Delicious Vegan Almond Joy Milkshake with a boost of espresso powder for the ultimate indulgent milkshake! Made with almond butter, coconut butter and the perfect thick frosty texture!
Ok. Can I just say this was probably the most fun I’ve had doing a food photoshoot. I had my wonderful 2 1/2 year old daughter assist me in decorating and she had SO much fun helping Mommy. It was so funny because she kept calling the shredded coconut “salt” and saying she wanted to “sprinkle the salt”! Hahaha.
Here she is taking the first sip…….
Looking at Daddy, “mmmmmm, this is really good, don’t even think about taking this from me Dada!” Toddler approved.
Almond joy. One of the yummiest candy bars and flavors, right? What’s not to love…coconut, chocolate and almonds.
This almond joy milkshake is raw, vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free, grain-free and incredibly delicious! Not low calorie though, it tastes like dessert!
I was never even an Almond Joy fan growing up because I didn’t like coconut, but as an adult I now absolutely love coconut. I used creamy coconut butter in this instead of shredded coconut, because coconut becomes sweet once it’s processed into silky, smooth liquid.
When you add espresso to it, it’s like a coffee version of an Almond Joy, yum. If you don’t like espresso, you can leave it out, but it really does enhance the other flavors. It gives you a nice burst of energy, that’s for sure!
Now, don’t panic, you don’t have to make your own almond milk!! Although, it is ridiculously easy, you don’t have to. I just happen to prefer the pure, fresh taste of it homemade and avoid a bunch of nasty, over-processed ingredients. All you need to do is soak the almonds overnight, drain in the morning, blend and strain through a nut bag. It seriously is so easy and I make it weekly. The taste and smell is so clean too. Click here for how I make mine. FYI, I don’t add any sweetener to it anymore, since I mainly use it for recipes. I like to make mine on the slightly, creamy side.
Garnish with freshly grated coconut, sliced almonds, espresso powder and drizzled melted chocolate. To die for.
This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Almond Joy Milkshake
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh almond milk storebought is fine too, I just prefer the taste of homemade
- 3 tablespoons (48g) almond butter
- 2 tablespoons (30g) coconut butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (50g) agave or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon ground espresso
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3-4 tablespoons melted dark chocolate
- Garnish: shredded coconut, sliced almonds, espresso powder and more drizzled chocolate
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Finely chop your chocolate and melt it gently (or whatever chocolate you're using) over a double boiler or your preferred method. Set aside.
- Add the almond milk, almond butter and coconut butter to your blender. If your coconut butter is hard, you will need to slightly melt it prior to measuring, so it is soft and scoopable, but not totally melted. You want nice thick, creamy scoops to add to the shake, as this it what helps to thicken it. Blend until smooth right after adding the coconut butter, because the cold almond milk can make it harden quickly.
- Add the agave, vanilla, espresso (if using), salt and melted chocolate (3-4 tablespoons). Blend until smooth. Taste and add any more sweetener or espresso, if desired.
- Pour in a large cup or container and place in the freezer for about 4 hours, until it is forms clumps of ice, but still some liquid, not totally frozen. You only want it partially freezing. Add back to your blender and blend until smooth and slush-like. I found around 4 hours to be good. If you want to freeze it overnight, you will need to let it thaw out until it is soft chunks and can be blended. I much prefer this method over adding ice, because ice will dilute the flavor.
- Garnish with shredded coconut, sliced almonds, espresso powder and extra melted chocolate.
Hi Brandi…. I can’t wait to try this recipe… it looks so yummy!
Is there a sub for the coconut butter???? Could I just use extra Almond butter or coconut OIL instead????
Thanks!
HOW HAVE I NOT TRIED THIS YET?!?! Seriously?! I will be making this tomorrow…we don’t use agave, but I imagine maple syrup would work 🙂 Looks incredible!!!
Thank you so much Mandy, lol!! It truly is to die for…one of the best drinks/milkshakes I’ve ever had in my life! Oh and yes, maple syrup is perfect…I have that as a listed option, so totally use that. The only reason I have agave on there is because it is considered raw and this is a raw dessert and maple syrup technically isn’t raw….really silly, but since it was being posted on a raw site, I had to add agave 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think!
I made this georgous recipe a few times now & it is my favourite drink of the moment,…ooh yes, Brandi! Divine, pretty & awesome too! x
I saw this post on Facebook the other day and again last night I literally woke up craving this amazing, healthy milkshake. It was very easy to make and I couldn’t even wait to freeze it because it was so good, lol. I made extra so the rest is freezing as I write 🙂 I never liked Almond Joy candy bars….. but this?! Almond Joy doesn’t have anything on this. Keep them coming vegan8…. Thank you, Brandi, for all you do….. 🙂
That was such a sweet feedback and comment, thank you so much Shandee! I’m sooo glad you loved it so much and thank you for making it and posting on Facebook that you made it! 🙂
Your little girl is an absolute doll! That shake looks unbelievable too. I love all of the beautiful, drippy pictures….it makes me feel like I can almost taste it. YUM!
Thank you so much Melanie! I love how the photos turned out too, it was a fun shoot and even more fun that I could create something for my BF, since this is her favorite candy bar and I wanted a raw version….and this one is so decadent!
Brandi, as delicious as this milkshake is, and as surprisingly simple it is to make almond milk, your daughter steals the show. She is such a doll! I’ve been making Barb’s vegan chia pudding, using almond milk as the base. Now that I see how easy it is to make my own, I’ll following your guide to make almond milk. Thanks for the lesson and for sharing a bit of your daughter with us.
Thank you so much John! Yep, she always steals the show, haha! Really, make the almond milk, it is SO GOOD and you can make it as thick or thin as you want it. I’m addicted to it and make it weekly.
The pictures say it all! Somebody is having a very good time ;-). Looks so yummy!
Yes, she was one very happy camper 🙂
I am not going to lie that this is perhaps the most indulgent recipe I have ever seen for a milkshake 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Wow, thank you Uru!! 🙂
Your daughter is beautiful, just like her mom! She’s a lucky girl getting to taste special healthy treats like this one. You’ve captured some priceless and precious photos of her, Brandi! This is a recipe I’m saving for a special treat.. I think on our first really hot, sunny day this will be just perfect! xx
Aww thank you Barbara! She honestly LOVED this and thank you…I really loved how the photos turned out as well 🙂
Can I just dive in head first? Looks dreamy!! Poppy
Haha! I was tempted myself! 🙂
Look at that cutie pie drinking the shake, now if that isn’t a ringing endorsement for how delicious this is than I don’t know what is. Sounds wonderfully delicious as are all of your recipes. This is so creative, I love almond joy!
Thank you Suzanne! I agree…kids are picky so when she likes something, I know it’s good. It tastes just like a regular milkshake I used to get at a restaurant…so good!
This looks like utter bliss! I’m compiling a list of recipes to make when I get home and back to my kitchen and ingredients and this is definitely high up there! You know I’m a coconut fanatic!
Adorable pics of your little one too 🙂
Thank you Emma! I think you will love it! 🙂
This looks CRAZY good, Brandi!! My heavens you all eat (and drink) well!
Haha, thank you Annie!
This is the most decadent shake I’ve ever seen! I cannot wait to give it a try. Your daughter’s enjoyment of it is absolutely lovely 🙂
Thank you so much Erin! I was truly pleased at how it turned out and so were my tastebuds and those of my daughter’s, hahaha! My husband doesn’t like coconut, so he passed!
Now that is one happy little girl. ..I’d be too if I had one of those. My favorite candy bar in a glass.
Yes, she was VERY happy…I had to pry it from her hands 🙂