Introducing the ULTIMATE vegan strawberry milkshake — thick, creamy, classic strawberry flavor, and just 4 simple ingredients. It’s maple-sweetened and made without ice cream but has ALL the fresh, rich flavor you know and love.
It’s almost too good to be true, but you better believe it! Let’s make strawberry milkshakes!
How to Make a Strawberry Milkshake Without Ice Cream
If you don’t have ice cream at the moment, or you’re trying to keep things naturally sweetened or avoid some of the unrecognizable ingredients in store-bought products, we have just the solution for your craving: a strawberry milkshake made without ice cream!
It features fresh sliced strawberries for BIG strawberry flavor, maple syrup to keep it naturally sweetened, and vanilla extract for vanilla ice cream vibes.
Now, let’s get to the secret for achieving a super thick and creamy shake without ice cream: coconut milk ice cubes! To make them, simply open a can of full-fat coconut milk, shake or blend until it’s creamy, and freeze in an ice cube tray.
We used this same hack in our Creamy Cold Brew Coffee Smoothie, and if you freeze leftover coconut milk anytime you have extra from a recipe, you’ll have the ice cubes handy when the shake or smoothie craving strikes.
Then when ready to make a shake, blend the coconut milk ice cubes into the strawberry, maple syrup, and vanilla mixture until the shake reaches your preferred thickness level. Hubba hubba!
We hope you LOVE this vegan strawberry milkshake! It’s:
Creamy
Rich
Thick
Perfectly sweet
Made with fresh strawberries
& SO classic!
Make it extra special by topping with coconut whipped cream or garnishing with fresh and/or crushed freeze-dried strawberries. Happy strawberry season, friends!
More Vegan Shake Recipes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake
- Vegan Jamocha Shake (Maple-Sweetened!)
- Vegan Chocolate Coffee Shake
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Vegan Strawberry Milkshake (4 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
COCONUT MILK ICE CUBES
- 1 (14-oz.) can full-fat coconut milk (a thick, creamy brand is best // there will be ice cubes left over after making this recipe*)
STRAWBERRY SHAKE
- 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (measured after slicing)
- 3-4 Tbsp maple syrup (depending on sweetness of strawberries)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8-12 standard-size full-fat coconut milk ice cubes (from above)
FOR GARNISH optional
- Coconut whipped cream
- Fresh strawberries
- Freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
Instructions
- COCONUT MILK ICE CUBES: If you don’t already have frozen full-fat coconut milk ice cubes*, start by making them. At least 6 hours before you wish to enjoy your milkshake, open a can of full-fat coconut milk and mix until it’s creamy and smooth, with no separation between the coconut cream and water. You can transfer it to a blender to fully mix or transfer to a tight-sealing jar and shake! Pour the mixed coconut milk into an ice cube tray and freeze.
- STRAWBERRY SHAKE: To make the shake, add the strawberries, maple syrup, and vanilla to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until fully combined, with no large pieces of strawberry remaining.
- Turn off the blender and, working in batches, add 2-3 coconut milk ice cubes at a time. Blend on medium-high speed until the ice cubes are fully blended, then continue adding ice cubes until your desired consistency is achieved, using the blender’s tamper to help blend if necessary. Using an ice cube tray that holds 1 ½ Tbsp per cube, we found that adding 12 ice cubes yielded our preferred creaminess!
- Serve immediately, garnishing with extra strawberries, coconut whipped cream, and crushed freeze-dried strawberries, if desired. Keep for up to 24 hours covered in the refrigerator (it will get thinner), or freeze for up to 1 week for a strawberry ice-cream-esque result!
Video
Notes
*Coconut milk ice cubes: When we only use a partial can of coconut milk in recipes, we freeze the rest in an ice cube tray for recipes like this one!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1 cup full-fat coconut milk for 2 servings.
erin parsch says
I was skeptical about this recipe, but it turns out this was waaay better than the sugary artificial ice creams you buy at the market. I made the recipe exactly and it was prefect! Now I know what I’ll be having all summer. :-) Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Erin! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Simone says
This was so delicious! I wasn’t sure my family and I would like it as we don’t tend to get strawberry milkshakes (vanilla rather) and I don’t love the taste of coconut but with some adjusting it was perfect.
