Naturally sweetened with Medjool dates, a date shake is the perfect indulgence! I’m showing you how to make it with homemade vanilla date ice cream, or with store-bought vanilla ice cream. Both are equally delicious!

Light brown milkshake with a whipped cream topping, date garnish, and red and white striped straw.

Date shakes originated in the Coachella Valley in Southern California. This popular shake is said to have been created in the 1930s or 1940s, as that region has lots of date palm groves. You can get versions of this in the area still.

🌟Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Naturally sweetened – Medjool dates are naturally sweet, so there’s no need to add a ton of extra sugar to this recipe. Just like this vanilla date ice cream.
  • SO easy to make – This recipe has just 3 ingredients and almost no preparation steps so anyone can make it.
  • Creamy, thick shake texture – This shake’s texture is so hard to beat! Delightly smooth and indulgent.
  • Use a homemade ice cream or store-bought – I use homemade ice cream, but this recipe works with ANY vanilla ice cream you like, so you can pick your fave to use.

Looking for something to layer this milkshake with? Try this amazing matcha milkshake or strawberry milkshake! My recent favorite is this diner-style blackberry milkshake.

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

A carton of vanilla ice cream in between milk in a measuring cup and a plastic container with dates.
  • Medjool dates – These are large brown fruits packed with natural sugar. Clean them lightly with water and chop them up. Leave the seed inside.
  • Vanilla ice cream (or Vanilla date ice cream and skip adding the dates) – Buy a brand you like, and it works with diary or non-dairy ice cream. See notes in the recipe card for details.
  • Milk – you can use both dairy milk or a non-dairy milk alternative for this recipe.
  • Cinnamon (optional) – a nice complement to the vanilla and dates, but not required.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🤎 Pro Tip

When shopping for Medjool dates, look for plump, soft dates with intact skins. Remove the pit from the dates before using them.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

This recipe works best using an immersion blender if making just one and a high-speed blender if making more than one.

If using vanilla date ice cream, start at step 3!

Rough chopped dates on a black cutting board next to a knife.
  • Start by roughly chopping up your dates.
Immersion blender blending dates and a little milk in a clear container.
  • Add the dates to your blender with the milk or non-dairy milk. You can add a pinch of cinnamon, but that’s optional. Run the blender until the mixture is smooth.

Note on scoopability & amount of milk

If the ice cream is not scoopable straight out of the freezer, you’ll need to let it soften slightly before attempting to blend it. If the ice cream is super soft, you can get away with mixing the blended date mixture into the ice cream instead of having to blend it.

Mixing ice cream and dates in a clear container with a metal handled utensil.
  • Then, add in your ice cream and blend gently until you achieve a smooth consistency. Do not over-blend or it will be too runny.
  • If using vanilla date ice cream, add 3 tablespoons of milk or non-dairy milk to help blend the milkshake.
Light brown milkshake in between and green milkshake and a pink milkshake, all with red and white striped straws.

Optional: Top with whipped cream, chocolate flakes, crushed nuts, or any other toppings you like!

I’ve got plenty of refreshing drinks and sweets to cool you off and inject some sweetness into your day!

I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.

Light brown milkshake with a whipped cream topping, date garnish, and red and white striped straw.
Author: Candice Walker

3-Ingredient Date Shake

5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Save
A dreamy, creamy milkshake flavored with Medjool dates and vanilla, ready in just 5 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Dessert, Drinks
Cuisine: American
Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian
Servings: 1
Calories: 651kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Medjool dates rough chopped & seeded
  • 1/4 cup milk dairy or non-dairy, plus more if needed
  • 3 scoops vanilla ice cream 1.5 cups or see notes if using vanilla date ice cream*
  • 1 pinch cinnamon optional

Instructions

  • Roughly chop the dates.
  • Add the chopped dates and the milk to a blender and run until smooth.
  • Add the ice cream to the blender, and blend until just incorporated. Do not over-blend or it will get runny. See notes.**
    If using vanilla date ice cream, add 3 tablespoons of milk or non-dairy milk to help blend the milkshake.
  • Pour into your favorite milkshake glass and add a milkshake straw. Optional: top with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, crushed nuts

Notes

* If using vanilla date ice cream, skip steps 1 & 2. If using vanilla ice cream, go through all the steps.
This recipe works best using an immersion blender if making just one and a high-speed blender if making more than one.
All store-bought vanilla ice cream will work in this recipe. Just make sure you have one that you like the flavor of because it is a dominant flavor in this recipe.
** If the ice cream is not scoopable straight out of the freezer, you’ll need to let it soften slightly before attempting to blend it. If the ice cream is super soft, you can get away with mixing the matcha into the ice cream instead of having to blend it.
Add more milk as needed to make it blendable, but be sparing so your milkshake stays thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 651kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 998mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 94g | Vitamin A: 1043IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 378mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We first saw these on Tiktok then tried them for the first time on our way to Coachella and became totally obsessed. I made them for my boyfriend this week and we are so excited we could recreate these at home, so easily. The best milkshake and I also feel kind of healthy eating it 😂

    Reply
5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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