Lovers of Oreos will want to learn how to make an Oreo milkshake. It’s another way to use your favorite cookie in an innovative way. Many recipes exist for the beloved milkshake. Here is one you can easily commit to memory.

Take a dozen Oreo cookies, any flavor. Place them in a blender. Add 1-1/2 cups of cold milk. Swirl it up. Next add one pint of your favorite ice cream and a tablespoon of good chocolate syrup to the blended mix. Swirl. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.

It’s so easy to make this milkshake that you can offer Oreo milkshakes at your next party. Set up an Oreo cookie favor bar complete with blender and have ice cream on ice or in a small bar freezer so guests can make their own shakes.

Some restaurants offer Oreo cookie milkshakes. They use a vanilla syrup in theirs to make it taste so good. You can find vanilla syrup in coffee shops or in the grocery store. It used to be a hard to find ingredient, but it isn’t anymore.

Next time the kids have a sleepover, why not let them set up a milkshake station? As long as an adult is nearby, they will be able to handle making this easy concoction.

Some recipes for the Oreo milkshake call for chopping the cookies ahead of time. That will result in a smoother blend. But Oreos will break up just fine in the blender. Why create another step for yourself if you don’t have to? Vary the amount of Oreos you use and you’ll get a thicker and more chocolatey mixture that’s more like a smoothie. If you use less milk and more ice cream, you’ll get more of a blended ice cream treat. And, of course, the more syrup you add, the sweeter it’s going to be.

Invent your own twists on the Oreo milkshake. Add some malted milk powder for an old time classic malted milk shake. Or vary the ice cream flavors. Cherry vanilla or rocky road will add to the texture and completely change the taste. Adults may find that coffee ice cream is their new favorite smoothie flavor when mixed with Oreos.

Toppings for your milkshake can also be inventive. Add whipped cream or peppermint candy pieces. Stick a cookie straw in it for a fun way for kids to down their shakes. Shake on some cinnamon or cocoa powder. Or shake on a few shots or sprinkles in chocolate or rainbow colors.

The Oreo milkshake is a happy, fun to create drink that you can whip up anytime day or night and its a great summer cookie treat. Keep the ingredients in the house for those late night snack attacks or for when the kids are bored on a rainy day. You’ll be the hero when you pull out the fixings for an Oreo milkshake fest.

Oh, and don’t substitute other brands of faux Oreos or you may end up disappointed. Other brands really don’t taste like original Oreos. However, you can get creative and use other Oreo flavors such as Peanut Butter Oreos or Fudge Mint Oreos. There are also holiday Oreos that come in red and white peppermint candy flavor which will add a nice touch to holiday milkshakes.

Ingredients:

• 2 qt. apple cider

• 3/4 cup lemon juice

• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 8 whole cloves

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 3/4 cup rum, optional

• Additional cinnamon sticks, optional

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients except rum and additional cinnamon sticks; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove spices; add rum just before serving if desired. Serve hot with cinnamon sticks, if desired.

3 1/4 cups 2% low-fat milk, divided

Recommendation: Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which has a milder flavor than regular unsweetened cocoa powder.

1. In a 1-quart microwave safe pitcher, heat up 1/2 cup of milk 1 minute.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and sugar. Add to the hot milk, stirring with a long spoon until mixture is smooth and syrupy. If lumps form, whisk to break them up.
3. Add the vanilla and half-and-half or light cream. Fill the rest of the pitcher with milk, stir, and heat in the microwave 2 minutes. Remove and stir, and then heat another minute, or until almost steaming.

If you love making personalized drink mixes like this, try these recipes for cocktail-inspired cupcakes.