My earliest memories of milkshakes involve the McDonald’s drive-thru. My dad would order one chocolate milkshake and one strawberry milkshake, and we’d pass the cups around the car to share them both, until all of the thick, sweet goop had been sucked through the straw. My father grew up without much in India, so trust me when I say that he finished every last drop of the milkshake.
If no one was paying attention, I’d furtively dip a French fry or two into one of the milkshakes, savoring the bizarrely delicious sweet-salty combo as it instantly dissolved in my mouth. Now, as an adult, I know that the fast food industry gods had literally chemically engineered these foods to be addictive, but at eight years old, I was just living that ignorance-is-bliss chocolate milkshake life.
Fast forward many years later when I came to the belated realization that dairy is really bad for your body, animals, and the planet. Did this mean the era of milkshakes (and French fries) was over??
Not in the least! Because it is so easy to make dairy-free milkshakes! You can make them decadent by using vegan ice cream, or you can keep them on the healthy side for more of a vegan breakfast idea, like in this Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Milkshake!
Why you’ll love this recipe
You can have your cake (milkshake) and eat (drink) it too. This milkshake tastes like an indulgent chocolate milkshake but it’s secretly so good for you! The main ingredients are sweet potatoes, bananas, raw cacao powder, and plant milk, so you’re getting lots of fiber, Vitamin, and antioxidants!
Minimal ingredients. This recipe requires just six main ingredients!
Too easy to make. Just dump everything in a blender and blend away until you have a creamy, frosty milkshake!
Ingredient Rundown
Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes sound like an unusual ingredient for a milkshake, but I promise they work beautifully here, yielding that creamy texture that defines a milkshake (while also adding a healthy dose of nutrients).
I used the classic orange-flesh sweet potato, but I’ve also used Japanese sweet potatoes before, so use whatever variety you have!
To get the most sweetness out of your sweet potatoes, I recommend baking them. First, scrub them, then use a knife to slash several holes through the skin – this helps with even baking. Bake the potatoes (whole, unpeeled) on a baking tray at 400°F/200°C for 40-60 minutes (depending on their size). Once cool, remove the skins and scoop out the flesh.
That said, if you are in a rush and don’t have pre-cooked sweet potatoes in your fridge, you can microwave the sweet potatoes. Wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes (depending on their size).
Bananas. Another plant-based star that brings a creamy, thick texture to this milkshake. If you’ve ever made nice cream, you know that bananas are the perfect ingredient in a healthy milkshake. The key is to use really ripe bananas. Once your bananas are speckled with brown spots all over, peel them, slice into rounds, and place them in the freezer.
When bananas are really ripe, they make for extra creamy milkshakes. While overripe bananas are not great for snacking (to be honest, they make me vomit), they are incredibly sweet and when in frozen form, they are not only edible but in fact delicious.
The sweetness of the ripe bananas means you may not even need to add any sweetener, though there is an option to add maple syrup to taste because, after all, this is dessert.
Creamy plant-based milk. I recommend something creamier than your standard store-bought almond milk because this is a milkshake and you’re looking for that luscious texture. I have made this milkshake with oat milk and macadamia nut milk, and both are great, but you could also use cashew milk, soy milk, carton coconut milk, or canned lite coconut milk.
Cacao powder. For the chocolatey factor, I use raw cacao powder. I like using raw cacao powder here since the cacao powder isn’t getting cooked, which means it retains all of its nutrients . Unlike cocoa powder, raw cacao powder is unprocessed and a good source of polyphenols, antioxidants, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. That said, it’s totally fine to use unsweetened cocoa powder—the taste will be the same.
Cinnamon and ginger. Cinnamon pairs beautifully with chocolate, and ginger gives the milkshake a subtle background zing.
How to serve this Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Milkshake
This milkshake is quite versatile and can be served in a number of ways. First, it’s healthy enough for breakfast, and that’s how I’ve been enjoying it recently.
But, you could also boost it with a scoop protein powder as a post-workout shake. Since most protein powders contain sugar or sweetener, omit the optional maple syrup.
And obviously, you can serve this milkshake for dessert! To make it a truly decadent milkshake for dessert, dollop with some homemade vegan whipped cream or store-bought nondairy whipped topping (I use So Delicious Coco Whip), vegan chocolate chips or shredded dark chocolate, or swirl in some melted dark chocolate.
If you give this Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Milkshake recipe a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!
Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Milkshake
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes (about 14 ounces or 400g)
- 3 cups (720 mL) creamy plant-based milk (something like oat milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, soy milk or macadamia nut milk; use a nut-free or soy-free milk as needed)
- 3 large, ripe frozen bananas
- 1/4 cup (20-24g) raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional, sweeten to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Optional garnishes: melted dark chocolate, vegan chocolate chips, coconut whipped cream or nondairy whipped topping
Instructions
- To bake the sweet potatoes in the oven, preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Use a knife to slash several holes through the skin. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 40-60 minutes (depending on size), until completely fork-tender. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly until you can handle them, and then slide the skins off.
