Old Fashioned Milkshake Recipe

An old fashioned milkshake recipe without ice cream is easy to make once you know how. These frothy, frosty combinations of milk and flavored soda syrup were hugely popular beverages sold at old time soda fountains and ice cream parlors.

There were three types: Standard milkshakes came in numerous flavors to tempt thirsty customers. Cream shakes added heavy cream to increase thickness and to give a richer taste. Malted shakes, or "malts" as they were commonly called, were widely popular, especially chocolate malts.

Chilled milkshakes are refreshing to drink anytime, but they taste especially good in warm weather, on a hot summer's day. Now, you can enjoy a refreshing homemade milkshake whenever you want.

Old Fashioned Milkshake Recipes Without Ice Cream

The Dispenser's Formulary or Soda Water Guide (1915)

Old Time Milkshake

Put 4 ounces, or less, of shaved ice into a thick 12-ounce tumbler, add 1 ounce vanilla syrup, fill the glass with milk and agitate the whole thoroughly.

The shaking may be done in the special machine called a "milk shaker," or with a small hand shaker like that used for making egg drinks.

After shaking, strain mixture into another glass and serve. Sprinkle on some powdered nutmeg, if desired.

Chocolate or any other non-acidulous syrup may be used if desired (acid syrups tend to curdle the milk). Price—12 ounces, 10 cents.

Coffee MilkShake

1-1/2 ounces coffee syrup, 1 tablespoonful powdered sugar, 1/2 glassful shaved or cracked ice, milk enough to fill glass. Shake well, strain, and top off with whipped cream.

Pineapple MilkShake

1/2 glassful shaved or cracked ice, 1 ounce vanilla syrup, 1 ounce pineapple syrup, enough milk to fill glass. Mix and shake as in the preceding coffee shake. Price—10 ounces, 5 cents.

Peach Milkshake

1 ounce peach syrup, 1/2 ounce grape juice, 1/2 ounce pineapple syrup, 1/2 glass shaved ice. Fill the glass with milk, shake well, and serve with two straws. The amount of syrup in this formula may be reduced.

Frosty Coffee Shake

Serve in a 12-glass. One-half fluid ounce of coffee, fill glass half-full of shaved ice, then add sugar or simple syrup to sweeten to taste, fill glass with milk and shake thoroughly, top off with nutmeg or cinnamon, and serve with straws.

Clam MilkShake

1-1/2 fluid ounces clam juice, 2 fluid ounces milk, 5 fluid ounces soda water. Add a pinch of salt and a little white pepper to each glass; shake well. Price—8 ounces, 5 cents.

Fruity Vanilla MilkShake

Fill a glass two-thirds full of milk, sweeten to taste with any fruit syrup or with sugar, and then flavor with vanilla. Fill glass up with cracked ice and shake well together until thoroughly mixed. —Neighborhood Cook Book

Chocolate Milkshake

1 ounce chocolate syrup and enough sweet milk. Fill a glass full of shaved ice, put in the chocolate syrup and add the milk until the glass is almost full. Shake well, but do not strain. Top off with whipped cream and serve with straws. Price—10 ounces, 10 cents.

Chocolate Bouche

2 fluid ounces of chocolate syrup, 1/2 glassful shaved or cracked ice, enough milk to make 12 ounces. Mix, shake well, strain, and top off with whipped cream.

Creme de Cocoa

One-third glass of shaved ice, 1-1/2 ounces chocolate syrup, 2 ounces sweet cream, 3/4 tumbler of pure milk. Shake and strain into another tumbler into which has been placed 1 tablespoon whipped cream. Grate chocolate on top and serve.

Old Fashioned MALTED Milkshake Recipe

Malted Milkshakes

To enjoy this old time soda parlor treat, simply choose one of the old fashioned milkshake recipes, but first add to it a tablespoonful or two of malted milk powder.

Malted Milk Powder is sold under different brands and it's available at most food stores, or it can be easily purchased online.

Old Fashioned CREAM Shake Recipes

The Dispenser's Formulary or Soda Water Guide (1915)

Creamed Pineapple

1-1/2 ounces crushed pineapple, 2 ounces cream, 1/4 ounce shaved ice. Fill 12-ounce glass with rich milk. Shake, toss and serve. Charge 15 cents.

Creme de Maple

2 ounces maple syrup, 2 ounces ice cream, 1 ounce plain cream. Mix, thoroughly, shake, then fill with milk and add a spray of mint. A slice of orange goes well here.

Cream Shake a la Orleans

2 ounces cream, 1 ounce chocolate syrup, 1/2 ounce orange syrup. Fill one-fourth of the glass with ice and add cream and syrups and milk enough to fill.

Shake well and strain into bell-shaped glass. Serve with straws. This formula can be altered to become a real ice cream milkshake by adding a scoopful of ice cream.

About the Old Fashioned Milkshake Recipes

The traditional soda fountain milkshake was made without carbonated water simply by shaking together flavored soda syrups and rich milk, either with or without crushed ice, and then serving immediately after straining.

Cream was sometimes added with the milk to make a thicker, richer-tasting shake. See the Cream Shake Recipes above.

For the coolest, most refreshing, most flavorful shakes, always chill the milk BEFORE making your shake and use the recommended soda syrup flavors called for in the old fashioned milkshake recipes.

Alternatively, you can make your own soda syrups for a fresher more natural old time flavor.

Shakes can be made quickly using a kitchen hand mixer, or blender, or you can make them the old time way by placing all the ingredients in a sealed container and vigorously shaking it until it's all mixed and frothy — the classic milkshake.