This Palm Springs Date Shake is the perfect summertime treat! Sweet and delicious, this milkshake recipe is made with dates and blended to creamy perfection. Make this easy date shake in 10 minutes or less for a dessert drink that will become a new favorite!
In This Post
What Is A Date Shake?
If you’ve ever been to Palm Springs, California, then you know about the date shake. It’s a classic! Essentially, a date shake is a milkshake that’s made with dates. Since dates grow in this area, date shakes are a creamy, frozen treat that’s popular and well known!
This Date Shake recipe is one that the entire family will love! It’s incredibly easy to make and perfect for a fun, indulgent summer drink.
How To Make A Date Shake
Making a date shake is one of the easiest ways to have a frozen dessert for summer! Here’s how to blend it together in 10 minutes or less:
- Soak the pitted dates.
- Blend the dates with cashew butter.
- Add in ice cream, milk, ice cubes, cinnamon, and a touch of salt and blend until smooth!
TIP: Adjust the thickness and density of this recipe by adding more or less ice cubes!
Soaking the Dates
Soaking the dates before putting them into recipes helps soften the skin and add moisture back into the dried fruit. This is especially helpful for a recipe where the dates will be blended, helping the skins blend in smoothly!
It’s best to soak dates for 2-3 hours, if possible. Don’t have time to soak dates? Add the dates the a bowl of warm or hot water, cover, and soak for a few minutes. Even a short time of soaking before starting the recipe can be incredibly helpful!
The Best Types of Dates for Date Shakes
Any type of pitted date will work! Deglet-Noor and Medjool dates are the most common for this recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
Dates are pretty essential to this recipe. However, so many other ingredients can be substituted to make this shake your own! Here are some ideas:
- Vegan ice cream instead of regular
- Any type of milk
- Almond butter instead of cashew butter
- Omit the nut butter
- A drizzle of caramel on top
What To Make With Dates
Have a surplus of dates on hand? Here are a few other recipes and ideas for what to make with dates:
- Add them to a salad! They are so delicious in this Moroccan Chickpea Carrot Salad.
- Make a caramel sauce topping by blending pitted dates with milk.
- Add them to cheese boards.
- Use them as the sweetener in cake loafs, breads, and muffins recipes.
More Delicious Summer Treats
- Mulberry Pie Bars
- Lemon Turmeric Cake
- Coconut Lime Mojitos
- Maple Blueberry Scones
- Blueberry Gin Basil Smash
Palm Springs Date Shake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pitted dates
- 2 Tbsp cashew butter
- 1 cup ice cream
- 1/4 cup cold milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
- Soak the pitted dates (2-3 hours, if possible).
- Blend the dates with the cashew butter.
- Add in the ice cream, milk, cinnamon, and salt.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add in the ice cubes and blend.
- Enjoy!
Sharon says
Making this classic destination drink at home is so easy! Tastes just like the original.
Beth says
This milkshake is so creamy and perfectly blended with so much goodness! My family loved these milkshakes. Such a cooling and tasty drink! Definitely making these again!
Cathleen says
I have never heard of a date shake, but then again I have also never been to California either. This drink sounds amazing, I am definitely going to give it a go this weekend!
Angela says
I am so happy I found this recipe! We always drive to San Diego from Phoenix and go through Dateland, where this shake originates. It’s one of my absolute favorites and your recipe is spot on!!
Emily Liao says
Oh boy, does this drink bring me back to days in Palm Springs! Made this today and it tastes just like how I remember.
Teresa says
This sounds amazing!
Pam Greer says
I love all the healthy ingredients in this!
Swathi says
This date shake looks yumm love to try it.
Chef Dennis says
This is soo refreshing!
Ramona says
This is such a fantastic idea, especially for these hot days. Thanks for sharing!
Raquel says
These were so good and just like Hadley’s!
Erin Gierhart says
So rich and creamy!
Jeri says
This was so delicious! It is our new favorite summer drink!
Linda says
This shake is so refreshingly good! So smooth and perfect for a post-workout treat
Cmkruser says
This recipe is delicious! I ended up using salted caramel ice cream… ooohhh so decadent and easy!
Lisa says
As good as the ones you get in palm springs! First time having one was at Hadley last fall. We had never heard of date shakes before, didn’t like dates but tried one anyway as you should try it at least once. Turns out we loved it, and bought one every chance we could. So when I saw this recipe, had to make it. It’s wonderful and so nice to have when you aren’t in palm springs anymore.
Ashley says
This was so good! I love the combo of the sweet dates and the cashew butter–so rich and delicious. Will be making it again!
Bernice says
We ate MANY different varieties of dates this Ramadan and I am hooked! I needed to give this date shake a go and was not disappointed. Delicious!
Krystle says
This is so rich and creamy. Perfect for these hot summer days.
Jeri says
I haven’t visited Palm Springs in years, and this shake brought back so many memories! It turned out fantastic, and I really liked the tip about soaking the dates first!
Elizabeth says
This milkshake is delicious! I have been trying to find ways to incorporate dates into more recipes and this is perfect!