Creamy Candy Cane Milkshake

One doesn’t often think about a cold beverage in the cooler months, but who could resist this Creamy Candy Cane Milkshake when it tastes so great and looks so good!? These are so easy to make! Top with whipped cream and crushed candy canes to add some festive flair!

A frappuccino from Starbucks is one of my guilty pleasures, however, the rising cost of such pleasures has me learning how to make frozen drinks at home for a fraction of the cost. This Creamy Candy Cane Milkshake is prepared with vanilla ice crea, milk, peppermint extract, crushed candy canes, and whipped cream. It’s even more delicious than it looks!

In our family, we all love a quick visit to Starbucks whenever we run into town for groceries or an appointment. It’s something we all look forward to – even John.e! Until just recently, he did not care much for drinks from Starbucks. He only ever had a cookie, but that changed at Christmastime when he was hooked on the Peppermint Mocha. When Christmas was over and the drink was taken off the menu, we encouraged him to try a Mocha Frappuccino with a few pumps of peppermint syrup. It won him over!

It’s no wonder then that as soon as the photographs were taken, he scooped up this milkshake pretty quickly. I remember it being about 11am when I photographed this particular recipe. He had no issues at all with drinking a sweet treat before lunch! I would have been feeling quite ill all that day if it had been me who drank it! When it comes to frozen drinks, this one really does take the cake! It’s delicious and so easy to make too!

When I decided to share this recipe, John.e asked if it was wise to share a milkshake recipe in the cooler months. I told him it was a Christmas recipe and that not everyone around the world celebrated Christmas in freezing temperatures and snowy climates. Some warmer climates might quite enjoy a cooling, refreshing, frosty milkshake!

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my third holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Candy Cane Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Milk – I have not tested this recipe with milk alternatives and always use whole milk unless otherwise stated.
• Peppermint Extract
• Crushed Candy Canes
• Pink or Red Food Colouring – Optional. I did not use it here, but you can use a drop or two if you would prefer your milkshake to be pinkish in colour.
• Whipped Cream – For garnish and serving.

HOW TO MAKE A CREAMY CANDY CANE MILKSHAKE

Measure the ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, 2 tablespoons of the crushed candy canes, and the pink/red gel food colouring (if using) into a blender. Pulse until the ingredients are well mixed and combined. Transfer to a large glass. Top with whipped cream and the remaining crushed candy canes. Serve with a whole peppermint stick, if desired.

MAKING YOUR OWN CRUSHED CANDY CANES

If you don’t want to use the red and white crushed candy canes that you can find just about anywhere this time of year, you can crush your own candy canes by placing unwrapped, broken candy canes into a sturdy bag and firmly rolling over them with a wooden rolling pin.

Either way you look at it, the candy canes should not be crushed too finely. Many times, you’ll find they have too much powder, meaning that they have been crushed too much. You want chunky pieces in order to get the red and white speckled pattern.

I’ve tried crushing them myself and have crushed them a little too much. Even the type you buy in the store can sometimes have too much candy cane dust. You can easily fix it by filtering out the dust. Working in small amounts, place a heaping spoonful of the crushed candy canes into a colander. Sift out the dust so that you are left with nice little pieces.

NO-BAKE RECIPES

I used to think that the term no-bake meant that a recipe was more of an assembly-type recipe. Something like a salad, for example. It sounds simple enough, right? Toss the lettuce and any other veggies you want into a bowl. Top it with cheese, croutons, avocado, hard-boiled egg, etc. Add some dressing and you’re all done! But, no-bake actually just means no baking. There still might be some stove-top cooking needed – or even a microwave, for that matter.

Some other no-bake-type holiday recipes you might enjoy are these Rudolph’s Red Nose Cookies. Hairy Moose Droppings are delicious and always quite the conversation starter! Just like these Caramel Peanut Slices were a favourite of my mom’s so were these Marshmallow Coconut Balls and so were these Christmas Crunch Cookies. You can find many more no-bake cookie recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen by using the search field at the top of this page.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!