The Extra‑creamy Way To Thicken Shakes When Yours Feel Watery

When setting out to make a delicious milkshake at home, the last thing you want is something overly watery, which can happen due to too much liquid, or something overly crunchy, which can be the result of too much ice. But how do you find a happy medium? By mixing soy milk with strained Greek yogurt and skipping the ice. This not only provides you with a neutral base on which to build flavor, but it also thickens the texture of the beverage and adds protein.

Soy milk is typically thicker than most milks, including dairy milk and other substitutes like almond and cashew milk, due to the thickeners many manufacturers add. Meanwhile, in comparison to regular yogurt, Greek is the better choice for making richer and thicker-textured smoothies and milkshakes since it's typically strained multiple times to remove its liquid whey, which makes it a thicker product.

Soy milk has about 7 grams of protein per cup, while Greek yogurt has around 20 grams. Although most recipes call for about half a cup of each per serving, that still gives you about 14 grams of extra protein. And, you can always add more by way of a scoop of protein powder.

Starting with your base of a ½ cup of soy milk and a ½ cup of Greek yogurt, as well as that optional scoop of protein powder (be sure to choose a neutral flavor like vanilla), build your milkshake using your chosen ingredients. If you want a dessert-like feel, chocolate protein powder can be paired with caramel sauce or a nut butter, the latter of which will make the outcome even more creamy. If you're after a fruity-flavored milkshake, throw in some blueberries, raspberries, and/or strawberries. For some crunch with either, toss in granola, your favorite cereal, or chocolate chips.

Depending on how many additional ingredients you use, you may have to add more soy milk if your milkshake is too thick, or more Greek yogurt if your shake is too watery. You can also further thicken your milkshake by adding frozen bananas or xanthan gum, a powdered food additive, to achieve a perfectly thick blended beverage.