How To Make A Thick Milkshake (Like A Frosty)

Here's how to make a thick milkshake from scratch at home like the "Frosty" kind at fast-food restaurants. Give this rich, dark chocolate shake a try and see how simple it is!

I've been downsizing a lot of my sweet recipes. I just don't think it's healthy to be eating a lot of sweets, even if they are low-carb. It's better to only have a small sweet each day as needed or reserve them for special occasions.

Last weekend, I was in the mood for chocolate ice cream. I looked to my creamy chocolate frosty recipe which is an easy single-serving recipe. So, it worked out perfectly! It was enough to get rid of the craving but not so much to have leftovers and be tempted.

In this post, I'll show you how to make a thick and creamy milkshake like the "Frosty" at home.

✨ Recipe inspiration

My original recipe is modified slightly for this delicious milkshake. I chose to use dark cocoa because I prefer it over regular, and I replaced almond milk with canned coconut milk as well.

Another thing I changed was to cut the serving size in half. The carbs in the original recipe are a lot more than I wanted just to satisfy my craving for chocolate ice cream.

A great thing about this recipe is that you don't need to use chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream as a base. An ice cream maker isn't needed either! The only kitchen appliance needed is a stand or hand mixer - if you don't count the freezer.

Ingredients

All of the exact ingredient amounts to make the thick chocolate milkshake are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, here is some additional information about what I used.

Heavy Whipping Cream

The heavy whipping cream is what gives the milkshake a light and airy texture. You need this to balance out the thick texture of coconut milk.

Coconut Milk

Use canned coconut milk, not the kind you can buy in a carton in the refrigerated section. The canned coconut milk is thick and will make your milkshake have that "Frosty" consistency.

It won't taste like coconut, either!

When you use dark cocoa powder and sweeteners, it will actually taste like a milkshake.

Dark Cocoa Powder

The dark cocoa powder will give it a rich taste that matches the thick consistency. It also covers up the taste of the coconut milk effectively.

Always use sugar-free cocoa powder (most baking powders are sugar-free, but it's best to check).

Sugar Substitute

Any kind of sugar-free sweetener will do fine in this milkshake. I like liquid Monk Fruit extract because it dissolves so well in the drink.

Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.

Quick tips & variations

• If you don't like dark chocolate, just swap it out for your favorite kind. Milk chocolate or regular cocoa powder will work too.
• Add some sugar-free whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top for a little fun! Keto-friendly chocolate chips and low-carb hot fudge are great milkshake toppings too.
• If you don't want it to be too thick, just take it out of the freezer earlier. You'll get a thicker milkshake the longer it stays in the freezer.
• Use a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer. You could mix this by hand, but it will take so much longer. I love my stand mixer and use it all the time!

Instructions

Scroll down to the printable recipe card to read all the exact steps. Here are some additional tips and step-by-step photos for the thick and creamy milkshake.

Whip The Cream

First, place the heavy whipping cream in your stand mixer's bowl and then start whipping it until soft peaks form.

Soft peaks are when you lift the whisk out of the bowl and you see a peak that stays up for a little while but isn't really firm or stiff.

Mix In The Rest Of The Ingredients

After you see soft peaks, add the rest of your ingredients to the bowl. Keep mixing everything until stiffer peaks begin to form.

The stiff peaks will retain their shape even after you lift the mixer out of the bowl.

Store It In The Freezer

Scoop the chocolate whipped cream into a freezer-safe bowl and store it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Then, take it out and stir it.

Check on it every 20 minutes until it has the consistency you like.

That's it!

????️ Serving suggestions

This sugar free milkshake is a really sweet dessert, so I like to pair it with something salty. To get that "fries and Frosty" experience, make some green bean fries and munch on them with this milkshake.

Other low-carb salty snacks that taste delicious with this chocolate drink are pepperoni chips or radish chips.

FAQs

Before we get to the printable recipe card, here are some questions people often ask about this thick and creamy milkshake.

How many carbs are in this milkshake?

