Coffee MilkShake with Dates, Cardamom & Vanilla

Thick & creamy this easy coffee milkshake recipe makes a luxurious drink. Sweetened with dates, it's amazingly tasty, remarkably healthy and hard to resist.

Last week I thought about, created and photographed this coffee dateshake recipe because my kids were home all week on their half-term break.

I wanted to treat them to something tasty and healthy (um... apart from the coffee). And they were eager to help on the photoshoot since we share the profits when the images sell.

This week I've discovered that California's National Date Festival is taking place right now. This annual Date Festival has been going on since 1947 to celebrate the Date Palm harvest in the Coachella Valley.

Pure coincidence.

What's in this Tasty Drink?

This coffee milkshake recipe is based on the classic date shake - a thoroughly delicious, yet healthy, blend of dates and milk.

But to this base blend I've slipped in a touch of:

• coffee
• cardamom
• vanilla

And why not? These flavours all play nicely together and really liven up the core flavour in the classic drink.

The transformation is incredible. Once blended this velvet smooth, lusciously creamy and punchy coffee milkshake is hard to put down.

There’s a hefty whack of coffee flavour, but the bitterness is mellowed by the cardamom & vanilla notes and sweetened by the dates. It’s serious business.

How to Make this Shake

To make this coffee milkshake recipe, simple crack open the cardamom pods, scrape out the seeds and drop them into a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Add a few ice cubes and blend until the dates & ice are broken down and the drink is more or less smooth.

Pour into a glass, admire those bubbles and drink straight away.

What if I Don't Like Cardamom?

Recently a few people have told me that they do not like cardamom at all. Well, the good news is that the cardamom in this drink is optional - leaving it out will still result in a charming coffee milkshake with hints of vanilla.

Is this Drink Healthy?

I’m a huge fan of date shakes because they are so tasty and yet so unbelievably healthy. They offer up an abundance of dreamy, creamy sweetness yet there is no added sugar or ice cream present.

A serving counts towards your five a day and gives you a wholesome hit of calcium. There are also a multitude of health benefits attributed to dates. You can read about them in my post for Malted Date Shakes.

With so many selling points, there really is little wonder why date shakes go down so well with kids and adults alike.

Of course, this coffee version does contain caffeine, but honestly, I can live with that. It seems so much better healthwise than say than an ice-cream milkshake.

Find More Coffee Drinks to Try Out:

• Sweet iced coffee
• Coffee brandy alexander
• Boozy gingerbread latte
• Coffee with blackcurrant & almond liqueurs
• Coconut liqueur coffee

Coffee Date Shake with Cardamom & Vanilla (Video)

Jane Saunders

The Coffee Date Shake is a sweet, creamy and luxurious shake without the unhealthy attributes of a regular milkshake. Amazingly tasty. Remarkably healthy. Hard to resist.

Leave out the cardamom if you are not keen on this spice.

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Course: Drink - non-alcoholic, Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1 serving

Calories: 375kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

Per Person

• ▢ 4 Dates - stones removed
• ▢ ¾ tsp Instant coffee granules
• ▢ ¾ ts Vanilla extract
• ▢ 4 Optional - Cardamom pods (I used 4 but use 2 for a subtler cardamom taste) (see notes)
• ▢ 3-4 Ice cubes
• ▢ 160 ml/ ⅔ cup Whole milk

Instructions

• Split the cardamom pods and remove the seeds - use a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin - discard the pods
• Put the cardamom seeds and all other ingredients into a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until the dates and ice have broken down
• Serve immediately

Notes

The drink will settle over time. Just stir and enjoy. Can be made in advance and stored in the fridge - shake well before serving to redistribute the dates.

Some people find the taste of cardamom very strong and overpowering. If it's new to you, perhaps use just a couple of pods to test the water. And if you are not a lover of cardamom full-stop, feel free to leave it out completely 

Nutrition Per Serving (Approximate)

Serving:1g | Calories:375kcal | Carbohydrates:81g | Protein:7g | Fat:5g | Saturated Fat:3g | Cholesterol:16mg | Sodium:72mg | Potassium:879mg | Fiber:6g | Sugar:72g | Vitamin A:402IU | Calcium:242mg | Iron:1mg

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