A delicious and healthy Strawberry Milkshake without ice cream (or milk), easy to make in under 5 minutes using banana as the secret ingredient to make it thick and creamy. And I'll show you how to turn it into fruity popsicles kids will love!! This recipe is Vegan, Paleo, dairy-free and sugar-free, and tastes like the real deal.
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Today I'm going to show you how I make a healthy Strawberry Milkshake that is creamy and incredibly delicious without adding any ice cream or milk. And you'll find out how to make fruity strawberry popsicles with it!
The strawberry flavor shines, and this is the healthiest milkshake recipe that is naturally sweetened, sugar-free and dairy-free.
You'll love it on warm summer days or as a special Valentines Day treat! It's cold, refreshing, and an easy-to-prepare snack or breakfast even kids and toddlers enjoy.
The secret ingredient 🍓
You need 3 main ingredients for this recipe:
- Strawberries
- Banana
- Water, coconut water or milk of choice
Frozen bananas are the secret for making this strawberry milkshake recipe without ice cream or milk. And did you know that with just frozen bananas you can make the creamiest, healthiest sugar-free ice cream?
That's why we're adding it here to replace any ice cream or milk traditionally added to milkshake recipes. When frozen bananas are pureed, they turn into a cold creamy ice cream that is naturally sweet.
The other ingredients are optional and added to build flavor - add a teaspoon of lime juice so the strawberry flavor shines, and some vanilla extract to mimic the taste of real vanilla ice cream.
How to make
Making this healthy milkshake takes less than 5 minutes and you'll need a blender or food processor. Here's how:
- You'll want to first plan ahead and freeze some fresh strawberries and bananas (peeled).
- When ready, throw your frozen fruits (and other ingredients listed) in the blender and puree for a few seconds until thick and creamy.
Do I need to freeze the fruits
It's important to use frozen fruits in milkshakes made without ice cream because they make the shake thick, creamy and super cold.
Also like I mentioned before, frozen banana with a splash of vanilla is like adding a healthy version of vanilla ice cream - perfect for this milkshake recipe.
Another option: If you want, skip freezing the strawberries and use just frozen banana. Or alternatively, use all fresh fruits and add an additional cup of ice cubes to make it cold.
Peel the leafs with your fingers, then clean the strawberries in water and dry any moisture with a towel so they don't stick together when frozen. Then place them in a ziplock bag or airtight container and freeze.
When your bananas are getting ripe, peel the skin and slice them in half or into small pieces then place the slices in an airtight container or ziplock bag and freezer. They last a really long time frozen, so you can store a large amount in your freezer for when you want to make this milkshake and other smoothie recipes. The riper your bananas, the sweeter your milkshake will be.
Taste and texture
This strawberry banana milkshake tastes like strawberry candy to me. The banana adds the perfect amount of sweetness, while the strawberries balance out the sweet taste with a slight tang. Strawberry is a fruit that blends really well with banana.
It's thick, creamy and ice cold like the real thing, but much more nutritious without the refined sugar and dairy from ice cream.
Best blender for milkshakes
Any blender will get the job done. However, to make the creamiest shake I recommend using a powerful blender like the Vitamix (my choice) or Ninja Blender. These are powerful enough to easily blend frozen fruits without needing to add much liquid.
If you don't have a very powerful blender you may need to add more liquid to make it easier to blend the mixture.
How to make it without a blender? A powerful food processor also works well for making thick and creamy shakes and sometimes it's what I use to make this and my mango smoothie recipe.
Other fruits you can use
Now that you know how to make a strawberry milkshake without ice cream or milk, lets talk about some healthy substitutions you can make.
- Instead of strawberries: They're the star ingredient, but other types of berries like raspberries work great too.
- Instead of banana: Keep this recipe healthy and use peeled frozen avocado and add some natural sweetener to taste like honey, maple syrup or a couple of dried dates. Other delicious fruits are frozen mango, melon or cantaloupe.
- For the liquid: Use coconut water, filtered water or any milk of your choice. To keep it Vegan and dairy-free I love adding cashew or almond milk.
Add-ons & optional toppings
- Add extra nutrition by adding a scoop of your favorite protein powder. I recommend Vital Protein collagen peptides.
- Give it some crunch and serve it with some granola. My homemade chocolate granola or the banana granola are delicious crunchy and sweet addition.
- Chocolate goes really well with strawberries so sprinkle some antioxidant rich cacao nibs on top.
- Decorate top with a few slices of fresh or frozen strawberries.
How to store leftovers
So now how can you store this milkshake and make popsicles with it?
This recipe makes enough for 2 people but if you have any leftover you can store it and drink later or make cute popsicles in ice cube trays! Here's how:
- Drink later: Fill a silicone ice cube tray or silicone muffin pan with any leftover milkshake. When ready to drink again, throw the frozen cubes in the blender with a splash of water.
- Make popsicles: Fill ice cube tray with milkshake, drop popsicle sticks inside each cavity, freeze and enjoy as a fruity popsicles.
My husband and I love this refreshing healthy strawberry shake and we hope you enjoy it too. After you make it, please share your photo and feedback in the comments below. ❤️
And if you want to try more of my healthy cold drink recipes check these out next:
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Milkshake Without Ice Cream or Milk
Ingredients
- 2 cups (288g) frozen strawberries
- 1 cup (252g) frozen bananas
- ½ cup (115ml) coconut water, filtered water or milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until all ingredients are combined.
Notes
Shop Equipment Used
Nutrition per serving
*This post may contain affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.
This recipe was originally published on Feb 11, 2016 and this post has been updated with new information, photos and recipe video. No adjustment were made to the original recipe.
