Cheesecake Milkshakes

It's summer, so we're combining our two favorite desserts to make a slurp-able treat! These cheesecake milkshakes are a creamy, sweet drinkable cheesecake! This recipe is made in just minutes in a standard blender, so you can serve this dessert anytime!

Yes, we have a bit of a thing for cheesecakes around here. They're pretty simple to scale down to serve two--please see my mini strawberry cheesecakes made in muffin pans. But, I've also perfected no bake crustless cheesecake for two in small ramekins that you can keep on hand anytime a craving hits.

However, whirring all the flavors of cheesecake up in a blender and drinking it with a straw just hits right in the hot summer months. Today, we're using my old post Milkshakes: How to Make to adapt and turn into creamy, dreamy cheesecake milkshakes.

Ingredients for Cheesecake Milkshakes

• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Use any vanilla ice cream you prefer, but I have found that the vanilla bean ones taste the most like cheesecake in this recipe.
• Milk. Any type of milk works here, such as skim to whole milk. We need a small amount of liquid to help the cream cheese and ice cream blend together.
• Cream Cheese. This doesn't need to be softened, since we're blending it.
• Powdered Sugar. Only 1 tablespoon for extra sweetness in this recipe, but please read below for flavor options.
• Lemon Juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice brings the tart flavor we know and love in cheesecake.
• Vanilla. An extra dose of vanilla makes this taste more like a baked dessert.
• Graham Crackers. Crush 2 whole sheets and add them to the blender at the end, and serve the cheesecake milkshakes garnished with extra graham crackers for fun. Alternatively, you can use ¼ cup of graham cracker crumbs.
• For serving: whipped cream, cherries, and extra graham crackers for garnish.

How to Make Cheesecake Milkshakes

Substitutions

Often, no bake desserts are a chance to make something simple that feeds a crowd, and so I have some substitution suggestions to make this suitable for any diet.

• Ice Cream - Please, use any type of ice cream that works for your family. Personally, we choose egg-free versions, but you can also use a vegan or non-dairy product.
• Cream Cheese - I also just want to mention that I successfully use a vegan cream cheese product when I make this for my vegan husband.
• Graham Crackers - Gluten-free graham crackers work great here. I like this brand. If you have graham cracker crumbs in your pantry, use ¼ cup of crumbs instead of the 2 whole sheets called for in this recipe. Sprinkle extra crumbs on top before serving (as seen in the photos).
• Powdered Sugar - If you want to make this a flavored cheesecake milkshake, such as a strawberry cheesecake milkshake, omit the powdered sugar and replace it with 2 tablespoons of jam. Use strawberry jam for a strawberry cheesecake milkshake, and blueberry jam for a blueberry cheesecake milkshake. Also, add 8 ounces (or 1 cup) of frozen fruit in your desired flavor.

Equipment

Just about any type of blender will make this cheesecake milkshake recipe, as long as it has a wide base and a strong motor to blend everything together. You can even cut this recipe in half and make it in a personal blender for a single serving.

In our house, we use a Vitamix, because its strong motor makes quick work of pureeing. Less powerful blenders require too much blending, and then the mixture heats up and melts too much.

I make my banana milkshake in both of these gadgets, and it's perfect, every time!