Vegan Chocolate Milkshake
This vegan chocolate milkshake blends chocolate plant milk, frozen bananas, cocoa powder and a touch of agave into a thick, creamy drink in under five minutes. There is no dairy and no refined sugar, just whole-food sweetness from ripe bananas, so you can sip it as a snack or even serve it for breakfast.
I’ve always loved milkshakes, but they’re often filled with sugar, fat and other unhealthy ingredients. Well, this recipe is different. Forget about the sugary, dairy-based milkshakes and try my version instead. For this one I used my favorite milk from Joya, the Soya Choco Drink. It is so good that you can simply drink it on its own, because it tastes just like regular chocolate milk. I also love their vanilla-flavored ones.
I’ve used these vegan drinks in other recipes too, such as my vegan chicken soup, vegan vanilla cheesecake and roasted garlic pasta. I love that they’re versatile and work in both sweet and savory dishes (the unflavored ones, of course). For this milkshake, though, the chocolate version is exactly what you want.
Key ingredients
Chocolate vegan milk is the body of the drink. I use Joya’s Soya Choco Drink, but any chocolate plant milk works. If you’d rather skip soy, an oat-based chocolate milk gives you the same creamy result with a slightly sweeter, rounder flavor. A chilled carton blends colder and froths better than one straight from a warm pantry shelf.
Frozen bananas are what make this thick and milkshake-like without any ice cream. As bananas freeze, the starch and water lock into the flesh, so when you blend them they whip into a soft-serve texture. Use spotty, ripe bananas, peel them before freezing, and break them into chunks so your blender doesn’t struggle.
Cocoa powder deepens the chocolate so the milkshake doesn’t taste flat or only banana-sweet. Unsweetened natural cocoa gives a brighter, more intense cocoa hit, while Dutch-process is darker and mellower. Either works, so reach for whichever you keep on hand.
Agave syrup is there only to fine-tune the sweetness, and you may not need it at all if your bananas are very ripe. Maple syrup, date syrup or a couple of soft dates blended in are all good swaps. Add it last, taste, then decide.
Tips for getting it right
- Freeze the bananas ahead. This is the one step that decides whether you get a milkshake or a thin chocolate drink. Fresh bananas will taste fine but blend watery, so keep a stash of peeled, chunked bananas in the freezer.
- Add the milk first, bananas on top. Liquid at the base of the blender lets the blades catch and pull the frozen chunks down, so it blends evenly instead of jamming.
- Pour the milk in gradually. Start with less and add more only if it’s too thick to move. Too much liquid at once and you lose that scoopable, spoon-standing texture.
- You know it’s ready when the milkshake moves in a slow swirl and the blender note drops to a smooth, even hum with no chunks rattling around.
- Taste before you sweeten. Ripe frozen bananas are already sweet, so blend first, then add agave only if it needs it. The most common mistake here is over-sweetening before tasting.
How I serve it
I love this topped with some crunchy cereals for a breakfast dessert that doesn’t feel like a compromise. A drizzle of melted chocolate down the inside of the glass makes it look like something from a diner, and it sets into thin ribbons against the cold milkshake. If you’re leaning into the chocolate, this pairs well with my easy chocolate mousse for an all-chocolate afternoon.
Storage and make-ahead
A milkshake is best the moment it’s blended, while it’s thick and cold. It won’t keep well once poured, because the bananas start to soften and separate and you lose the texture. What you can prep ahead is the frozen banana, so keep a bag of peeled chunks in the freezer and you’re under five minutes from a finished drink any time. If you do have leftovers, pour them into popsicle molds and freeze for a quick chocolate-banana ice pop. For another frozen banana idea, try my chocolate banana blackberry smoothie.
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Vegan Chocolate Milkshake
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate vegan milk I used soy milk by Joya
- 2 bananas frozen
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp agave syrup or any other healthy sweetener of choice
- optional – melted chocolate to drizzle over
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Drizzle with melted chocolate on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is much lighter than a classic milkshake. There is no dairy, no ice cream and no refined sugar, just chocolate plant milk, frozen bananas, cocoa and a little agave if needed. The banana brings natural sweetness and creaminess, so you get a rich drink that is mild enough to serve for breakfast.
Yes, and that is exactly what this recipe does. Frozen bananas give you the thick, scoopable texture you would normally get from ice cream. As bananas freeze and then blend, they whip into a soft-serve consistency, so you do not need any frozen dessert to get a proper milkshake.
Any chocolate plant milk works. Oat chocolate milk is a great swap and tends to taste slightly sweeter and rounder. Almond, coconut or hazelnut chocolate milk also work; choose based on the flavor you like, since the milk carries a lot of the taste.
The usual cause is using fresh bananas instead of frozen, or adding too much milk at once. Freeze peeled banana chunks first, then add the milk gradually, starting with less and topping up only if the blender struggles. That keeps the milkshake thick and spoonable rather than watery.
It is best blended and served right away, while it is cold and thick. Once poured it softens and separates, so it does not store well as a drink. Instead, keep peeled frozen banana chunks ready in the freezer so the milkshake takes under five minutes whenever you want one.
Absolutely. With plant milk, banana and cocoa, it is essentially a chocolate smoothie in milkshake form. Top it with crunchy cereals for a breakfast dessert, and add a spoon of nut butter or some oats if you want it more filling to start the day.
I used maple syrup instead of agave, oat milk and an unfrozen banana and ice and it was delicious 🙂
Thank you!
what is vegan milk? would the normal whole milk do as alternative?
Sure, you can use any type of milk you want. Vegan milk is plant milk, made from nuts, seeds and even cereals. 🙂
This was SO good! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
You’re welcome!