This Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake Actually Puts a Bag of Charred Marshmallows in the Blender

Almost exactly five years ago, to celebrate both of us signing cookbook contracts, I met a friend for lunch at a burger joint called The Stand on East 12th Street and we finished the meal with something on the menu called a toasted marshmallow milkshake. I don’t remember the burger, but afterward every conversation I had for weeks landed on one chorus: “Toasted marshmallow milkshake, toasted marshmallow milkshake.” You could argue it lodged in my brain.

At-a-glance

What I don’t know is why I didn’t translate that milkshake into a blender recipe sooner — perhaps lack of sleep, book work, or a fear of what a blender full of melted, charred marshmallow might do. But now that it’s ice-cream season again, it’s time to set things right.

The recipe proved viral online; one version purportedly from The Stand used only a toasted marshmallow as a garnish and an otherwise ordinary vanilla shake underneath — which felt like a betrayal. The flavor of a truly toasted marshmallow is distinct: smoky, burnt-sugar vanilla, stretchy and nostalgic. I like mine blackened and drooping off the stick, and I wanted to pack all that into a frosty glass.

I toyed with a couple of variations — a s’more shake (chocolate ice cream, fudge swirl, crumbled graham crackers) and a strawberry-marshmallow version (macerated strawberries blended with the toasted marshmallows) — but focused on honing the pure vanilla-marshmallow flavor here.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

Oof, this shake. I might add “burnt marshmallows” to my list of third-trimester cravings. This is essentially a vanilla-ice-cream shake blended with the better part of a bag of charred marshmallows plus two enhancers I liked: scraped vanilla bean seeds (or extract) and a spoonful or two of sour cream, plain yogurt, or crème fraîche to temper the sweetness. A lightly sweetened whipped cream is optional for garnish.

Yield: Just shy of 3 shakes in the 12-oz glasses shown; 4–5 shakes in 8-oz glasses.

Ingredients

Method

1. Place your glasses in the freezer so they’re chilled.

2. Heat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat it with nonstick spray. Set aside the marshmallows you want for garnishes (estimate 1–2 per shake), and spread the remaining marshmallows on the tray.

3. Broil the marshmallows, watching closely: they will color quickly. Broil for about 1–2 minutes, until they reach your preferred level of browning. Don’t fear a little char — it improves the flavor.

4. Cool the tray in the freezer for about 5 minutes so the marshmallows are no longer warm, then transfer the broiled marshmallows to your blender.

5. Blend the charred marshmallows with the 1/2 cup milk until as smooth/pureed as possible.

6. Meanwhile, individually toast the reserved marshmallows for garnish over a gas flame or briefly under the broiler so they’re warm when they hit the glass.

7. Add vanilla bean seeds (or extract), the vanilla ice cream and the sour cream to the blender with the marshmallow-milk mixture, and blend until thick and smooth.

8. Pour into the chilled glasses, finish with a dollop of the whipped cream if using, and top with a warm marshmallow. Serve with a straw and enjoy.

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