It’s a healthy dessert day! This rich and creamy Date Shake tastes like an old-fashioned vanilla milkshake with a kiss of cinnamon, but it’s made with frozen bananas, dates, and almond butter.
My love for milkshakes began in my childhood, when my dad would make vanilla shakes in the blender for my sisters and me as a special post-dinner treat.
The milkshake affair continued on to high school, where every weekend, my friends and I would end the night at the one and only 24-hour diner on our side of town.
My order was always a large milkshake.
I’d pressure my then-boyfriend into ordering fries so that I could dip them. (I KNOW. I’m one of those fry-in-the Frosty people.)
In college, I worked at a late-night on-campus eatery, where I became intimately acquainted with the shake needs of rowdy undergrads at 3 a.m.
Today, I still love the taste, texture, and refreshing nature of milkshakes but not the heavy feeling they leave in my stomach afterward.
This is a healthy date shake recipe without ice cream, but it tastes like a true treat. You’re going to love it!
How to Make the Best Date Shake
The original date shake came from Palm Springs.
But with a few simple ingredients, no matter where you live you can make a vanilla date shake for a fraction of what you’d pay at a fancy resort.
- A date shake has the same consistency as a traditional milkshake, but the sweetness comes entirely from the dates and frozen banana.
- This is also a vegan date shake recipe, which means those with dairy allergies can enjoy it (the same is true of my copycat Shamrock Shake).
The Ingredients
- Dates. Dates are nature’s candy! They give this shake plenty of sweetness without the need for added sugar. Dates are packed with fiber and antioxidants.
- Frozen Bananas. Blended frozen bananas taste remarkably like ice cream and make the shake thick, sweet, and creamy. Bananas are rich in potassium and fiber.
- Almond Butter. Gives the shake richness and nuttiness. With healthy fats, almond butter also helps make it more satisfying.
- Vanilla Almond Milk. I love the subtle vanilla flavor and nuttiness of vanilla almond milk, but you can use any milk you have on hand.
- Vanilla. Adds a warmth that perfectly complements the dates.
The Directions
- Add the shake ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 day. To thicken it up again, reblend the mixture with more frozen fruit, ice, or dates.
- To Freeze. Freeze the date shake in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 month in advance, prepare a handful of date shakes (multiply the recipe as desired). Freeze them in portions in airtight containers. Thaw and enjoy as needed.
What to Serve with a Date Shake
Banana Date Shake Recipe Variations
- Go Tropical. Add mango and sprinkle the top with toasted coconut.
- Chocolate. Add a teaspoon or two of unsweetened cocoa powder and a handful of chocolate chips.
- Protein Date Shake. Feel free to add a scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder. Chocolate protein powder in the chocolate version would be mighty tasty too.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- High-Powered Blender. Check out this one for a more economical option.
- Measuring Spoons. I love how easily these stay together during storage.
- Stainless Steel Straws. My favorite straws to use for shakes and smoothies!
The Best Blender
This high-powered blender is a workhorse! It can create perfectly smooth shakes, smoothies, dips, soups, and more.
I hope you love this rich, creamy, healthy banana date shake as much as we do. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can swap the almond butter for any nut-free butter you enjoy. Make sure you also use a nut-free milk.
While you may need to soak your dates for a recipe like Vegan Cookie Dough Bars with Chocolate Chips, you do not need to soak them for this shake recipe.
Date Shake
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas cut into chunks and frozen (about 2 cups sliced)
- 4 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter plus additional to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or milk of choice
- Small handful ice cubes optional
Instructions
- Place the banana, dates, almond butter, vanilla extract, and almond milk in a high powered blender (if you do not have a high-powered blender, I recommend blending the milk and half of the frozen fruit first, then slowly adding the rest of the fruit and remaining ingredients).
- Blend until smooth. If you would like the shake a bit thicker, add a few ice cubes and blend again. Taste and add additional almond butter if you'd like the shake a little richer or another date if you'd like it sweeter. Pour and enjoy!
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 day. To thicken it up again, reblend the mixture with more frozen fruit, ice, or dates.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze the date shake in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
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Love this healthy take on a shake (ha ha – I made a rhyme!). The color is just FAB!
I just finished an almond milk smoothie – wish I had remembered to put dates in it! Such a delicious treat, so sweet, creamy and no doubt delicious :)
Tricia, you have to try it in your next one. SOOOOO yummy!!
Adding this to my to-make list!
To be honest this looks like a delicious breakfast smoothie for me instead of dessert shake…but can’t wait to try it! :)
It’s sweeter and a little more indulgent that a typical smoothie, so I definitely feel like it qualifies for dessert, but if you want to eat it for breakfast, CHEERS!
Healthy shake!! Surely try for it, thanks for sharing it.
Cheers! I hope you love it Daniale!
Tried this with strawberries last night – delish! Do you think this would work freezing in popsicle molds as well?
Hi Erin! I think it would freeze a little too hard for popsicle molds. I’d suggest adding a bit more fat and maybe a nondairy yogurt to see if you can get a softer consistency. Using more banana might help too. I’m SO glad you loved it as a shake. The strawberries sound super yummy!
Wow, this looks incredible. I love the caramel flavor of dates, and I’m pretty sure they’ll taste amazing with all the vegan yummies included in this shake!
I love that about them too Sabrina. I hope you love the shake!
I make something similar to this with dates, frozen berries, bananas and water (sometimes almond milk) as a fiber smoothie! Works great for pregnancy constipation relief! Lol
Joella, that combo sounds delicious!! And a good boost of fiber is helpful for us all :)
Ha! Love how you described it as a smoothie affair. I’m in the same situation except mine will never end! Haha This is how I never run out of the best smoothies – http://bit.ly/2OI03mM
Thanks for this recipe it’s perfect!
Thank you for sharing, Makayla! I’m so happy you loved this recipe!
Erin,
I love the idea of this recipe. My youngest daughter is allergic to dairy and this is a perfect solution to her getting to have milk shakes again. So here is a thought. Is there a way to make a dairy free pumpkin milkshake? I saw your recipe for the pumpkin spice milkshake and that is her favorite flavor. Would love to make one for her.
Hi Desiree! I haven’t tried making it dairy free myself, but you could try the recipe using your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream and whatever type of nondairy milk you prefer. I hope she enjoys it!
Whoa, that’s good! Definitely more of a dessert shake. I almost thought about freezing it for an ice cream later on, might do that next time. Made so much! My family of 4 could eat this one recipe between us all. Going to be making this again!
Hi Felishia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Well let me say that this is so worth it! Absolutely delicious! I cut the recipe in half because I read how much it made. I did 1 C bananas, 3 dates, 1 TBS peanut butter, 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste, 3 ice cubes, and 1/2 C vanilla almond milk (unsweetened) blended it well and drizzled Hersheys Simply 5 chocolate syrup on top! I cannot recommend this enough!
Hi Mandy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!