Vegan Shakes Could Be In The Future For Shake Shack Fans

Whether it's Burger King's Impossible Whopper or the Panda Express plant-based orange chicken, the past few years have seen an explosion of vegan and vegetarian options at fast food chains. Next to join the club is Shake Shack, which has partnered with NotCo to create two new dairy-free menu items: a chocolate milkshake and a chocolate custard. According to a press release, the limited collaboration launches on May 17 and will be available at a handful of Shake Shack locations in South Florida and New York.

The non-dairy dessert items will be a welcome addition to Shake Shack's menu. According to VeggL — a site that tracks vegan menu items at popular restaurants — Shake Shack currently offers only a few vegan items, including its french fries and gluten-free buns. While they did introduce the vegetarian- and vegan-friendly Veggie Shack burger back in 2020, it appears to have not been a permanent menu addition, per Thrillist's report.

According to the press release, both the frozen custard and shake will be made using ​​NotCo's dairy-free products. Per its site, NotCo uses AI technology to analyze the contents of animal products and replicate their taste and texture with plant-based ingredients. The collaboration marks the first time NotCo has brought its products to a U.S. chain, per the release.

"Shake Shack is a brand that I've always loved and grew up enjoying," said NotCo CEO and co-founder Matias Muchnick. "Their food is unfussy, consistently delicious, and high quality. In a way, Shake Shack has created the perfect blueprint for what we want to emulate with our plant-based foods, and we're so excited to be kicking off this journey into Food Service with their team."

Prices for the chocolate shake begin at $6.19, while a single scoop of the frozen custard will cost you $4.69, reported the press release. In addition to being vegan, both options "follow standards for allergens," — which is good news for those who must avoid certain ingredients.