This milkshake may look like a funfetti wonder but no, those multicolored flecks are actually Nerds! In ice cream! Does that sound weird to you? Well, let me assure you that it’s wonderful. I mean yes, Nerds are basically like the hard-core drug of the Wonka family, a pure concoction of sugar, flavoring, and citric acid that you go for when you need a pure hit of processed garbage. This may make them slightly difficult to eat and sometimes they seem a bit pointless, but oh, put them in ice cream, and suddenly they have purpose.
When I lived in Pennsylvania the first time, circa 1999, there was a frozen custard stand in town that was a true holdover from whichever was the last decade when people regularly hung out at the ice cream shop and called it a fun Saturday night. The place was no-frills, with a few picnic tables in the parking lot and a guaranteed line on warm nights. I would stop there with my dad after his latest failed attempt to interest me in learning golf, and we’d get custard as a pre-dinner treat. I don’t remember what my first few orders were, but one day, I took a longer look at the menu and discovered they offered a thick, blizzard-like milkshake with Nerds candy in it. I ordered one, and after the first spoonful of creamy custard turned tart and slightly pink from the candy, I was hooked. I ordered that milkshake every time I went there after that, until we moved away. I never forgot it, and after I recently rediscovered home-made milkshakes, I immediately went to the store and grabbed myself some ice cream and a box of candy.
My homemade version isn’t as pink as the milkshake I remember, but it is thick with quality vanilla ice cream and speckled with tart candy, and best of all, tastes exactly like I remember. The sour candy is balanced by the sweet ice cream, with a fun interplay of smooth and crunchy texture, and I mean, just look at it! This milkshake is straight out of a unicorn's fever dream, and that’s not a bad thing.
Nerds Milkshake
Makes 1 milkshake
3 scoops vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup milk
2 tbs nerds candy + more to garnish
whipped cream (optional)
- In a blender, combine ice cream and milk and blend until smooth and desired thickness. Add more milk to thin if desired.
- Add candy and blend to combine. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream, if desired.