Thick Banana Date & Nut Milkshake
Servings: 2 large glasses
Prep time: 10 minutes
Blending: 1–2 minutes
Total: about 10–15 minutes
Ingredients
Main shake
3 large ripe bananas, preferably frozen
6–8 soft Medjool dates, pitted
1½ cups (360 ml) cold whole milk
¼ cup (30–35 g) almonds
¼ cup (30–35 g) cashews
2 tbsp walnuts
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp cinnamon
Tiny pinch of salt
½ cup ice cubes only if needed
For an extra-thick, dessert-like texture
Choose one:
2–3 tbsp heavy cream, or
¼ cup Greek yogurt, or
1–2 tbsp almond/cashew butter
Optional garnish
Chopped almonds
Chopped cashews
Pistachios
Walnut pieces
1–2 chopped dates
Pinch of cinnamon
Saffron strands
Traditional banana-date shakes commonly use banana, dates, milk and nuts such as almonds or walnuts; some versions also use cardamom.
A
AskNestlé
+2
Full Method
1. Prepare the bananas
Peel and slice the bananas.
For the thickest result, freeze them for at least 4–6 hours, preferably overnight.
Don’t freeze them in one huge lump—spread the pieces on a tray so they are easy for the blender to process.
2. Prepare the dates
Remove all pits.
If your dates are firm or dry, soak them in warm milk for 10–15 minutes. This makes them much easier to blend smoothly.
T
tarladalal.com
+1
3. Prepare the nuts
For a stronger nutty flavor, lightly toast the almonds, cashews and walnuts in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes over low heat.
Cool completely.
You can use them raw if you prefer.
4. Blend the nuts first
Put into a high-speed blender:
almonds
cashews
walnuts
about ½ cup of the milk
Blend until you have a fairly smooth nut paste.
This prevents large pieces of nuts from remaining in the finished shake.
5. Add the remaining ingredients
Add:
frozen bananas
dates
remaining milk
vanilla
cardamom
cinnamon
pinch of salt
Greek yogurt/cream/nut butter, if using
Blend on high.
Important: Don’t immediately add lots of milk. Start with the smaller amount and add more only if the blender needs help.
6. Make it extremely thick
For the texture shown in your picture, the mixture should be much thicker than a normal milkshake.
Stop the blender and scrape down the sides.
Blend again for 20–30 seconds.
If it’s too thick for your blender, add 1 tablespoon milk at a time.
If it becomes too thin, add another frozen banana or a few more frozen banana pieces.
7. Taste and adjust
Taste before serving.
Not sweet enough → add 1–2 dates
Too sweet → add a little milk + Greek yogurt
Too thick → add milk 1 tbsp at a time
Too thin → add frozen banana
More nut flavor → add 1 tbsp nut butter
More aromatic → add a tiny bit more cardamom
More chocolate-like → add 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
8. Serve
Pour into chilled glasses.
For the same dramatic look as the photograph, reserve about ½–1 cup of the thick mixture and spoon it generously over the top rather than filling the glass completely.
Finish with chopped nuts, pistachios, cinnamon and a date.
Serve immediately.
Best Nut Combination
For the flavor in the photograph, I’d use:
Nut Amount What it adds
Almonds ¼ cup Mild nuttiness & body
Cashews ¼ cup Creaminess
Walnuts 2 tbsp Rich, slightly earthy flavor
Pistachios 1–2 tbsp Aroma & garnish
Best secret: Cashews are particularly useful when you want a very creamy texture.
You can also replace the whole nut mixture with 2–3 tbsp natural almond or cashew butter for a smoother shake.
Do You Need Sugar?
No.
Ripe bananas + dates are usually sweet enough. Several banana-date shake recipes rely primarily on the natural sweetness of the fruit, with added sugar being optional.
A
AskNestlé
+1
If you’re making this for someone who likes a very sweet dessert-style shake, add:
1–2 tsp honey, or
1 tbsp maple syrup, or
1–2 additional dates.
I would not add sugar automatically.
Milk Options
Richest
Whole dairy milk
Best choice for a classic milkshake.
Lighter
2% milk
Still creamy but less rich.
Dairy-free
Use:
unsweetened almond milk
cashew milk
oat milk
coconut milk
Almond, cashew, coconut and oat milk are all workable substitutions in banana-date shakes.
M
Mallory the Dietitian
+1
For the photograph-like thickness, unsweetened cashew milk is particularly good.
How to Make It Taste Like a Restaurant/Dessert Shake
For an indulgent version, use:
3 frozen bananas
7 Medjool dates
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup almonds
2 tbsp walnuts
¼ cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp cardamom
pinch of salt
Blend until completely smooth.
