Ninja Creami Fresh Strawberry Milkshake
Homemade Strawberry Milkshakes: A Nostalgic Treat Made Better
There’s something magical about a creamy milkshake on a really hot day. When the mercury rises, nothing quite hits the spot like a thick, creamy frozen drink. For years, I reluctantly settled for fast-food milkshakes. They are convenient, but hardly satisfying. They served their purpose in a pinch, but they were a poor substitute for the real thing.
A Lost London Treasure
My love affair with proper milkshakes began at an unexpected place, the old soda fountain in the old Harrods Food Hall. This was no ordinary fast food counter. Tucked away among the luxury groceries and gourmet deli counters, this retro soda fountain with its vintage milkshake machine became my regular stop whenever I was in Knightsbridge.
The setup was wonderfully old-fashioned, counter seating only, where you could watch staff work their magic with a classic chrome milkshake machine.
My order never varied, fresh strawberry milkshake, made to order with real, ripe strawberries. Each serving filled about one and a half of those classic tall sundae glasses, generous enough that it often replaced lunch entirely.
Sadly, like so many good London spots, the soda fountain is no more. The Harrods Food Hall has been transformed beyond recognition, now housing upscale dining concepts including Tom Kerridge’s restaurant, where fish and chips will set you back £40. The intimate charm of that counter-service soda fountain is just a memory.
Finding the Next Best Thing
For years after, I searched for something comparable in London. The closest I’ve found so far was at Five Guys, the American burger chain that takes its milkshakes seriously. Their secret is a quality vanilla ice cream base blended with fresh fruit and not ready-made flavourings.
The Ninja Creami Homemade Solution
Enter the Ninja Creami, a game-changing kitchen appliance that’s revolutionised my milkshake-making capabilities. This fabulous machine has given me back what I lost when Harrods closed their soda fountain, the ability to enjoy delicious milkshakes whenever I want, made with only good quality ingredients.
Read my review of the Ninja Creami Ice Cream Machine here.
Now that I have a Ninja Creami Deluxe, I can make as many fresh strawberry milkshakes as I want, using the best ingredients like organic milk and organic vanilla ice cream and reduce the sugar used too. The beauty of making milkshakes at home lies in the ingredients you use. I now prepare batches of organic vanilla ice cream as a base. Gone are the shop-bought ice creams laden with stabilisers, gums, and ultra-processed additives, those mysterious ingredients you can’t pronounce that bear little resemblance to actual food.
Check prices for the Ninja Creami Deluxe on Amazon here.
The Perfect Strawberry Milkshake
The method couldn’t be simpler. Combine your homemade ice cream, fresh macerated strawberries, and milk in the Ninja Creami, select the milkshake setting, and within minutes, you’re sipping liquid nostalgia.
The quality of your strawberries matters enormously. Get the fragrant, in season, properly ripened fruit, and you’ll need far less added sugar. British strawberries in the summer are ideal for this. Their brief season produces fruit that’s intensely flavorful, smells heavenly and wonderfully sweet. Head to your local pick-your-own farm and load up.
If you’re fortunate enough to find wild strawberries (fraises des bois), particularly in Italian or French markets, snap them up immediately. These tiny gems, usually smaller than cultivated varieties, deliver concentrated sweetness and an intoxicating perfume that elevates a milkshake from good to transcendent.
A little twist on the classic strawberry shake, to make it with even more berry flavour, start with a strawberry ice cream, then blend in more fruit when you make the milkshake. The perfume and flavour of your milkshake will have intensified.
Beyond Strawberry: A World of Flavours
Once you’ve mastered the basic technique and stocked your freezer with homemade vanilla ice cream, the creative possibilities are endless:
- Classic Vanilla – sometimes simplicity is perfection
- Banana – use overripe fruit for maximum fruit flavour
- Chocolate – add quality cocoa powder or melted dark chocolate
- Salted Caramel – a sophisticated adult twist
- Peanut Butter – indulgent and protein-rich
- Oreo – a cookies-and-cream crowd-pleaser
- Raspberry – for when ripe strawberries aren’t available
- Other berries – using coulis made with any other berry
Ninja Creami Dairy-Free milkshakes
The beauty of homemade is adaptability. For those avoiding dairy, the same principles apply. Simply start with a dairy-free vanilla ice cream base made with alternative milks and plant-based creams. Oat milk and coconut milk work very well, creating rich, creamy results that don’t feel like a compromise.
Fresh Strawberry Milkshake
Ingredients
- 300 g vanilla ice cream
- 85 g whole milk
- 150 g fresh strawberries stems removed and cut in half
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into empty tub in the order listed.
- Please use the Quick Start Guide for bowl assembly and unit interaction information.
- Select MILK SHAKE.
- Once processing is complete, remove milkshake from tub and serve immediately.
Notes
Homemade milkshakes are the best
What started as nostalgia for a lost London landmark has evolved into something better, the freedom to recreate and improve upon those memories whenever the mood strikes. With a little preparation and quality ingredients, you’re never more than minutes away from a milkshake that rivals or surpasses anything you’ll find outside. And unlike that Harrods soda fountain, this one’s not going anywhere.
If you try this and have your own twists, do let me know in the comments or tag me on social media with #ECXFOOD
Now that I have a Ninja Creami, I can make as many fresh strawberry milkshakes as I want, using the best ingredients like organic milk and organic vanilla ice cream and reduce the sugar used too. I make a few tubs of the organic vanilla ice cream to use as a base for various other flavours and to make milkshakes. I don’t have to resort to the shop-bought vanilla ice cream that has fillers like gum and a whole host of ultra-processed ingredients.
