The Unexpected Dairy You Should Be Using In Your Next Milkshake

Though you may be understandably quick to reach for ice creams and milk to dump into your blender when old-fashioned vanilla milkshake cravings strike, another dairy product can bring a unique zesty tang to your next creamy glass of sweetness. Buttermilk can steer a traditional milkshake recipe into an even smoother concoction that tastes closer to a thick, icy liquid cheesecake. 

Buttermilk's taste profile verges on yogurty, with its gut-friendly fermented notes to the fore. These play well with fresh fruits like peaches, strawberries, and blueberries and can also create depth of flavor in sweeter recipes made with rich chocolate and salty caramel. The result is a treat that walks the line between sweet and savory, offering a relaxing sipper that can cool down warm summer days or provide a dessert-like treat after a meal. And because buttermilk can be a bit more viscous than other kinds of milks, each sip will be extra thick and creamy with the easy addition.

To make your first buttermilk milkshake, measure out one cup of buttermilk to blend with one pint of your favorite ice cream flavor. You could start your tangy experiments with vanilla ice cream and flavor the drink with vanilla or almond extracts, or try adding a squeeze of lemon and garnish with a touch of lemon zest for an extra puckery treat. If you're a fan of the tangy palate, a pinch of salt can help bring out some of the subtle savory notes that buttermilk brings to your blender. Sweeten buttermilk milkshakes to your liking with your choice of honey, agave, molasses, or sugar.

Once you have tried your first vanilla buttermilk milkshake, you can start to add ingredients to your milkshake recipes. Tweak flavors by adding fruits like peaches, mango, or strawberries, or plop a frozen banana into the blender for that classic milkshake flavor and smooth texture. As delicious as a blackberry milkshake recipe can be when enhanced with buttermilk, iconic chocolate milkshakes also take on an irresistible tang with the touch of buttermilk. Top your dessert-like beverages with your choice of chocolate syrup, caramel, homemade honey whipped cream, or shaved dark chocolate flakes for a decadent drink that deserves to be on your home menu more regularly.