe, which means it tastes like a dessert. (It’s also SO much better than fast food milkshakes since it’s made with real ice cream.)

Customizable. Milkshakes are hard to mess up—if it doesn’t taste good, tweak, blend again, and give it another try! You can add more mix-ins, like peanut butter, or pile on the toppings. You can even boost the nutrition with a scoop of protein powder—a great post-workout snack! 

Ingredient Notes

• Vanilla ice cream: Choose your favorite brand. The better the ice cream, the better the milk shake but there’s no need to use premium brands. You can also use chocolate ice cream for a richer flavor, or even dairy-free ice cream.
• Banana: Make sure it’s ripe. An unripe or barely ripe banana doesn’t have much banana flavor to it.
• Milk: You can use any kind you keep on hand in the fridge, including nut or oat milks.
• Cocoa powder: Found in the baking aisle, unsweetened cocoa powder is added for more intense chocolate flavor than syrup alone would add.
• Chocolate syrup: Use as much as you like although keep in mind that chocolate syrup is sweetened so it will make your shake sweeter, too. I usually drizzle extra chocolate syrup as a garnish.
• Smooth peanut butter, optional: If you love peanuts, this is a great addition to the chocolate/banana combo. You can blend it in with the other ingredients or stir it in gently for peanut butter ribbons throughout.
• Whipped cream: For garnish, if you’d like.

How to Make a Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Combine. Add all of the ingredients to your blender (except any optional garnishes).

Mix. Blend until the mixture is smooth. You can adjust the consistency by adding more ice cream or ice cubes to make it thicker, or more milk to make it thinner.

Serve. Pour into a tall glass and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, if desired. A maraschino cherry on top is nice too!

Serving Suggestions

Top with banana slices. If you have extra bananas, it’s nice to put a few slices on top or float a banana chip or two on the top.

Drizzle with peanut butter. Heat smooth peanut butter in the microwave so it’s thin enough to drizzle. It should be just barely warm, not hot.

Make it a flurry. Chopped peanut butter cups, Butterfinger candy bars, or Reese’s Pieces add extra fun to this chocolate banana milkshake. Stir it in after you blend the milkshake and sprinkle some on top to garnish.

Finish with sprinkles. Chocolate sprinkles or shavings are excellent on top of whipped cream.

Rim the glass. Dip the rim of the glass in chocolate syrup, then roll it in cookie crumbs or graham cracker crumbs.

Unfortunately, there’s no good way to store leftover milkshakes, and this chocolate banana milkshake is no exception. In the refrigerator, it will thin out as the ice cream melts, but in the freezer, it will freeze solid. Here are your best bets for both options.

Refrigerator: Store the milkshake in a jar or other airtight container for up to a day; place it far back in the fridge, which is the coldest part and will keep it thick and creamy longer. Stir it before enjoying; if you want it thicker, you can blend it again with ice cubes or additional ice cream.

Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag. Let it partially thaw in the refrigerator, give it a good stir, and it should have a nice frosty consistency.

• Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more milk if it’s too thick or more ice cream (or ice cubes) if it’s too thin.

  1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1 ripe banana, 2 tablespoons milk, more as needed, 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup, more for topping, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter, optional

• Serve immediately, topped with whipped cream and additional chocolate syrup, if desired.

• Extra chocolate flavor: Increase the amount of chocolate syrup or cocoa powder, to taste. You can also use chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla. 
• Extra protein: Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder or peanut butter powder.
• Make it a flurry: Chopped peanut butter cups, Butterfinger candy bars, or Reese’s Pieces add extra fun to this chocolate banana milkshake. Stir it in after you blend the milkshake and sprinkle some on top to garnish.
• Nutrition note: Nutrition information is calculated for 1 serving and does not include optional peanut butter or whipped cream. 
• Recipe retested and revised 6/2024. Originally posted as Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Milkshake.

Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 479kcal, Carbohydrates: 79g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 134mg, Potassium: 915mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 56g, Vitamin A: 691IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 222mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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