- In a high-powered blender, add the plant-based milk, sweet potato flesh, frozen bananas, cacao powder, maple syrup (if using), cinnamon, and ginger. Blend until the bananas and sweet potatoes are completely pureed and you have a thick, smooth, and creamy texture. Taste, and add maple syrup to sweeten, as needed.
- Pour the milkshake into glasses and top as desired. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
this is an epic milkshake. way better than actual ice cream milkshakes! i boiled my sweet potatoes because I am impatient. still awesome! I would love a vanilla version of this. any suggestions?
Hi Monika, you could try omitting the cacao (and ginger/cinnamon if you want) and adding some pure vanilla extract!
But we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
So very satisfying, husband LOVED it, daughter LOVED it, and I knew I would LOVE it. Nisha has such a talent for everything she cooks, bakes, and recipes she has developed.
This is SOOOOOOO GOOD.
Thanks for sharing, Sally! We are so happy you all loved the milkshakes!
Fantastic!! I love how it makes extra so I can have breakfast for the next couple days!
Thanks for sharing, Emily! We are thrilled you love the milkshake!
Yummy!
I made it a single serving for just me. I used an already cooked and refrigerated sweet potato (left the skin on for more fiber and nutrition) & two frozen baby red bananas (skin on there too). Creamy, decadent…and easy!
Awesome, Jeananne. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This was delicious! I used almond milk, because that is what I had and added well cooked canellini beans which thickened it up, was undetectable, and added a protein boost. I omitted the syrup, because it was perfect without it! Great recipe!!
Tasty, Madonna! Thanks for sharing!
Does the banana need to be frozen?
Hi Annie, no it doesn’t but if you only use fresh banana you’ll need to add additional ice to help get the milkshake to the desired consistency. Enjoy!
Followed the recipe exactly. It was very good. Since it made a lot I refrigerated the rest and had it the next day. Like a really good soup it was even better after the flavors had time to meld. May try some espresso powder next time to give it more of a chocolate malted flavor.
Mike, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
This was great! Texture (for me) was thick like thin pudding or yogo. I added 2 tbsp roasted carob powder + 2 light pinches sea salt. Took it to the next level (I didn’t think there was one). Also the ginger powder and cinnamon make a massive difference, don’t skip them
Thanks for sharing, Luisa!
Soooo good ❤️
Gigi, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Nisha, you are an absolute genius!! Milkshake is creamy, delicious and guilt-free. Thank you, Thank you! My new go-to for those Must Have Chocolate …..moments!
Hi JC, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
This was incredible. Easy to make a single serving as well. Bake the sweet potatoes once and enjoy for three days. Don’t skip the fresh ginger. Brings out the flavors of everything to make come together perfectly.
Glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie! Thank you for the awesome review!
What about using canned pumpkin instead of sweet potato?
That works, Sherri!
NISHAAAAA you unlocked a memory for me with the drive thru chocolate shakes. That was one of my favorite things growing up and today I just tried this for the nostalgia and I gotta say I wish I could give more than 5 stars. It has that perfect decadent flavor and creamy consistency. Thank you so much to my favorite chef in the world for another star recipe. I never would have thought to use sweet potatoes as a base!
So glad you love the recipe, Hardia! Thanks for the lovely review :)
Creamy, yummy, chocolatey! What’s not to love. I thought the sweet potato would be weird but you can’t even taste it. Tip: I put my sweet potatoes in ice water after they were out of the oven. Made the peels slip right off. They also cooled fast too.
Thanks for sharing, Bethany!
Looking for some clarification.
The directions say to use the sweet potatoe flesh. Do I use both the sweet potatoe and flesh or just the flesh.
Thanks!
Hi Carol! This recipe calls for you to cook the sweet potates with the skin on, and before placing the sweet potato in the blender you must first remove the skin (outside) from the flesh (inside) of the sweet potato and discard the skin. Hope that helped!
This is very tasty! I already had some baked sweet potatoes and frozen bananas, so had to try it. I was a bit short on the amount of sweet potatoes, so I added some frozen cherries to make up the difference. It was sweet enough without adding any maple syrup. Next time, I want to try increasing the amount of sweet potatoes, just because I love them.
I didn’t have ginger powder, but it was still great!! I was craving chocolate and it really hit the spot and filling! 🍫🥤😋
This was delicious! My very picky 4 year old was cautious at first but once he had a try, he was all for it! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Hi Nguyen, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
This turned out great thank you. Do you think there are any other milkshake flavours you could make?
Super awesome !!! made it 5 times already .. my go to ..
Made few variations like adding Chocolate Maca Protein Powder by Epic – without bananas etc.. all great..