Awful Awful
intro
The iconic ultra-thick New England frozen milkshake, named for being 'awful big, awful good'—creamy, frosty, and perfectly sweet for hot summer days.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep measured ingredients
Remove full-fat vanilla ice cream from the freezer and let it soften at room temperature (20°C/68°F) for exactly 5 minutes—do not let it melt fully to a liquid. Measure out 240ml ice-cold whole milk, 120ml chocolate syrup, 80g sweetened whipped cream, and 4 maraschino cherries, and set all ingredients within arm’s reach of the blender to avoid ice cream melt during prep.
Layer blender contents
Layer ingredients in the blender canister to prevent sticking and ensure even mixing: add 60ml (half the total) chocolate syrup to the bottom first, then pack all 900 grams of slightly softened vanilla ice cream into the canister, then pour the remaining 60ml chocolate syrup and all 240ml ice-cold whole milk over the top of the ice cream.
Blend to thick texture
Secure the blender lid tightly, blend on the lowest speed setting for 15 seconds, then turn the blender off and scrape down the canister sides with a rubber spatula to incorporate any unblended syrup stuck to the edges. Blend on low for an additional 10–15 seconds only; over-blending will thin the shake and ruin its signature thick texture. The finished blend should be thick enough that a metal spoon stands upright when inserted into the center.
Chill serving glasses
Let the blended shake rest for 1 minute to firm up slightly, then place 4 tall 16oz (473ml) soda fountain glasses into the freezer for 1 minute to chill. Chilled glassware prevents the frozen shake from melting too quickly after pouring.
Portion shakes into glasses
Remove the frosted glasses from the freezer, then pour the thick shake evenly into each glass, leaving a 2cm (3/4 inch) gap at the top of each glass for garnish. If the shake is too thick to pour freely, use a rubber spatula to gently guide it into the glasses; do not add extra milk to thin the mixture, as this will ruin the classic texture.
Garnish and serve immediately
Top each shake with 20g (about 2 tablespoons) of sweetened whipped cream, centered on the surface of the shake, then place one maraschino cherry on top of each whipped cream dollop. Insert a thick paper straw and long sundae spoon into each glass, and serve within 2 minutes of preparation to enjoy the signature frosty, ultra-thick consistency.
Tips
2.To make the classic vanilla Awful Awful, replace the chocolate syrup with an extra 5ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract and 30g (2 tbsp) powdered sugar, following all other steps exactly for the same thick texture.
3.If you don’t have time to chill glasses in the freezer, fill each glass with ice water for 2 minutes while you prep the shake, then pour out the water right before adding the shake for the same frosty, melt-resistant effect.
OMG, I grew up getting Awful Awfuls on family trips to Rhode Island every summer and this recipe is SPOT ON. It’s so thick I had to eat the first half with a spoon, just like the real deal! 10 minutes total? No way, I whipped this up faster than that for my kid’s after school snack and they went nuts.
Made these for our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and people were begging for the recipe! I did half vanilla half chocolate swirl and it was chef’s kiss. Only thing is, my blender struggled a little with how thick it got—any tips for that?
Wait, I thought Awful Awfuls were made with ice milk? This uses full fat ice cream and it came out way richer than I remember from my college days in Boston. Did I misremember the original?
Game changer. I’ve been overpaying for fancy craft milkshakes from the local dessert shop for years and this is way better. I added a crushed pretzel rim and a drizzle of caramel and it was *chef’s kiss*. SO thick, so creamy, no weird artificial aftertaste.
Wait, can I make these ahead for a kid’s birthday party this weekend? I was thinking of pre-blending and keeping them in the freezer?
Tried this recipe last night and it was so thick my straw bent in half lmao. I used coffee ice cream instead of vanilla for a little pick-me-up and it was incredible. My husband said it’s better than any fast food shake we’ve ever gotten.
So excited to find this! I have celiac, so I swapped the regular vanilla ice cream for a certified gluten free brand and used gluten free vanilla syrup, and it came out perfectly! Is there any way to make a dairy free version that’s still that super thick texture? I have a friend coming over who’s lactose intolerant.
My kids loved it! It’s so easy to make, I don’t know why I ever bought those pre-made milkshake mixes from the grocery store. We did a topping bar with sprinkles, whipped cream, maraschino cherries and crushed Oreos and it was the perfect Friday night treat. 10/10, will be making this all summer.
Just made this after a long hot hike and it was exactly what I needed. I used mint chocolate chip ice cream because that’s what I had in the freezer and it was so refreshing! Only downside is it’s so rich I could only finish half, lol.
Wait, how is this an Awful Awful? I followed the measurements exactly and it was just a regular thick milkshake, nothing like the ones I had growing up in Connecticut. I feel like I did something wrong?
This is so easy to make in my tiny dorm blender! I don’t have a fancy high speed blender or anything, and it still came out super thick. I added a handful of frozen strawberries to mine and it tasted just like the strawberry shakes I get at the diner back home.
Made these to go with our smoked brisket dinner last night and everyone was raving. I know milkshakes with BBQ sounds weird, but trust me, the thick creamy vanilla is the perfect sweet contrast to salty smoky brisket. Game changer for our summer cookouts.
I doubled the chocolate syrup and used chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla for a double chocolate version and it was SO good. I’m gonna add peanut butter cups next time, that would be insane. 10 minutes start to finish, no mess, zero complaints from my very picky teen.
Wait, stupid question—when you say “thick milkshake”, how thick is it supposed to be? I don’t want to make it too runny, but I also don’t want to break my blender, lol.
Made these for our camp cookout with the 8-10 year old campers last week and it was chaos in the best way. All the kids were coming back for seconds, even the ones who usually turn down every sweet treat we offer! I will say, I had to make a double batch because we ran out in 10 minutes flat.