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This delicious chocolate cherry milkshake is a naturally sweet healthy spin on the standard milkshake, made with frozen cherries and maple syrup.
This post was created in partnership with the Cherry Marketing Institute. All opinions are our own.
Growing up, my family tended to reward ourselves with ice cream for making it through a piano or dance recital (my sister or me for performing, my parents for not falling asleep). One of our favorite spots was in downtown Minneapolis: a place called The Malt Shop, which served chocolate malts in gigantic frosted glasses. Nothing felt better post-adrenaline rush than slurping thick frozen goodness through a candy-stripped straw, with some onion rings on the side if I was lucky.
After an unhealthy milkshake craze in college, I put my milkshake habit to bed, and these days my stomach has a harder time digesting a whole one. However, there’s something sweetly nostalgic about a milkshake that I’m not ready to give up. Keep reading for this healthy spin on a cherry milkshake recipe!
How to make a cherry milkshake
This chocolate cherry milkshake is a healthy-ish whole food version we’ve created based on the old standard. Instead of ice cream, we’ve used frozen Montmorency cherries and milk. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, there’s a hint of cocoa powder and vanilla. In a frosted milkshake glass with a fancy red-and-white straw, this cherry milkshake is just as good as the real thing.
And for added flair to this cherry milkshake, we created chocolate swirls as a garnish! To make them, simply melt down a bit of dark chocolate, drizzle it onto parchment paper, then freeze it. As a side benefit, it doubles as a cathartic adult art project! Use a few swirls for a garnish, and you can stir the remaining swirls into the milkshake if desired for a bit more chocolate.
We’ve been working on trying to eat sweets in moderation, so this recipe cherry milkshake solidly in that bucket. And yet, it’s focused on whole foods, highlighting the sweet-tart goodness of tart cherries — which makes it a fantastic nostalgic treat in our household. It’s also customizable for dairy-free and vegan diets as well using coconut milk. We hope you enjoy it — let us know if you give it a try!
Montmorency tart cherries
This cherry milkshake is the last in a series of recipes with tart cherries we’ve created for the Cherry Marketing Institute. Montmorency tart cherries are mainly grown on small family orchards in the US and Canada — they’re available year round dried, frozen, and as juice in grocery stores and online. Rich in nutrients, they can help with anything from inflammation and exercise recovery to sleep. Cherries are a great snack food — either right out of the container (our favorite!) or with nuts or seeds for a fantastic combo of fiber + protein. More details about Montmorency tart cherries are at choosecherries.com.
Looking for more cherry recipes?
Outside of this cherry milkshake, here are a few of our favorite cherry recipes:
- Cherry Granola Smoothie Bowl Recipe
- Cherry Goat Cheese Bites
- Cherry Cacao Nib Snack Bars
- Dark Chocolate Cherry Quinoa Bars
- Chai Chia Tart Cherry Jam
- Cherry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal
- Chocolate Cherry Galette
Looking for more fruit desserts?
Outside of this cherry chocolate milkshake, here are our favorite fruit desserts on A Couple Cooks:
- Easy Bananas Foster Recipe
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- Granola Instant Pot Apple Crisp
- Orange & Fennel Upside Down Cornmeal Cake
This cherry milkshake recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, use coconut milk.
Chocolate Cherry Milkshake
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 2 milkshakes 1x
Description
This delicious chocolate cherry milkshake is a naturally sweet healthy spin on the standard milkshake, made with frozen cherries and maple syrup.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 3 ½ cups frozen Montmorency cherries, plus 2 cherries for garnish
- 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups 2% milk or coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the chocolate swirls (optional), melt the chocolate by filling a large skillet halfway with water and bringing it to a simmer. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl (metal or glass). Once the water is simmering, turn off the heat and place the bowl of chocolate in the water, then stir until it is melted. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate onto the paper in random swirl patterns. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until serving, at least 10 minutes.
- For the milkshakes, in a blender combine frozen Montmorency cherries, cocoa powder, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and if desired, stir in chocolate swirls, leaving out 2 for a garnish. Serve immediately, garnished with chocolate swirls and extra frozen cherries.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: American
Oh my goodness I would love these!! I have to try and make them soon x
I just made these and can’t wait to see if the kids love them – I already do!! Thanks for recipe!
Ooo I hope they enjoyed them! Let us know! :)
I am excited to try this! I am a huge supporter of moderation, but its a daily struggle lol :) Happy to have such a lovely recipe to try that I don’t have to feel bad about :) Thanks you two!
These are definitely more beautiful than any milkshake I’ve ever had! Cherries and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
I can’t wait to try this! Beautiful photography too.
I never knew chocolate and cherries mixed so well together. I loved this shake and so did my son. What kind of camera did you use for these awesome photos by the way?