Palm Springs Date Shake
We just came back from the Palm Springs area and I’m ready to pack my bags 🧳 again and return to this gorgeous oasis! As I’ve said many, many times; if I could live there, I would! I’ve been in love with this Southern part of California since I was 16 for my first visit with my father. Back in January of 1981, we met down there with my Aunt Rolande and Uncle John along with my cousin Michelle. During our stay in paradise, we went to the Bob Hope golf tournament 🏌️♂️. Yes, I did see Bob Hope and even took a picture of him. Other celebrities that were at the tournament were President Ford, Orson Wells and Jack Nicklaus. Great memories and great fun!
Since then, I’ve been back to Palm Springs over a dozen times, definitely not enough, and intend to return each year – dreaming is okay… it keeps you going! Every trip, I make sure to add a new golf course to play and a new restaurant to try. Until this year though, I never really looked deeper into trying something that is a local favorite from the area. This is all Club Foody’s fault – food, food, food! I found a milkshake! That’s it, you say! Yes, but this milkshake is very good 😍!
We went to Indio just outside of Palm Desert and nearby La Quinta to explore Shields Date Gardens where you can apparently find the best Date Shake in Southern California! When you get in, it almost feels like you entered a time capsule that is frozen in time. There’s a bunch of gadgets from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and on the back wall, you see a long counter just like the ones you see at a diner, with those low chrome stools that spin… that’s where the shakes are made! There are books 📚, toys, candies, sauces, dressings as well as dates – go figure! There’s also a small area where people can sit and watch an educational movie on the “Sex Life of a Date” – really 😳? Yep, that’s the title… I didn’t make it up! Further to the back, they have an outdoor area where you can enjoy breakfast and lunch. Is it a tourist trap? ABSOLUTELY! Still, it was fun to discover a new taste sensation…
We thought the date shake was good but not excellent and let me tell you why. We found it too sweet with big chunks of dates in it! So what did we do? We thought – “how can we make it better… well at least more to our liking?”. I knew we had pitted Medjool Dates in our refrigerator in Vancouver so it was one of the rare things I was looking forward to on our return… creating our version of a Palm Springs Date Shake!
Within a week of being back in Canada 🍁, I made this Palm Springs Date Shake and we both really loved it! One thing I made sure to improve on was the texture so what I did was to soften the dates so there aren’t any big chunks in the shake. I want something sweet but not overly therefore I just relied on the sweetness from the ice cream 🍦 and the natural sugar from the dates… no need to add any extra sugar.
This milkshake is a twist on an iconic food favorite with a few added ingredients that you just have to try! It’s easy to make and you’ll be surprised how delicious this shake is. I really think that next time I’ve got the blues of not being in Palm Springs (I have that feeling at least a couple of times a month), I’ll make myself a Palm Springs Date Shake, close my eyes and bring the oasis back… ahhh 😎!
Bon appétit!🍽
Check out these other delicious beverage recipes…😀
– Strawberry Milkshake
– Agua de Jamaica
– Homemade Lemonade
– Orange Julius Copycat
– Berry Fusion Smoothie
– Indian Masala Chai
– Kashmiri Chai Tea • Pink Tea
and for even more great alcohol-free, cocktail, and smoothie beverage recipes 🧃🍹, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beverages
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Palm Springs Date Shake
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Medjool Dates, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- small pinch fleur de sel
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups good quality vanilla ice cream see Recipe
Directions
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add milk and bring to a boil. Add dates and stir to separate; soak them in hot milk. Cover with a lid, turn off the heat and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool off for 20 minutes.
- Pour date mixture into the jar of a blender. Add banana, vanilla extract, fleur de sel, freshly ground nutmeg and vanilla ice cream. Process until the ingredients are well-blended, about 2 ½ to 3 minutes.
- Pour into two 12-ounce glasses. Enjoy immediately.
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Yes the dates and date shakes Are very good. But you forgot to mention the sovereign wonderful walking tour/display of Christ’s life that is in the back arra beyond the wonderful resturant with great sandwiches. Shields is a real treasure
Shields Date Garden is a fun place to go and this amazing Date Shake recipe is a delicious results of it. Enjoy 😀
We visited Palm Springs several years ago and had their Date Shake – we LOVED it!! So glad to see your recipe! I can hardly wait to try it!!
Hello Karen,
We visit the Palm Springs area regularly and that is where we tried their Date Shake too… well in Indio. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Have a lovely weekend ☺
If you want your date shake to be extra creamy, freeze your banana first. Cut into chunks before freezing. Your blender will thank you.
Add the banana to your blender first. Here is a healthy tip: frozen banana alone with a splash of milk is as creamy, if not creamier than most ice creams and can be a substitute for ice cream is you’re watching your calories.
I highly recommend anyone who loves smoothies and shakes to buy a vitamix blender. It can easily pureee any frozen or harder food items.
Hi Jill! Thank you so much for the tip! Next time I have this smoothie (or any that I use banana), I will definitely freeze the chunks before. Have a great day!