Strawberry Balsamic Milkshake

Interesting ice cream flavors are hot right now. Every time I go out to an ice cream shop I am amazed that there’s a new, creative flavor that I’ve never heard of. So, I asked myself, how would Tillamook Ice Cream hold up to some creative flavors? Making milkshakes seemed the natural test.

Lemon Ginger Milkshake
For this one I shredded some fresh ginger and squeezed some fresh lemon into Tillamook Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream (and added milk of course) and blended it together. Although it didn’t turn out exactly as I was hoping, the lemon and ginger did go well with Tillamook Ice Cream. The vanilla and ginger didn’t mix together quite as well as I had hoped, so next time I make this (yes, there will be a next time), I am going to try a fruity flavor to pair with the ginger, like Oregon Strawberry.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake
For this milkshake I used Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream as the base. I then added about ¼ cup of peanut butter, a few tablespoons of strawberry jam, and some milk before blending. I am not a huge peanut butter person, and this was probably the best shake I made. All of the flavors went together surprising well and I couldn’t stop sipping on this one. Using a vanilla Tillamook Ice Cream as the base ice cream flavor would also work very well.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake

Strawberry Balsamic Milkshake
This one sounds weird, right? Don’t judge a milkshake by its name! It was delicious. Only warning: add balsamic vinegar to Tillamook Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream and some milk a little bit at a time. The reason it was so delicious is that there was just a hint of vinegar in every sip.

Salted Caramel Milkshake
This is probably one of the biggest trends in food right now. There’s a salted caramel flavor for anything that you can put salted caramel on. I used Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream as the base and added some caramel and sea salt. I used a fudge caramel topping and I highly advise using a sauce that’s a bit thinner and will blend with cold ice cream better. Also, a little sea salt goes a long way. My first attempt and making this was way too salty to enjoy, but if you use less you’ll slurp it up in a heartbeat.

The Peanut Butter & Jelly milkshake was my favorite out of all of these to make at home, but they all held up very well and I cannot wait to get back into the kitchen to try some more.

Other creative ideas that my stomach didn’t have the room to try (even thought I really wanted to!):
Lemon, Lavender & Honey
Bacon & Maple
Chocolate Raspberry Mocha
Avocado Sea Salt

Gosh, we might have to do another Tillamook Milkshake Test Kitchen! What other creative flavors should we try?

By Laura

A vanilla milkshake made with Tillamook Ice Cream at Lindsey's Lattes in Tillamook, OR.

Hooray, it’s National Vanilla Milkshake Day! Finally, an excuse to drink vanilla milkshakes all day long! (Not that we ever needed an excuse before…) Want to know how to make the best vanilla milkshake around? Here’s a secret: Use one of Tillamook’s three delicious and unique vanilla ice cream flavors. To help you make this crucial decision, here’s the down low on the Three Musketeers of the vanilla ice cream world:

1. Tillamook Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream – A flavor straight out of your childhood! Rich, creamy, smooth, and silky. Classically delicious. Milkshake tip: If you want to be experimental, I hear Root Beer Float Shakes are the next big thing.

2. Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – All the tasty benefits of vanilla ice cream, plus tons of crushed vanilla beans! Extra vanilla means extra flavor and extra fun. Milkshake tip: Swirl in some chocolate, caramel, and/or strawberry sauce to make a Sundae Shake!

3. Tillamook French Vanilla Ice Cream – Ah, oui oui! This creamy and decadent flavor is more of a custard style, which means it’s super rich and fancy. Think: “Paris in an ice cream carton.” Milkshake Tip: Try throwing in some cinnamon for a little extra kick.

Now that you have been versed in the ways of Tillamook Vanilla Ice Cream, young grasshopper, go now and put forth some milk and vanilla ice cream in your blender and celebrate National Vanilla Milkshake Day. You have all the knowledge to choose one of Tillamook’s flavors to make the best vanilla milkshake yet! (Or you could use all three to really “shake” things up!)

Cheese Factory Special: Today only, get $1 off a Vanilla Milkshake at the Tillamook Cheese Factory ice cream counter!

Photo courtesy of Lindsey’s Lattes

By Loafy