I only had frozen strawberries but it turned out perfectly creamy. I added a little almond milk when blending the strawberries, vanilla extract and maple syrup to make it less thick. The flavour was lacking with the frozen strawberries so I used some of my leftover strawberry compote (from the simple fruit compote recipe) and this made it so delicious. After that I followed the rest the same just used less of the coconut cubes. The consistency was great! Everyone loved it.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it, Simone! That’s brilliant to add a strawberry compote. Thank you for sharing! xo
Lana says
If one was to substitute other fruit for the strawberries, such as blueberries, would you use the same amount? Or does it depend on the fruit you use?
Hi Lana, we haven’t tried this with blueberries so we aren’t sure! Strawberries do tend to be juicier, so you may need more blueberries. Let us know how it goes!
Sarah says
Hi there,
Can you use another plant based milk other than coconut? I have a husband who has to be dairy free but doesn’t love the flavor of coconut. Thanks!
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tried it in this recipe but we think it might work with cashew cream instead of coconut milk? Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Ms Rose says
This could be the best thing I’ve tried on this website, and I love a lot of these recipes. I’ve had the coconut ice cubes in my freezer for like a month…wasn’t really expecting much, kind of forgot about them. But I am honestly blown away right. Finding myself at a loss for words other than “wow.”
Aw YAY! We’re so glad you enjoyed it so much! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Laura says
This was delicious and it’s all I ever want to drink from now on.
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Laura! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Robert says
When I saw this, I was excited to try it out. Unfortunately, when I put the ingredients in my vitamix, they just blasted around and coated the edges of the blender. So, the final result was more like I just chopped everything into tiny bits, but overall it tasted good. Probably due to my lack of kitchen experience than the recipes fault.
Hi Robert, is it possible you made a smaller amount and the liquid wasn’t covering the blades? Or if that wasn’t the issue, another suggestion would be to start it at a lower speed and then slowly increase.
Poe says
Use a nutri bullet, works better.
Andie says
This was so good and so easy! Rich, creamy and sweet without being that sickly sweet that comes with refined sugars. I adjusted the recipe for 3 servings and used 5 tbsp maple syrup.
We have decided that we shall always have frozen coconut cubes on hand this summer, and that when our CSA share of peaches comes in, we are going to try a peach version. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Heather says
Tried making this, but it didn’t mix up as expected and resulted in a huge mess for me. For some reason, my coconut milk cubes were rock hard and even though using a high speed blender, they just would not break up. So… my work around was to microwave the cubes until they were soft and I added oat milk ‘ice cream’ to the mix. Once it was finally blended, everything tasted fantastic. Absolutely delicious. I probably wouldn’t make this again, but I did enjoy the taste once complete.
Nika says
This is ridiculously delicious! This site never stops amazing me. Thanks so much for all the recipes! ❤️
Aw, this makes us SO happy, Nika! Thank you for your sweet words and lovely review! xo
Christina says
I made your strawberry ice cream a few weeks ago – so good! This quick take on a strawberry milkshake without the ice cream maker is brilliant! Your website is my “go to” for vegan and dairy free recipes. Thanks for your creative take on so many staples. I look forward to your new recipe ideas.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoy our recipes, Christina. Thanks so much for the great review!
Nicole White says
This was so yummy!
Woohoo! Thanks, Nicole!
Sheila says
Made this delicious treat twice in one week! So luscious and perfect for dairy free peeps!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed this milkshake, Sheila. Thanks for the great review!
Tawnya says
This. Is. AMAZING.
It is so creamy, you will not even know you are missing out on the dairy.
Plus it is so easy! If you live in a hot climate like I do, throwing together something cooling very quickly is essential. I’m hooked!
