Cotton Candy Milkshake

A carnival classic transformed into a sugary sweet and creamy milkshake!

I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of my obsession with cotton candy. I’ll be 99 and still experience that intense rush of joy and excitement when my eyes meet with those pastel puffs of pink and blue.

Is that what love is supposed to feel like? 

Seriously though, why does cotton candy taste so amazing when it’s literally just made up of sugar and food dye? I’ve tried just scooping a spoonful of plain granulated sugar into my mouth, but somehow that isn’t quite the same…

I think the fact that cotton candy is only accessible at certain places or certain times of the year makes it that much more enticing. However, just because cotton candy isn’t available all year round doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy that heavenly sugary sweetness any time of the year. I’m about to let you guys and gals in on a little secret…

Did you know that you can create cotton candy flavor WITHOUT actual cotton candy?? I had no idea until I stumbled upon a recipe for Starbuck’s cotton candy frappuccino. Surprisingly, it’s just a combination of raspberry and vanilla syrups (NOT extract) that create a similar flavor to cotton candy.

Mind.

Blown.

I was a tad skeptical at first, but I decided to give it a go by making this lovely masterpiece of a milkshake.

The key is to find that perfect ratio of vanilla to raspberry. It took me several test trials (no complaints here), but I ended up with a higher ratio of vanilla to raspberry. Too much raspberry syrup just made it taste like a raspberry milkshake–not what I was looking for. However, a hint of raspberry was perfect!

Because I’m always looking for ways to add sugar to sugar, I rimmed the glass with some marshmallow sauce, then dipped it in some pink and blue sprinkles. I then dyed the marshmallow sauce blue and lined the inside of the glass with a generous drizzle. I found this marshmallow sauce next to all of the other syrups and sundae toppings. It’s thinner than marshmallow fluff/creme, which was nice because it kind of bled into the milkshake, adding even more sugary sweetness.

The rock candy sticks and the cotton candy sour belts are not required, BUT they do make this shake extra stunning. What IS required, however, is the whipped cream and sprinkles on top!

Preferably, pink and blue.

Because it’s just not a proper milkshake without whipped cream. Likewise, sprinkles make EVERYTHING taste better.

And in case you were wondering…

Yes, it was good…

Cotton Candy Milkshake

A carnival classic transformed into a sugary sweet and creamy milkshake!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 1 Large Shake

Ingredients

  

• ¼ cup Marshmallow sauce*
• Blue food coloring
• Sprinkles
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 3 Tablespoons vanilla syrup (not extract)
• 1 ½ Tablespoon raspberry syrup
• Whipped Cream

Instructions

 

• Pour the marshmallow sauce into a shallow bowl with a flat bottom. Pour the sprinkles into another small bowl. Dip the rim of the glass into the marshmallow sauce, dripping off any excess, then dip into the sprinkles. Place in the freezer.
• Add a drop of the blue food coloring into the remaining marshmallow sauce, stirring until there are no more streaks of white; set aside.
• Add the ice cream, milk, and both syrups to a blender, and blend until smooth. Use a spoon to slowly drizzle the blue marshmallow sauce along the inside of the glass. Pour the milkshake into the glass. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Serve/devour immediately!

Notes

*Marshmallow sauce is different from marshmallow fluff/creme. It has a thinner consistency and it's usually found with the other sundae sauces and toppings in most grocery stores.