Yes, we have a bit of a thing for cheesecakes around here. They’re pretty simple to scale down to serve two–please see my mini strawberry cheesecakes made in muffin pans. But, I’ve also perfected no bake crustless cheesecake for two in small ramekins that you can keep on hand anytime a craving hits. However, whirring all the flavors of cheesecake up in a blender and drinking it with a straw just hits right in the hot summer months. Today, we’re using my old post Milkshakes: How to Make to adapt and turn into creamy, dreamy cheesecake milkshakes.
Ingredients for Cheesecake Milkshakes
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Use any vanilla ice cream you prefer, but I have found that the vanilla bean ones taste the most like cheesecake in this recipe.Milk. Any type of milk works here, such as skim to whole milk. We need a small amount of liquid to help the cream cheese and ice cream blend together.Cream Cheese. This doesn’t need to be softened, since we’re blending it.Powdered Sugar. Only 1 tablespoon for extra sweetness in this recipe, but please read below for flavor options.Lemon Juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice brings the tart flavor we know and love in cheesecake.Vanilla. An extra dose of vanilla makes this taste more like a baked dessert.Graham Crackers. Crush 2 whole sheets and add them to the blender at the end, and serve the cheesecake milkshakes garnished with extra graham crackers for fun. Alternatively, you can use ¼ cup of graham cracker crumbs.For serving: whipped cream, cherries, and extra graham crackers for garnish.
How to Make Cheesecake Milkshakes
Substitutions
Often, no bake desserts are a chance to make something simple that feeds a crowd, and so I have some substitution suggestions to make this suitable for any diet.
Ice Cream - Please, use any type of ice cream that works for your family. Personally, we choose egg-free versions, but you can also use a vegan or non-dairy product.Cream Cheese - I also just want to mention that I successfully use a vegan cream cheese product when I make this for my vegan husband.Graham Crackers - Gluten-free graham crackers work great here. I like this brand. If you have graham cracker crumbs in your pantry, use ¼ cup of crumbs instead of the 2 whole sheets called for in this recipe. Sprinkle extra crumbs on top before serving (as seen in the photos).Powdered Sugar - If you want to make this a flavored cheesecake milkshake, such as a strawberry cheesecake milkshake, omit the powdered sugar and replace it with 2 tablespoons of jam. Use strawberry jam for a strawberry cheesecake milkshake, and blueberry jam for a blueberry cheesecake milkshake. Also, add 8 ounces (or 1 cup) of frozen fruit in your desired flavor.
Equipment
Just about any type of blender will make this cheesecake milkshake recipe, as long as it has a wide base and a strong motor to blend everything together. You can even cut this recipe in half and make it in a personal blender for a single serving. In our house, we use a Vitamix, because its strong motor makes quick work of pureeing. Less powerful blenders require too much blending, and then the mixture heats up and melts too much. I make my banana milkshake in both of these gadgets, and it’s perfect, every time! 2. Add the 2 graham cracker sheets. Pulse again until smooth, though there will be chunks of graham cracker in it! 3. Divide between two glasses and serve with whipped cream, extra graham cracker crumbs and a cherry on top of each glass. Six scoops of ice cream is roughly 1 ¼ pints. Graham Crackers: You can use ¼ cup of graham cracker crumbs if you don’t have whole crackers.
