Blackberry Shake (Vegan)
A re-creation of Shenandoah National Park’s iconic blackberry shake. A creamy, dairy-free blackberry ice cream blended with plant-based milk. This was a perfect way to use my wild-picked blackberries.
The inspiration for this recipe comes from the famous blackberry shake found at the Shenandoah National Park’s lodges and waysides along the Blue Ridge Parkway. My husband and I backpacked through the park while section hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2023. The moment we entered the park, all my husband could talk about was getting a blackberry shake. Well, it wasn’t until the day before we were exiting the park that he got his chance at Elkwallow Wayside. I, unfortunately, did not get to try one as there were no dairy-free options. Lucky for me, they were offering Beyond Burgers, so I did get a treat after almost a week of trail food.
My husband and I were lucky enough to find and pick some wild blackberries this year. He was the one that came up with the great idea of trying to re-create the blackberry shake, but dairy free. This homemade ice cream is creamy and full of blackberry flavor. Since I had no idea what the shake in the Park actually tasted like, my husband had to be my taste tester. He says this shake is spot on.
What you will need:
Blackberries!!! Fresh, frozen or wild picked blackberries will all work.
- planted based heavy cream
- plant based sweetened condensed milk – homemade or store bought
- blackberry coulis – see recipe on my website
- plant based milk
- optional: extra blackberries and whipped cream for serving
How to:
The plant based sweetened condensed milk and the blackberry coulis can be prepared ahead of time. You can find recipes for both of these on my website. This also allows you to make sure they are both on the cooler side before adding them to the ice cream base.
Now that we have all of our components, lets bring this ice cream together. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the heavy cream. Whip it on high with a balloon whisk attachment until soft peaks are achieved. Once you have soft peaks, remove the bowl from the mixer and add the sweetened condensed milk and fold it in until fully incorporated. Now add the blackberry coulis to the bowl and fold it in until it is fully incorporated. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container, preferably something with a lid, and place it in the freezer. It will take 6 to 8 hours to achieve a scoop able consistency. I usually leave mine in the freezer overnight.
Once the ice cream is set, we can make these incredible shakes. To a blender, add 4 scoops of ice cream and 1/2 cup of plant based milk. Blend this on high for 1 minute. This recipe makes approximately 4 shakes. A little whipped cream added to the top with a few blackberries is a nice way to serve them.
So, let’s get started. Please make and enjoy!
Blackberry Shake (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups plant based sweetened condensed milk (see recipe on the website – you will need 1 1/2 recipe)
- 1 1/4 cups plant based heavy cream (needs to be cold)
- 1 1/2 cups blackberry coulis (see recipe on the website – you will need 1 1/2 recipe)
- optional – extra blackberries and whipped cream for serving
- 2 cups plant based milk
Instructions
Blackberry Ice Cream
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream. Whip on high with a balloon whisk attachment until soft peaks are achieved. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the sweetened condensed milk, folding it in until fully incorporated. Add the blackberry coulis to the bowl and fold until fully incorporated. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container ( this makes 7 cups of ice cream) and place it in the freezer until it is set. It usually takes 6 to 8 hours. I leave mine in overnight.
Blackberry Shake
- Place 4 scoops of blackberry ice cream in a blender along with 1/2 cup of milk. Blend on high for 1 minute. (this yields 4 shakes)Optional: top your shakes with blackberries and whipped cream.
Very light & tasty. Refreshing!
Thank you Dan, glad you enjoyed it!