Raspberry Cheesecake Milkshake
A luxurious, creamy milkshake combining tangy cream cheese, tart fresh raspberries, and smooth vanilla ice cream. The tartness of the raspberries balances the richness of the cheesecake flavor, creating a sophisticated dessert beverage that tastes like a slice of cheesecake in a glass. Blended smooth and served cold, it's perfect for warm afternoons or as an indulgent treat.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- 2 milkshakes (about 12 fl oz each)
Steps
Before you start
- Use cold whole milk straight from the refrigerator
- Ensure the vanilla ice cream is frozen solid
- Have the cream cheese at room temperature for easier blending
- Chill your serving glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes
Prep the cream cheese
- Cut the room-temperature cream cheese into 3–4 small pieces (roughly ¾ inch each).
- This ensures it will break down smoothly in the blender without leaving lumps.
- If the cream cheese is still cold from the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before cutting.
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Tip: Small pieces are essential—if you add a large block of cream cheese, it won't blend evenly and you'll end up with lumps in your finished shake.
Add liquid and cheese base
- Pour the 1 cup of cold whole milk into the blender (32 oz or larger capacity).
- Add the pieces of room-temperature cream cheese.
- Blend on medium speed for 20–30 seconds until the cream cheese is mostly dissolved and the mixture is smooth and pale.
- You should see no visible chunks of cheese.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and pale with no visible cream cheese chunks
Tip: Blending the milk and cream cheese first ensures the cheese is fully incorporated before adding the harder ice cream, which prevents blender strain.
Add berries and ice cream
- Stop the blender and add the 3/4 cup fresh raspberries and 2 cups vanilla ice cream (break the ice cream into chunks if needed so it fits in the blender).
- Add the honey and vanilla extract if using.
- Do not blend yet.
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Tip: Adding ice cream after the cheese base lightens the blender's workload and prevents the motor from straining on too-cold, hard ingredients all at once.
Blend until smooth
- Secure the blender lid.
- Blend on high speed for 45–60 seconds until completely smooth and creamy.
- The mixture should be thick and pourable, with no visible cream cheese lumps and the raspberries fully incorporated into a pale pink color.
- If the blender struggles or you see unmixed ingredients, stop, use a spatula to push ingredients toward the blade, and blend again for 15–20 seconds.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth, thick, and creamy with no lumps or visible raspberry seeds; it should be opaque and pale pink, pourable but not runny
Tip: Do not overblend once everything is smooth, as it can make the shake too thin and icy as the ice cream melts from friction.
Pour and serve
- Divide the milkshake between two chilled tall glasses (12–16 oz each).
- Serve immediately with a wide straw or spoon.
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Tip: Serve immediately while the shake is thick and cold. If it sits too long, the ice cream will melt and thin the consistency.
Good to know
Tips
- For a thicker, more dessert-like shake, use 2.5 cups of ice cream instead of 2 cups. For a thinner shake, increase milk to 1.25 cups.
- If the shake is too tart, add an extra 0.5 tablespoon of honey. If it's too sweet, add a few more raspberries or a small squeeze of lemon juice.
- For a no-added-sugar version, omit the honey and use unsweetened vanilla ice cream; the raspberries and cream cheese provide natural sweetness.
- Chill your glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving to keep the shake cold longer and create a frosty presentation.
Storage & reheating
Best enjoyed fresh. If you need to refrigerate, the milkshake will separate slightly as the ice cream melts—stir well before serving. Not suitable for freezing.
Substitutions
- fresh raspberries → Frozen raspberries (thawed and drained). Use the same weight (90 g). Thaw completely and drain excess liquid to avoid a watery shake. Frozen berries blend smoothly and provide a more intense flavor.
- cream cheese, room temperature → Mascarpone cheese. Use 2.5 oz (70 g) mascarpone. It will give a slightly richer, creamier texture but less tanginess. Blend well to avoid lumps.
- vanilla ice cream → Cheesecake ice cream or New York cheesecake ice cream. Use the same amount (2 cups / 480 ml). This intensifies the cheesecake flavor and may reduce the need for added cream cheese.
- honey → Simple syrup or agave nectar. Use the same amount (1.5 tbsp / 20 g). Simple syrup blends smoothly and adds sweetness without texture, while agave is milder in flavor.
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