Bobby Flay's 'Drunken' Sauce Makes Vanilla Milkshakes 10X Better

On the surface, an old fashioned milkshake may seem fairly basic, but you may be surprised to learn that original vanilla milkshake recipes were intended as alcoholic drinks. There are plenty of simple ways to boost your vanilla milkshake with clever ingredients and even some boozy additions. In a video posted to Food Network UK's Facebook page, celebrity chef Bobby Flay appeared on an episode of "Barefoot Contessa" to share his recipe for a delightful vanilla caramel bourbon milkshake.

Flay prepares a "drunken" sauce with a combination of scratch-made caramel using sugar and water in one pot and a vanilla bean-infused cream in the other. After slowly combining the cream into the caramel and stirring constantly to let everything fully combine, Flay then adds a generous splash of bourbon into the mix. To this, he adds butter and vanilla extract "just to reinforce that vanilla flavor" before letting the sauce cool enough to add to the milkshake.

Flay's unique and luscious sauce makes a perfect addition to booze up a vanilla milkshake and provide a richer depth of flavor. To assemble the milkshake, he starts by adding the milk and sauce to a blender before including a few generous scoops of vanilla ice cream and pulsing the mixture until it has reached the desired level of thickness. He then uses the caramel sauce to decorate the glass and add it as a finishing touch atop the vanilla milkshake. Flay's versatile sauce can also be used in a number of different desserts.

Whether you use Flay's recipe or Tasting Table's own bourbon caramel sauce recipe, making this booze-infused dessert topping is easy and fun. Between the warmth of the bourbon and the sweetness of the vanilla and caramel, you can use it for much more than just milkshakes. For example, try using it as a topping for baked goods.

The bourbon caramel sauce would make an excellent addition when swirled into the batter of a batch of fudgy chocolate or turtle brownies, or even drizzled on top for an extra special treat. Similarly, the sauce can also dress up a batch of bourbon pecan pie bars or a festive pecan pie. Though decadent and booze-infused, you can also add this sauce to lighter dessert dishes for a super simple accent.

If you love summer fruits, brûléed, air-fried, or even grilled peaches would be perfect with a drizzle of this Flay-approved caramel bourbon sauce. Try it either as a drizzle or a dip. It would even make a delightful and potent accompaniment to a summer peaches and cream trifle recipe. Between basic vanilla milkshakes and a world of delicious desserts to choose from, a carefully crafted bourbon caramel sauce can make a tasty difference.