This recipe doesn't make much. Many people will want to eat the entire amount as one serving and that's perfectly okay. However, the total carb count will be close to 19 grams. If you subtract fiber, it gets down to about 5 grams of net carbs.

I chose to only eat half of the recipe and save the other half for later.

How do you store a thick milkshake in the freezer?

If you don't eat it right away, it will get rock hard in the freezer. So, if the milkshake is completely frozen, let it sit out at room temperature before eating.

Store it in an airtight container in the freezer. It will stay fresh for up to 6 months.

Can you drink this milkshake with a straw?

Although you can sip this with a straw, it's really thick and I prefer eating it with a spoon. Even the regular fast food shakes that I used to have were eaten with a spoon rather than a straw.

What keto-friendly toppings can I mix into the milkshake?

This is the fun part - add all of your favorite sugar-free toppings! I like to top it with a little sugar-free whipped cream. Then, sprinkle some cinnamon on top.

You could also add sugar-free sprinkles or your favorite sugar-free chocolate chips.

There you go! I hope you enjoyed this low-carb frozen dessert. Whenever I am craving fast-food ice cream, I just make this instead. It still hits the spot and is perfect for when I really want chocolate.

Related recipes

If you enjoyed this keto-friendly milkshake recipe, here are some more low-carb desserts you should try next.

• Keto Vanilla Ice Cream is a basic recipe that everyone should have on hand, especially in the summertime.
• Strawberry Sugar-Free Popsicles are perfect for kids and adults and are so refreshing on a hot day.
• Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream is a dairy-free alternative to regular ice cream.
• Sugar-Free Fudge Pops are luxurious and taste like your favorite chocolate treat.
• Keto Butter Pecan Ice Cream is so rich and has real pecans mixed in. And, it only has 1.7g net carbs in each serving.

Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!

Recipe

Dark Chocolate Thick Milkshake

4.50 from 6 votes

Making thick homemade milkshakes like the fast food restaurants is easy to do. Try this thick and rich low carb dark chocolate frosty milkshake!

Prep Time:10 mins

Total Time:10 mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe View Collections

Servings: 2

Calories: 302

Video

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 5 tablespoons canned coconut milk
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoons low carb sugar substitute or other sugar substitute

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Start whipping cream with mixer until soft peaks form.
• Slowly add remaining ingredients.
• Continue beating until stiffer peaks form.
• Put mixture in freezer.
• After 20 minutes, remove from freezer and stir with fork to break up frozen areas around edges.
• Keep checking mix every 20 minutes and stir until it’s reached the right consistency.

Notes

If you don't like dark chocolate, just swap it out for your favorite kind. Milk chocolate or regular cocoa powder will work too.

Add some sugar-free whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top for a little fun!

If you don't want it to be too thick, just take it out of the freezer earlier. The longer it stays in the freezer, the thicker it becomes.

Use a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer. You could mix this by hand, but it will take so much longer. I love my stand mixer and use it all the time!

The shake will get rock hard if left in the freezer. So, if the milkshake is completely frozen, let it sit out at room temperature before eating.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. It will stay fresh for up to 6 months.

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Serving: 113g | Calories: 302 | Carbohydrates: 9.3g | Protein: 4.8g | Fat: 27.1g | Saturated Fat: 19.5g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 128mg | Fiber: 6.8g | Sugar: 1.3g

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 2.5 g | % Carbs: 3.7 % | % Protein: 7 % | % Fat: 89.3 % | SmartPoints: 14

Values

Array
(
    [serving_size] => 113
    [calories] => 302
    [carbohydrates] => 9.3
    [protein] => 4.8
    [fat] => 27.1
    [saturated_fat] => 19.5
    [trans_fat] => 0
    [cholesterol] => 62
    [sodium] => 128
    [fiber] => 6.8
    [sugar] => 1.3
)

Notes on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Copyright

© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.

First published on February 10, 2016. Last updated on May 13, 2021, with higher resolution images and additional recipe information.