How to Make a Strawberry Milkshake Without Ice Cream (Non-dairy & Date Sweetened Option)

Strawberry milkshakes are a treat that everyone loves. Don’t even have a scoop of ice cream in your freezer? Don’t worry – you can still enjoy a delicious milkshake without ice cream.

Making a dairy-free strawberry shake is easy and just as delicious as a milkshake made with ice cream. With just a few simple ingredients and a blender, you can enjoy a refreshing treat in no time.

You don’t need vanilla or strawberry ice cream to make this incredible creamy milkshake. What?!

I took my idea directly from the Starbucks Frappuccino recipe. Did you know they use a binding agent called xanthan gum to make a creamy texture from just coffee, ice, and flavorings? You use a very small amount,but it keeps the liquid from separating from the ice.

I know some of you don’t love using xanthan gum, so I have an option to use ground chia seeds to bind it. I do recommend grinding them in a spice grinder to make them finer than you can buy at the store.

Do I Need Fresh Strawberries?

While this is great as a fresh strawberry milkshake, you can still get all that strawberry flavor from frozen ones. That means that you can make this all year round!

If you use frozen ones you may need more sweetener because, typically, they are not as sweet as fresh ripe ones. You can add the sweetener of choice to suit your taste. I love using soft dates, date syrup, or maple syrup.

What Do I Need?

A powerful blender is the main necessity as you will be using ice or frozen fruit. Then you need either non-dairy milk of choice or you can make your milk as part of the shake.

I use oats, dates, water, ground chia seeds, and of course, strawberries. If you are using fresh fruit you’ll need to add crushed ice too.

How do I Make a Thick Milkshake?

Not thick enough as is? This is the easiest fix ever. Just add in some more crushed ice to your blender and blend. If you are using frozen strawberries you can add more of them instead.

Do I Have to Add Chocolate?

I don’t love chocolate as much as everyone else and prefer to leave this plain without the chocolate.

I made this as a vegan Valentine’s treat, so I thought a chocolate covered strawberry we could drink was a perfect fit!

Can I Make This Without Refined Sugar?

You can use your favorite sweetener to taste. If you want to add the chocolate flakes you can use Trader Joe’s unsweetened chocolate chips or chop up an unsweetened chocolate bar instead.