Do not use much ice. Ice can make the drink cold but watery. Frozen banana gives you the thick texture you want. Approximate Nutrition
Nutrition varies substantially with the milk, number of dates and amount of nuts. For comparison, published banana-date shake recipes range from roughly 185 kcal for a smaller 160-ml serving to around 314 kcal for a 380-ml serving, before adding substantial extra nuts/cream.
A
AskNestlé
+1
For the rich recipe above, a reasonable estimate is approximately:
Per large serving (½ recipe):
Calories: ~450–550 kcal
Protein: ~12–15 g
Carbohydrates: ~65–80 g
Fat: ~18–24 g
Fiber: ~7–10 g
Natural sugars: ~45–55 g
These are estimates, not laboratory measurements. The exact numbers depend heavily on banana size, date size, milk and nut quantities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh bananas?
Yes, but the shake won’t be nearly as thick. For the photo-style consistency, frozen bananas are much better. Frozen banana is specifically recommended for creating a creamy smoothie texture.
M
Mallory the Dietitian
Can I use Medjool dates?
Yes. Medjool dates are my first choice because they’re large, soft and naturally very sweet.
M
Mallory the Dietitian
Do I have to soak the dates?
No. If they’re soft, simply remove the pits and blend them.
If they’re dry/hard, soaking them in warm milk for about 10 minutes makes blending easier.
H
Home Cooking Show
Can I make it without nuts?
Absolutely. Omit the nuts and use ¼ cup Greek yogurt or a little extra frozen banana for body.
Can I use only almonds?
Yes. Use approximately ½ cup almonds.
Can I use only cashews?
Yes, and this is actually excellent for a particularly creamy shake.
Use ⅓–½ cup cashews.
Can I use walnuts?
Yes. Walnuts work especially well with dates and bananas. A walnut-banana-date shake is a common combination.
A
AskNestlé
Can I add pistachios?
Yes. Pistachios are excellent as a garnish and give the shake a more Middle Eastern-style flavor.
Can I add oats?
Yes. Add 2–3 tbsp rolled oats for additional thickness and fiber. Some current banana-date smoothie recipes use rolled oats together with almond butter.
F
Feel Good Foodie
Can I add protein powder?
Yes. Add ½–1 scoop vanilla protein powder. You may need another 2–4 tbsp milk.
Can I add cocoa?
Definitely. Add 1–2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolate banana-date shake.
Can I add ice cream?
Yes, if you’re making a dessert rather than a breakfast shake.
Add 1–2 scoops vanilla ice cream and reduce the milk slightly.
Why did my shake become watery?
Usually because:
Too much milk was added.
Too much ice was used.
Fresh rather than frozen bananas were used.
The blender was run too long while the mixture warmed.
Use frozen banana and add liquid gradually.
How do I make it look like the photograph?
Use very little liquid, frozen bananas and plenty of blended nuts/cashews. Blend until thick, then spoon a mound of the shake over the top of each glass.
Don’t fill the glasses to the rim before adding the topping.
Can I prepare it ahead?
It’s best immediately after blending because the banana can oxidize and the texture changes. If necessary, refrigerate it briefly in a tightly covered container and stir/blend again before serving. One recipe recommends consuming immediately but allows refrigeration for up to about 12 hours.
H
Home Cooking Show
Is it healthy?
It can be a nutritious drink, but this particular extra-thick nut-and-date version is also calorie-dense. Bananas and dates contribute carbohydrates and natural sugars, while nuts contribute fats and calories. A simpler banana-date milkshake can provide fiber, potassium, calcium and protein, depending on the ingredients.
T
tarladalal.com
Is it suitable for weight gain?
It can be useful as a high-energy snack, particularly when made with whole milk, nuts/nut butter and dates. But whether it is appropriate depends on your overall calorie and nutritional needs.
Is it suitable for diabetes?
Don’t assume that “no added sugar” means low-sugar. Bananas and dates still contain substantial carbohydrate. If you have diabetes or need to manage blood glucose, portion size and the overall meal matter; a personalized recommendation from your clinician/dietitian is preferable.
My Best Version for the Exact Photo
If your goal is maximum thickness + creamy texture + rich nut flavor, I’d make this:
3 frozen bananas + 7 Medjool dates + 1 cup whole milk + ¼ cup cashews + ¼ cup almonds + 2 tbsp walnuts + ¼ cup Greek yogurt + ½ tsp vanilla + ¼ tsp cardamom + pinch of salt.
Blend the nuts with some milk first, then add everything else. Add milk gradually rather than all at once.
That should produce a much closer thick, scoopable, almost ice-cream-like banana-date shake rather than an ordinary liquid milkshake.
