No Churn Peppermint Ice Cream and Peppermint Milkshake

Get in the holiday spirit by a Peppermint Milkshake at home! This recipe, calling for homemade No Churn Peppermint Ice Cream or scoops of your favorite store-bought brand, is a decadent treat that is perfectly minty and delightfully creamy. A smooth, pepperminty shake is the BEST holiday dessert!

Jump to Recipe

Love peppermint at the holidays? Don’t miss recipes for Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Mason Jar Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix and Peppermint Vodka!

Two pint glasses hold peppermint milkshakes, garnished with extra candy cane crumbles and red striped straws

Want to save this?

We'll email a link directly to you so you can come back to it later! Plus, you'll receive new recipes delivered to your inbox each week.

This post contains affiliate links.

My cousins like to tell the story that they loved visiting our house when we were kids because my parents always had at least one flavor of ice cream in the freezer at all times.

I feel like this might be a slight exaggeration because I don’t have vivid childhood memories of eating ice cream every night. However, it’s true to say that every member of our family adores ice cream.

One of our favorite ice creams — Peppermint Ice Cream — has become harder to come by in recent years.

So we’re going to make it at home without an ice cream machine. And then we’re turning it into a Peppermint Milkshake. Please note that the milkshake involves the peppermint ice cream, not plain Jane vanilla ice cream.

Why I love this recipe:

Who doesn’t love a Peppermint Milkshake?

I love this recipe because:

It tastes incredibly festive.
You can use store-bought ice cream, or you can go the extra mile and make No Churn Peppermint Ice Cream.
Customize the thickness and ingredients of the shake to really make it your own. (More on this below!)
You can enjoy it year-round, not just for a limited time in December or January.

And I love transforming this ice cream into a milkshake, too, because, well, it’s fun! Also, it’s a nod to the Chick-fil-A milkshake that everyone loves during the month of December… but totally homemade.

A loaf pan holds no churn peppermint ice cream, sitting on a red and white striped towel next to an ice cream scoop

What you need to make this recipe:

The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.

Let’s talk ingredients!

In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.

In addition to these tools, you’ll need a few ingredients, too.

Peppermint ice cream — I chose to make my own for this recipe, but you can use your favorite peppermint crunch or white chocolate peppermint ice cream from the store if you prefer an easier option!
Milk — this is an integral ingredient to make this peppermint milkshake recipe. We keep whole milk at our home, but you could use any type of milk here. I do not recommend using a non-dairy milk, as those tend to be thinner and because the ice cream is full of dairy.
Vanilla extract — use the best you can afford! This adds lovely undertones of vanilla to the milkshake.
Toppings — I chose to garnish my milkshakes with homemade whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies or candy canes. Mini chocolate chips or white chocolate chips would be an awesome addition, as would a bright red maraschino cherry.

Variations of this recipe:

Make it into a Peppermint Chip Milkshake. Add some dark chocolate chips before blitzing in the blender.

Make it mintier. Add a little peppermint extract for that bonus peppermint kick. (Please note that all mint extracts are not the same in flavor and potency. You want peppermint to add to a peppermint shake.)

Close up of two pint glasses holding peppermint milkshakes garnished with whipped cream and peppermint pieces

Two pint glasses with milkshake ingredient sketch on the side of them sitting on red patterned napkins and cloths with red striped straws

How to make a Peppermint Milkshake

Scoop the ice cream into the base of a blender, and measure in the milk and the vanilla extract.

Blend until the milkshake reaches your desired consistency and texture. I like mine creamy and more on the smooth side, but if you like yours a little thicker, stop when it reaches that point.

Pour into glasses, and top with whipped cream and additional candy cane pieces! You can add chopped chocolate, chocolate chips or even chips of peppermint bark if you’re feeling fancy.

Enjoy immediately.

Overhead of two ice cream creations on a marble slab surrounded by peppermints and red cloth

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has peppermint milkshakes?

Now that you know how to make this no churn peppermint ice cream at home, YOU have peppermint milkshakes!

Yes, it requires a little planning and preparation, but it’s worth the effort!

How do you thicken a milkshake?

Ice cream is your milkshake thickener! I made mine thinner here to make the sipping easier for my daughter, but you can make yours as thick as you’d like.

Keep in mind that the thicker the milkshake, the more challenging it is to sip, as well as blend.

Are you supposed to put ice in a milkshake?

No. Since ice cream is cold, you don’t need ice added to a milkshake. It will dilute the flavor as it melts.

Two pint glasses holding pink milkshakes sit on a marble serving tray, ready for enjoying

Now how ‘bout we make this ice cream and a MILKSHAKE?

Scroll on down to learn how easy this ice cream is to make and the ingredients you’ll need to whip them into a peppermint shake for the holiday season!

Peppermint Milkshake

Servings: milkshake

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

EQUIPMENT

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.