How To Avoid Gritty Texture In Nut-Based Milkshakes

When you make a milkshake with nuts, it may often be the case that nuts don’t blend well in the milk. This might be due to a low powered blender or with the textural contrast of liquid and solid ingredients. When not blended well, nuts will turn the milkshake gritty and may give an unpleasant experience. Oftentimes, people also enjoy some nutty bits in the milkshake, however, the gritty texture occurs when the nuts are blended and get separated like a piece of sand in milk. To avoid this happening to your nutty milkshake like peanut butter chocolate milkshake, check out these useful tips.

1. Use Smooth Nut Butter instead of Crunchy

Nut butters come in different textures that range from smooth to crunchy. Sometimes crunchy butters feel satisfying when you are preparing things like butter toast or cookies. However, when it comes to milkshakes, opting for smooth nut butter is always a good choice. In this way, you won’t have to blend the milkshake for long to make the texture even and the milkshake will not turn out gritty. If you like a little crunchy nibbles then you can use crunchy butters.

2. Blend Nut Butter First with Liquid

Nut butters should be blended first before adding frozen ingredients like frozen fruits and ice cream. This is because nut butter will break down well in milk and get emulsified, giving you a perfectly smooth texture. Add nut butter to milk and blend for 15 to 30 seconds before adding frozen ingredients.

3. Use a High-Speed Blender

High-speed blenders ease the work and make it much easier for you to prepare a perfectly smooth milkshake without much hassle. Low-powered blenders may take some time, not spin quickly, and result in gritty texture. Therefore, if you are someone who makes milkshakes quite often, consider investing in a high-powered blender.

4. Strain if Using Whole Nuts

When using whole nuts like almonds, cashews, and walnuts, it is often the case when the nuts don’t get blended entirely. This can leave the texture gritty. To avoid this, you can always strain the milkshake before serving. Straining always help in separating the tiny pieces of nuts that couldn't be blended in the milkshake. You can use a mesh strainer or a nut milk bag to remove the residual grain.

5. Soak Nuts if Using Them Whole

Roasted nuts or dry nuts are often harder to break down. When you add dry nuts mindlessly, it can make the texture gritty and not smooth. To avoid this, soak nuts overnight to soften them and then blend it. When you soak nuts in water, they undergo a process of rehydration, which not only softens their texture but also activates enzymes that make them easier to digest and smoother to blend. This step ensures your milkshake comes out creamy, not chalky or grainy. Softened nuts are also easy to digest and blends more homogeneously with other ingredients.

6. Don’t Overuse Cocoa Powder or Protein Powders

Cocoa powder is a great way to introduce chocolate flavor into the milkshake but too much of it will end up ruining the flavor. Some cocoa powder feels chalky and not original when dissolved in milk. Therefore, do not add too much cocoa powder and instead try adding melted dark chocolate which will bring a more authentic chocolate flavor.

7. Choose the Right Milk

Plant-based milks like almond milk or oat milk that come with stabilizers blend more smoothly with nut butters in comparison to dairy. Since dairy based milk contains fats and can be separated with water, it is often hard to blend with nuts. When you are using dairy based milk, use whole milk instead of skimmed milk or pasteurized milk. Or for a better flavor, always opt for plant-based milk which might also be a healthier option.

8. Add Frozen Bananas or Yogurt

Frozen banana and yogurt are a wonderful addition to any milkshake. The reason behind it is that both bananas and yogurt have a mild flavor and make the milkshake creamy and delicious. Bananas bring a more sweet flavor with a dense texture that feels satisfying and yogurt brings a little savory contrast that enhances the sweetness while creating a flavor depth. Both these ingredients bind well with ingredients in the milkshake and will make it creamy.

9. Blend in Two Stages

Two stage blending is often a good strategy to make the milkshake creamier than ever. In the first stage, all the soft and liquid ingredients should be blended well. After that you should add frozen elements and ice in the second stage until it is broken down completely. This approach helps prevent the formation of a gritty texture.