This healthy date shake is made with frozen bananas instead of ice cream and requires only four simple ingredients. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan.

If you’ve never heard of a date shake before you’re in for a real treat today!

Date shakes are basically a creamy milkshake made with dates! They originated in Southern California, specifically the Palm Springs region where date palms grow abundantly.

I’ve never actually been to Palm Springs, but given my love for medjool dates I knew that I needed to create a healthier homemade version the moment I heard about them.

Instead of making these shakes with vanilla ice cream I decided to use banana ice cream. This is an easy swap because frozen bananas work like a charm at creating a cold, creamy, milkshake-like consistency. They also add a little extra sweetness to the shake.

Of course this date shake is ideal for dessert, but considering it’s made with fruit and almond milk I don’t see why you couldn’t have it for breakfast or a snack – especially if you’re headed to a workout. It’s full of energy and carbs to power you through!

Medjool Date Nutrition

I recommend using medjool dates for date shakes. They have a rich, almost caramel-like taste and a soft, chewy texture whereas regular dates, commonly called Deglet Noor, are usually smaller and have firm flesh and a sweet, delicate flavor.

I love using medjool dates as a natural sweetener in so many different recipes like these homemade samoas, snickers stuffed dates, almond flour muffins and date energy balls.

I have an entire post on everything you need to know about medjool dates if you want to do a deeper dive, but for a quick glance, medjool dates…

• contain natural sugar, but have a low/medium glycemic index score due to containing a good amount of fiber, which helps to slow the release of carbohydrates and give you sustained energy rather than spiking your blood sugar crazy high.
• are naturally low in fat.
• are packed with nutrients like potassium (50% more potassium by weight than a banana), copper, magnesium, vitamin B6, niacin, calcium, iron and vitamin K.
• are rich in antioxidants, which can help protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. Some of the antioxidants found in medjool dates include carotenoids, polyphenols, and flavonoids.

Ingredients Needed

• medjool dates – the star of the show! Make sure you get Medjool dates, which are fresh fruit, not dried! You’ll find them in the produce section of your grocery store. Your dates should be soft, not hard. If they are dry or hard, you can soak them in water for 10-20 minutes, drain and then use them in the recipe. You can buy medjool dates that are already pitted or pit them yourself (it’s super easy). Two brands that I like are Natural Delights and Joolies. You can find Natural Delights in the produce section of most grocery stores (near the bananas) and Joolies are offered on Amazon and Thrive Market.
• bananas – we’re using frozen bananas instead of vanilla ice cream for that delicious and creamy texture. I have a full post on how to freeze bananas if you’re interested.
• milk – I like using unsweetened almond milk for this date shake, but any milk will work. You can also make your own almond milk if you’re feeling fancy.
• ice – to thicken up the shake!

How to Make

This date shake recipe couldn’t get any easier to make! Just place your dates and 1/2 cup almond milk into a high-speed blender and blend until dates have broken down into small tidbits.

Add frozen banana chunks, remaining almond milk and ice cubes into blender and blend until smooth. Add any additional almond milk or ice cubes to reach desired consistency, if needed.

Pour into glasses, top with coconut whip cream if using and enjoy!

pro tip!
If your dates are dry or hard or you don't have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix you can soak your dates in water for 10-20 minutes to soften them up. Just drain the water before adding the dates to your blender!

Date Shake Variations

• Add other flavors: Vanilla extract, almond extract and chocolate are some great flavors that would work well with this date shake.
• Add spices: Try adding some warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg.
• Add protein: Turn this into a protein-packed date shake by adding a scoop of protein powder, nut butter or Greek yogurt. You could also add a handful of seeds or nuts like walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, chia seeds or hemp seeds.
• Add berries: Blend in some berries, like strawberries or blackberries for added nutrients for this date shake.
• Swap the frozen bananas: Want to make this more of a real-deal date shake? Swap the frozen bananas with your favorite vanilla ice cream! Use a dairy-free ice cream to keep this date shake vegan.

More Date Recipes

More Shakes to Try

Be sure to check out all of the medjool date recipes as well as the full collection of drink recipes on EBF!