Excited to try out some other shake recipes now!
Whoop! We’re so glad you love it, Tawnya! Thank you for sharing! xo
Margaret D Cockerill says
Yeah, nothing wrong with the recipe, but if I had to do it again, I’d just let the coconut milk get real cold in the fridge. Breaking down the cubes in the blender was not easy, and in the process lost some of the “creaminess”. I think that using regular coconut beverage or oat milk, etc. would work just as well.
Hi Margaret, we experimented with that, but it wasn’t thick – more like a smoothie vs. a milkshake. Were you using a high-speed blender? If you don’t have a powerful blender, another option would be to let the coconut milk ice cubes soften a bit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before blending.
Karen says
This was absolutely delicious ! Will do less maple syrup though but everyone’s tastes are different. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Karen! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Stephanie says
This is so delicious!! Will definitely be making these again!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Vicky says
This was so delicious! And really easy to make. Will definitely make it again. More milkshake recipes, please! 🥤
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed, Vicky. Thanks for the lovely review!
Melissa says
I made this with 1/2 thawed strawberries & it was super delicious! Kids and I loved it!
That’s smart! Thank you for sharing, Melissa!
Carissa says
Super yummy, but a tad too much maple syrup for me, especially because I made this with some amazingly sweet strawberries that I got at the farmer’s market this morning. I would probably only do a tbsp or 2 in the future, taste and adjust. Otherwise, totally hits the strawberry milkshake craving!
Woohoo! Thanks for the great review, Carissa!
Kelly says
Delicious! I used super ripe fresh strawberries and doubled the recipe for my husband and I cause a 1 cup serving sounded so small haha. Glad I did, so good. Only change I made was I used vanilla flavoring instead of extract. Will be making this again and again!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Kelly! xo
Lucy S. says
Have you tried using a barista oat milk to cut back on fat? Either way, it’s either fat or sugar that gets to ya. I was just wondering.
Hi Lucy, we haven’t tried oat milk, only almond. We don’t think it will be as creamy, but let us know if you try it!
Nathan says
I was wondering if you think this would work if I use frozen strawberries as well as frozen coconut milk? Thanks!
We tested that and unfortunately it made it more icy vs. thick and creamy!
Trip says
Hello! Sadly, I am allergic to maple syrup. What else would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Trip, Agave or honey!
Trip says
Thank you! Same quantity?
We’d say start with slightly less, especially with honey because it’s a bit sweeter.
Brittany says
Would date syrup work in place of maple syrup for this recipe?
Hi Brittany, possibly, but the flavor of maple syrup is really nice here! If dairy-free, not vegan, honey would be another option.
Tiare says
I have all of the ingredients but my strawberries are frozen will that work and perhaps I won’t need to freeze the coconut milk??? Your thoughts.
Hi Tiare, We tested that and unfortunately it turns out too icy vs. creamy!
Rita says
I happened to have frozen coconut milk cubes in the freezer so made this as soon as I saw this posted on your IG stories… it’s excellent! Sweet and creamy, tastes like I’m on vacation haha but I would reduce the maple syrup to 1/8 cup next time, it was little too sweet for me. So for others, maybe start with 1/8 cup and add more if you want more sweetness.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rita! Thank you for sharing! xo
Pam Gillespie says
I wonder instead of coconut milk, could you use almond milk?
Hi Pam, it won’t be as thick, rich, and creamy (more of a strawberry icy!).
Carrie Z says
I am unable to drink coconut milk due to IBS. Are there other nondairy milks that work well with this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Carrie, you could, but it won’t be as thick, rich, and creamy (more of a strawberry icy!).
Shay says
Hello, would a can of coconut cream work?
Coconut cream would be extra thick and creamy, but might overpower the strawberry flavor. You could dilute with water before freezing, if desired!
Dee says
I can’t have coconut, could I do this with almond milk?
It won’t be as thick, rich, and creamy (more of a strawberry icy!).