Caramel apple milkshakes are made with vanilla ice cream, fresh apple,
apple cider, and warm cinnamon and caramel. They’re the perfect treat
to take you from summer to fall.
inspiration
Like a vampire, I dislike direct sunlight. I prefer sweaters to tank tops and cool, rainy days to hot summer ones. So you can understand why I’ve never been a summer person. I live for when the fake flowers section at Michael’s turns red and orange and skeletons start popping up in every craft store. The sight of autumn flavored coffee and chocolate and even cheerios at the store gets my blood pumping.
But I live in the South. It’s still 85 degrees outside and so humid I wake up to foggy windows every morning. The trees are still gorgeously, frustratingly green. Not exactly ideal weather for cozy pumpkin bread or hot apple muffins right out of the oven.
These caramel apple milkshakes are the best of both worlds. They have all the warm, earthy flavors of fall but will still keep you cool in toastier temperatures.
Invite your friends over and make these milkshakes. Light an autumn candle. Watch a spooky movie. Fall can be a state of mind.
why i love this recipe
Caramel apple milkshakes are cool yet cozy, much like autumn itself. They may not be the brightest color, but the fluffy whipped cream and pretty caramel cursive make up for it. The smell of apple pie will hit you first. When you take a sip, you’ll get the warmer, deeper notes of cinnamon and caramel, sweet vanilla and clean, tart, fresh apple. A whole apple keeps the texture light and prevents the milkshake from being overly sweet.
They might make you think of family in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning, or the smoky-campfire smell on October nights.
details
These are a dream to whip up for a movie night or an after-dinner snack.
Ice cream is obviously a must for milkshakes, and classic vanilla provides a light, sweet background for the other flavors. Any brand is fine here. Same for the apple cider. If all you have is packets, it’s totally fine to mix one of those with some warm water and cool it down in the fridge.
Once you’ve added those to the blender, throw in the chopped apple. Caramel sauce and cinnamon add warmth and depth and really up the autumn vibes here.
Once all of the ingredients (except the whipped cream) are together, just blend it until completely combined. That can take a minute, if you don’t have a great blender, so take a look and try a spoonful before you divide it into glasses.
notes
- cider: this recipe calls for nonalcoholic apple cider found in America. If you can’t find it, you can try it with apple juice and some extra cinnamon.
- texture: if you prefer thicker shakes, add an extra ½ cup ice cream, then taste and go from there
- apples: I used gala, but another kind would also be great. I’d try pink lady or honeycrisp. Granny smith would add a sour punch. I wouldn’t advise using red delicious or yellow apples. And be sure to peel all of the skin off. Apple skin is waxy and not very pleasant in a milkshake.
- caramel: use caramel sauce (goes on ice cream) not caramel syrup (goes in coffee).
Looking for another fall dessert? Try chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
autumn apple milkshakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup apple cider cold
- 1 apple peeled and chopped
- 1/3 cup caramel sauce plus more for drizzling
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- whipped cream
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients except the whipped cream in a blender. Divide into glasses, if making more than one. Top with whipped cream and more caramel, if desired. Serve immediately.