We’re here to help you choc-shake things up this summer with our tips on how to make the perfect homemade chocolate milkshake.

A perfect frothy milkshake should be almost overflowing the glass, with its bubbly top layer broken only by a red-and-white striped straw (paper, of course). When stirred, the clink of the ice cubes disturbs the condensation that now drips down the sides of the glass. Could anything be a more iconically decadent summer drink?

Well, we could add one thing…. That’s right: chocolate. We know it’s easy to start with high hopes but end up with a disappointing milkshake. Nobody wants lumps of undissolved cocoa powder or stubborn sugar granules at the bottom of the glass.

That’s why we’re going to show you how to make the best homemade chocolate milkshake you’ve ever tasted.

Our version of the chocolate milkshake

We’re not here to replicate a classic American-style milkshake. We’ve made our very own luxurious chocolate milkshake. Our Chilled Chocolat is cocoa-rich, cool, intensely creamy and a perfect summer drink to finish off a barbeque. How do we make it? We use our revolutionary in-home hot chocolate machine – The Velvetiser – and our rich, not-too-sweet hot chocolate single-serves to concoct this indulgent, but refreshing, summer drink.

The Velvetiser does all the work for you. It heats the milk and whisks it together with the gossamer-fine flakes of our hot chocolate mix until you’ve got a sumptuously smooth chocolate drink. To make our Chilled Chocolat, heat just a small amount of milk with the chocolate mix. Then add it to a chilled glass of your choice of milk packed with ice. Our favourites are dairy and oat milk for the added creaminess they provide. But you can even use water if you want a more thirst-quenching chocolate hit.

Here’s what you need to know in a little more detail.

Ingredients

To make one irresistibly silky chocolate milkshake you’ll need:

• Milk of your choice (whether that’s dairy, oat, cashew, or almond milk)
• One of our hot chocolate sachets (in your choice of flavour — think ginger, hazelnut praline, and 70% dark chocolate)
• Ice cubes
• Our Velvetiser — the hot chocolate and chocolate milkshake machine of dreams.

How to make your shake

Once you’ve got all your ingredients (and your Velvetiser) together, making your shake couldn’t be easier.

Step one: Pour your choice of dairy or plant milk into the Velvetiser. Empty some of the milk into a large glass, but ensure the whisk is still covered.

Step two: Pour your single-serve into the Velvetiser. Press the button. While you wait, add 3-4 ice cubes to your glass of milk.

Step three: Once Velvetised, pour the liquid chocolat onto the iced milk. Stir for one minute to ensure your beverage is evenly chilled. Enjoy!

Chocolate milkshake flavours

To take your chocolate milkshake to the next level, we’ve created our different chocolate flavours. Originally designed for making hot chocolate, they work wonderfully in milkshake form too. They’re perfect for mixing up your milkshake indulgence — you can’t say we don’t keep it fresh!

The Classic collection: We’ve taken our single-origin Honduran chocolate and created a 100% cocoa creation for a rich, strong chocolate drink without any sugar. If you like the deep cocoa notes but want a mellow flavour and a touch of sweetness, our 70% cocoa is a perfect balance. Our best-selling 50% single serves have the classic milkshake flavour, perfect for a sweeter tooth and is a delightfully decadent way to enjoy a summer drink.

The Indulgent collection: Our years of chocolate expertise mean we’ve tried countless chocolate pairings. And we’ve kept the best for our single-serve sachets. For a decadent treat, mix your milk with our salted caramel mixture, or sprinkle in a roasted hazelnut blend instead. We’ve also added some Tasmanian peppermint oil to our dark chocolate mixture for something truly special.

To get the most luxurious taste we don’t use syrups or any artificial flavours to give the richest, most authentic chocolate flavour possible. Don’t take our word for it; this summer why not create a velvety, chocolatey, decadent summer drink to enjoy at any time of day?

Thickening your shake

The good news is that if you have a Velvetiser, this will do all your thickening for you. Engineered by Dualit, this device creates the smoothest, silkiest chocolatey drinks you can imagine. It’s actually a patented velvetising process, which means no one else has made a machine like it. If your homemade shakes and hot chocolates don’t meet that coffee shop standard, this is what you need!

How to make your milkshake tastier

The best way to make your milkshake as tasty as possible is to use high-quality ingredients. So luckily, with our sachets brimming with real chocolate and deep cocoa flavours, this is simple. Quality cacao always shines through in something like a chocolate milkshake. So you may as well go all out and truly enjoy your cooling cocoa beverage.

Chocolate shake topping ideas

If you want to take your milkshake to the next level, you can always add some delicious toppings. We recommend going for something simple like real chocolate flakes, but you can also play up your milkshake flavour.

Making a salted caramel milkshake? Add some caramel chunks. Whipping up some mint chocolate goodness? Add a sprig of real mint as a garnish. Let the chocolate do the talking, and pair with something complementary. Take a look at these milkshakes for some visual inspiration.

How to make your milkshake healthier

Do you normally find milkshakes too sweet? At Hotel Chocolat, we couldn’t find anything on the market that focused on flavour rather than sweetness, which is why we made our own sachets. More cocoa, less sugar, we say. And we don’t use anything artificial in our creations, ever. So you can rest assured that your Hotel Chocolat milkshake is all-natural and made using carefully and ethically sourced ingredients.

If you want to make your milkshake healthier, don’t add any extra sugar or sweeteners (as tempting as this might be if you have a sweet tooth). You might want to think about switching up your milk choice too. If you always opt for dairy, try a plant-based alternative such as oat, cashew, or almond milk. We think these work particularly well for creating a super creamy milkshake. We even have another recipe for making an Almond-milk Choc Shake.

Want to go entirely plant-based? Try our vegan-friendly 45% Nutmilk sachets that draw on the power of roasted hazelnut.

Now you have everything you need to know, you can get making your own luxury chocolate milkshake. Good luck, and enjoy!