Back in the day, the wildest toppings milkshakes got were a mound of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Now, the drinkable dessert is adorned with pastries, baked goods, candy, and even ice cream sandwiches. (Trust us, it’s not redundant.) At this rate, milkshakes are destined to replace doughnuts (which supplanted cupcakes) as the sweet tooth’s canvas for edible artwork. These creative, cavity-inducing takes on ice cream will have you screaming in delight.
Best Makers of Milkshakes From Around the World:
Black Tap
Photo: @blacktapnyc on Instagram.
This Big Apple eatery is reason enough to hop a plane to NYC ASAP. We’ll keep our focus on the sweet stuff, though the entire menu is off-the-chain incredible. Black Tap tops its milkshakes with peanut butter cups, M&Ms, toffee, and pretzels–and that’s just one flavor. Celebrate a birthday (or non-birthday, or every day) with a strawberry milkshake topped with a slab of birthday cake and excessive sprinkles, or go totally over-the-top with a cotton candy milkshake decorated with rock candy, Sixlets, and a lollipop. Even the indulgent cookie milkshake will seem pedestrian in comparison. blacktapnyc.com
The Original
Photo: @theoriginalpdx on Instagram.
Portland is known for its out-there personality and its innovative food culture. The Original, a sophisticated hipster diner, makes their milkshakes spiked because some adults need more than a cold, sugary drink to chill out. Choose from six flavors of boozy shakes including The Salty Jim, a bourbon-laced shake with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream, or The Pick Me Up, a breakfast-worthy shake that combines espresso and Bailey’s with vanilla ice cream. Consume irresponsibly. originaldinerant.com
Snowopolis
Photo: @infatuation_la on Instagram.
The crowd at Snowopolis trends young, but if you’re on a milkshake mission, you can get in and out without being put-off by the clientele or the gimmicky ambiance. Among the insanity at this Montebello, Calif. ice cream shop is a rainbow-colored Sour Patch Kids shake, a cookies n’ cream concoction topped with a doughnut ice cream sandwich, and a s’mores milkshake skewered with toasted marshmallows and graham crackers. If taking it to go, grab plenty of napkins on your way out; you’re gonna need ’em. snowopolis.net
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Cereal Killer Cafe
Photo: @dj_veee on Instagram.
Hop across the pond to this controversial London cafe that’s killing it as far as milkshakes (or rather “maltshakes”) are concerned. The flavors are as outrageous and brightly colored as the store’s interior, and incorporate nostalgic childhood cereals like Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops. If cereal isn’t your jam, fret not; there’s also a confetti-flavored Pop Tarts milkshake. Gluttony may be a sin, but it isn’t a crime. cerealkillercafe.co.uk
Hollywood Cone
Photo: Hollywood Cone on Facebook.
This food truck-turned-storefront in Ontario, Canada, specializes in Mutant Shakes. Whether topped with a slice of cheesecake, a pair of sprinkled doughnuts, a circular stack of strawberry shortcake, a mini banana split tart, a gigantic peanut butter cup, or a pretzel brownie, these drippy, dairy-licious mugs are guaranteed to give you the sweetest stomachache you’ve ever had. hollywoodcone.com
Breakfast Break
Photo: @breakfastbreak on Instagram.
If you happen to be in Ecuador, you’ll have to dial up the phone number in this milkshake maker’s profile and find out if these drinks are legit or simply Instagram food porn. With toppings like Ring Pops, gummy worms, Kit Kat bars, popcorn, a cheeseburger (yes, a cheeseburger), and artsy swirls of caramel and chocolate, these milkshakes look more like abstract masterpieces than the most important meal of the day. But who are we to judge? Even if we never experience them in real life, onscreen, they’re irresistible. instagram.com/breakfastbreak
Kumori
Photo: @minshiedialogo on Instagram.
If you prefer your milkshakes on the exotic end of the spectrum, head to the Philippines, where a bakery named Kumori has its dessert game down. Among its flavor offerings are matcha, chocolate hazelnut, and sweetcorn. Toppings include Asian pastries, wafer cookies, caramel corn, cereal, and plenty of whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. With slightly smaller portion sizes than American milkshakes, you could probably get away with ordering more than one. facebook.com/kumoriph
Kevin and Amanda
Photo: @kevinandamanda on Instagram.
If you dare to attempt a homemade milkshake, the Kevin and Amanda food blog has a step-by-step post on constructing the Ultimate Brownie Crazy Milkshake. It begins with a mug smeared inside with Nutella and an outer rim coated with marshmallow fluff and chunks of Oreo cookies. After chilling, you whip up a milkshake in the flavor of your choice, pour it into the mug, top it with a brownie and an ice cream cookie sandwich, then drench it in chocolate syrup. You could share it with your sweetheart, but why would you? kevinandamanda.com
