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This butterscotch milkshake is decadent, rich, buttery, cold, and creamy. Top it all off with coconut whipped cream, pecans, and an extra drizzle of butterscotch sauce. If you’re craving a cold treat, then this nostalgic milkshake will definitely hit the spot.
why You’ll love this butterscotch milkshake
Butterscotch is such an underrated flavor. It’s like a richer version of caramel and it pairs so well with ice cream. Just like my Creamy Coconut Milkshake, this recipe is also incredibly easy.
- Quick and Easy: You only need 3 ingredients, plus whatever toppings you’d like of course, and it only takes 5 minutes to whip up.
- Perfect for special occasions or as a Summer treat: Butterscotch is one of those flavors that can be enjoyed year-round, but it does feel a bit festive, so this milkshake is also a fabulous holiday dessert idea!
- Easy to make dairy free: I used dairy free butterscotch sauce and vegan ice cream in this recipe, but you can use what you have on hand.
why this recipe works
This recipe combines ice cream (dairy-free in my case), butterscotch sauce, and milk (again dairy-free). These 3 ingredients create a smooth yet rich drink.
I’m using a store-bought butterscotch sauce today to make this milkshake extra fast, but you could also easily make your own at home. I have a caramel sauce recipe that can easily be turned into butterscotch by swapping the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
The Ingredients
One of the things I love about this recipe is how dang simple it is. You only need a couple of simple ingredients. Buuut like most recipes that only use a few ingredients, it’s important that you’re using high-quality ingredients. For example, if you use ice cream that isn’t very good, it will affect the flavor of your entire milkshake.
You’ll need to gather the following ingredients to make the Butterscotch Milkshake:
- Ice Cream, I used a dairy free vanilla ice cream
- Butterscotch Sauce, I used a vegan one by Nature’s Path
- Plant Milk, I used Oat Milk
Where to Buy Vegan Butterscotch Sauce
Today I’m using a coconut-based butterscotch sauce which I ordered online. The sauce I’m using is by Nature’s Path. This sauce was super-rich, creamy, and buttery.
It had a really delicious sweet flavor. The only issue I had with this store-bought sauce was that the coconut oil in it did separate out at room temperature. But this was easily fixed by microwaving the sauce for about 5 seconds.
While I ordered this sauce online, most health food stores also carry Nature’s Path products. You could try looking at Whole Foods. If you’re not able to find this sauce online or in stores, you can also easily make your own!
Homemade Vegan Butterscotch Sauce
While I don’t have a dedicated butterscotch syrup recipe here on the blog, you can make my coconut caramel sauce with a slight modification to make it butterscotch!
Follow the instructions and ingredients in this recipe but swap the granulated sugar for light brown sugar. And viola, you have a rich homemade vegan butterscotch syrup!
The ice cream
The kind of ice cream you choose to use in this recipe has a huge impact on the final outcome! This is where a lot of the flavor, sweetness, and texture come from.
I recommend a vanilla plant-based ice cream that isn’t too overly sweet. One of my favorite vanilla ice creams I’ve tried is by Coconut Bliss. Their Madagascan Vanilla Bean Ice Cream has the BEST vanilla flavor I’ve ever had.
Equipment and Tools
To make a smooth and creamy milkshake, you’ll need a high-speed blender.
If you don’t have a blender, you could also try using a food processor.
Step By Step Instructions
This dairy-free milkshake is super simple to make and only takes about 5 or so minutes from start to finish.
Below are the main steps for making this Butterscotch Milkshake:
STEP 1: In a high speed blender, add the vanilla ice cream, dairy free milk, and butterscotch sauce. Make sure the ingredients are very cold for the best results!
STEP 2: Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until well combined, smooth, and creamy.
STEP 3: In a glass of your choice, drizzle 1 tbsp of butterscotch sauce onto the inside of the glass. This is optional but adds a nice touch.
STEP 4: Pour the milkshake into the glass and top it with whipped cream, pecans, and more butterscotch sauce.
Milkshake Toppings
This milkshake is best served immediately, so that the texture is nice and thick- not melted! Feel free to top it off with any of your favorite toppings.
There are so many different ingredients you can use to dress up and top your shake. Below are some of my personal favorites!
- More Butterscotch Sauce
- Pecans or Walnuts
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Sprinkles
- Maraschino Cherries
FAQ
I recommend using a vanilla ice cream that isn’t super sweet. The butterscotch sauce is very very sweet and rich, so if you end up using a super sweet ice cream, the milkshake will be too sugary. I really like this plant-based vanilla ice cream.
To make your own butterscotch sauce, you can follow this recipe here! Follow the instructions and the ingredients, but swap the granulated sugar for brown sugar to make this sauce butterscotch flavored.
The ingredients below make 3-4 servings. I was able to fill up one very large glass with the ingredients below, but it’s a lot of milkshake, definitely enough for 3-4 people.
Yep, the dairy-free ice cream and butterscotch sauce can be swapped 1 for 1 with dairy-based ingredients.
Looking for more dessert recipes?
- Brown Sugar Pumpkin Shaken Espresso
- Peaches and Cream Ice Cream Bars
- Cookie Dough Nice Cream
- Taro Milk Tea with Real Taro
- Oreo Bubble Milk Tea
- Creamy Mango Mousse
Did you make This Butterscotch Milkshake Recipe?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Creamy Butterscotch Milkshake
This butterscotch milkshake is decadent, rich, buttery, cold, and creamy. Top it all off with coconut whipped cream, pecans, and an extra drizzle of butterscotch sauce. If you're craving a cold treat this nostalgic milkshake will hit the spot. I used dairy-free ingredients to make it vegan-friendly too!
Ingredients
- 3 cups vanilla ice cream, I used vegan vanilla coconut milk ice cream
- ¾ cup oat milk or milk of choice
- ¼ cup store bought butterscotch sauce, see notes for homemade options
Toppings:
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Chopped Pecans
- Butterscotch Sauce, I used one by Nature’s Path
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, add vanilla ice cream, dairy-free milk, and butterscotch sauce.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until well combined, smooth, and creamy.
- In a glass of your choice, drizzle 1 tbsp of butterscotch sauce onto the inside of the glass.
- Pour the milkshake into the glass and top it with whipped cream, pecans, and more butterscotch sauce.
- The ingredients above make 1 very large milkshake (like in the photos) which contains 3-4 servings.
Notes
Homemade Vegan Butterscotch Sauce:
Follow the instructions in this recipe, but swap the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
Store-bought Butterscotch Sauce:
I used this sauce by Nature's Path which I ordered online.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 830Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 5gSugar: 42gProtein: 4g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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