For The Thickest Milkshakes, Always Go For This Expert Ice Cream To Milk Ratio

Milkshakes are that delicious middle ground between ice cream and milk, hovering just in between needing a hefty straw and a spoon to eat it. It has a thick consistency that a regular, watery beverage can't touch, so much so that you will absolutely notice when a milkshake isn't viscous enough because it means you've made a mistake.

How do you ensure your homemade milkshakes are thick enough? The Takeout spoke to Eric Dorval, a gelato maestro and the owner of V Gelato in Miami, Florida. Dorval explained that ideally, a milkshake needs more ice cream than milk to get the right texture and thickness. To that end, he recommended a two-to-one ice cream to milk ratio. "Too much milk and it'll be too watery, and not enough would make it too thick and undrinkable," Dorval said.

That ratio really matters. On the extreme end of things, you might end up with extraordinarily thick milkshakes like the ones in Utah because of how much ice cream they contain compared to milk. Or you might get a concoction resembling cold chocolate milk if there isn't enough ice cream. If your homemade milkshake texture is far from how you want it, add more ice cream to thicken it, or add more milk to water it down, but Dorval's ratio is a great place to start.

While reducing the amount of milk in a shake can thicken it up, Eric Dorval said the type of milk you put into your milkshake makes a difference, too. Whole milk is the usual choice for milkshakes because the higher fat content makes it creamier, and going with less fatty milk will make your milkshake less creamy. Beyond tampering with that ice cream to milk ratio and maybe your milk choice, there really isn't much else you should be doing to get the milkshake to your desired consistency.

Dorval insisted that stabilizers and other mix-ins to help thicken a milkshake shouldn't be necessary if you're working with decent-quality ingredients. "I think if you need to add ingredients to thicken your milkshake, then you already have a problem and should probably change the ice cream or gelato," he said. "The most I would do is adjust my ice cream to milk ratio." It's very possible to make a milkshake without ice cream if you've got the right substitutes, but a simple milkshake with ice cream and milk shouldn't need anything more. Toppings are a different story, and you're welcome to sweeten milkshakes with fruits, sprinkles, cookies, or even maple syrup.