Five days from today, nine of my very best girlfriends and I will be descending upon the gorgeous desert town of Palm Springs, CA for a weekend of pool time, floppy hats, and irresponsible amounts of champagne. It’s my bachelorette party, ya’ll!!
I have been looking forward to this weekend ever since Brad and I got engaged. How often do I get to hang out with my best friends all at once for an ENTIRE weekend?! I absolutely can’t wait for a weekend of boozing and eating and lounging with my ladies, so I had to make something to celebrate this momentous occasion: date milkshakes!
Date milkshakes are arguably the most iconic Palm Springs treat, created in 1928 (as I recently learned) due to the abundance of date palms that grow in the desert. Palm Springs has become a trendy SoCal desert destination in recent years, but for a loooong time, it was just a sleepy little town with lots of golf courses and retirees. (It’s proximity to Coachella has since changed all that.) Nowadays Palm Springs has a bit of a hip foodie scene unto itself, but to me, nothing beats the classics to really celebrate a place. And when my favorite food blogger posted a recipe for Palm Springs date shakes just a few weeks ago, how was I supposed to resist? I think they call that FATE.
These date milkshakes are sweet, decadent, and absolutely have that sunny-California vibe. Vanilla ice cream and milk are blended up with softened dates to create the creamiest, most flavorful milkshake ever. Topped with whipped cream and some fresh strawberries on top, these were just about the perfect afternoon treat to fight off the Sunday scaries (and hold me over until I can, uh, enjoy a few more of these this weekend). Whether or not you’re a California girl at heart, you will absolutely love these date milkshakes!
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates, chopped
- 2 cups high-quality vanilla ice cream
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Whipped cream + sliced strawberries, to serve
- Add the chopped dates to a small bowl and pour boiling water over the dates to soften. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, then transfer the entire mixture to the blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the bowl and transfer to the freezer for another 10-15 minutes to cool.
- Once the date mixture has cooled, return it to the blender along with the vanilla ice cream, milk, and a pinch of nutmeg. Blend until smooth and creamy. Top with whipped cream and slice strawberries. Serve immediately!
- As with any milkshake, I highly recommend keeping all of your ingredients as cold as possible before adding them to the blender! You also might want to throw your glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes or so while preparing the milkshake for the ultimate thick and creamy shake.
More sweet treats fit for the desert!
Bourbon Honey Fig No-Churn Ice Cream
Salted Bourbon Dulce De Leche No-Churn Ice Cream
Salted Caramel Bacon Ice Cream Pie
