Gulkand Strawberry Milkshake

Holi without Thandai is incomplete, but sometimes you are looking for a drink that substitutes Thandai because the kids don’t have an affinity for it.

Gulkand Strawberry Milkshake makes the perfect replacement! Serve this stunning blend of flavors and enjoy the delight that catches on your little ones’ faces.

Alert: Make a large batch as they will be coming back for more servings!

Reasons You’ll ♡ Gulkand Strawberry Milkshake

This Gulkand Strawberry Milkshake is a super flavorful, creamy, and decadent recipe. You will love this recipe as —

• It blends in just 5 mins
• Quick and easy, with the perfect amount of fruity sweetness and the right consistency
• Super cooling and refreshing drink
• Packed with the health benefits of milk, strawberries, and gulkand, all in a single drink, and is
• Loved by kids and adults alike!

What’s more?

This enchanting pink-colored gluten-free drink can be converted into a vegan treat by substituting regular milk with plant-based milk (almond milk or coconut milk).

The best part is that it’s a versatile drink that can be served at any time of the day — Perfect as a breakfast, mid-morning, or mid-afternoon drink, this Gulkand Strawberry Milkshake should indeed hold a place on your weekly menu list.

What is Gulkand

Gulkand is a jam or marmalade delicacy made by preserving rose petals in sugar or jaggery.

‘Gul’ is a Persian word meaning flower or Rose, and ‘Khand’ means sugar in the Northern states of India. Collectively they mean- Rose petal preserve made with sugar.

Gulkand is relished on its own and used in various Indian desserts and shakes recipes to add that fantastic rose flavor and freshness. It also has many health benefits besides taste and cooling properties.

It makes a presence, especially during Holi when a refreshing drink for kids is needed to replace the traditional ‘Thandai.’

Gulkand Strawberry Milkshake Ingredient List

Strawberries — The star ingredient of this delicious milkshake, strawberries can be frozen or fresh, as per your choice. This recipe is prepared using frozen ones, which has turned out to be excellent.

Gulkand — A stellar add-on to our yummy Strawberry Gulkand Milkshake, the dried rose petals jam (Gulkand) lends a superbly refreshing rose flavor and a subtle pink color to the milkshake in addition to being a natural coolant!

Honey — Honey, as a sweetener, lends sweetness and nutrition to the milkshake. You can use sugar or maple syrup in place of honey too.

Strawberry extract — This is added for a more intense strawberry flavor and the enticing pink color.

Milk — This recipe for Strawberry Gulkand Milkshake uses chilled regular milk. However, you can substitute the regular milk with plant-based milk (like almond milk, coconut milk, etc.) or Maple Syrup.

Half & half — This is used for making a creamier and more luscious milkshake.

Slivered nuts — Slivered assorted nuts add a nice crunch and a lot of glamour (when used as a garnish) to our delicious Strawberry Gulkand Milkshake.

How to make the Best Gulkand Strawberry Milkshake

Fruit — If you opt to use fresh strawberries, use the perfectly ripened strawberries to achieve the desired creaminess and flavor. I have used frozen strawberries as they make a super creamier blend.

Blend — Toss the frozen strawberries, along with gulkand, honey, half & half, and milk into a blender, and blend until thick and creamy. 

Pour and Enjoy — Pour into glasses and serve right away. You may garnish the Gulkand strawberry smoothie with slivered almonds and pistachios for a little nutty crunch. 

Recipe Tips and Variations

Benefits of using honey — Honey has a lot of health benefits as it is a good source of antioxidants and is a phytonutrient powerhouse with antibacterial and antifungal properties. Using honey along with milk has proven to be a very healthy combination.

Benefits of using Gulkand — Gulkand has many health benefits as it purifies blood, aids digestion and improves the appetite, relieves hyperacidity, and acts as a mild laxative. It also refreshes the body and the mind, being a natural coolant and is suitable for improving the skin complexion.

Gulkand options — You can use store-bought or homemade Gulkand for this recipe. Both will work just as great.

Skip the sweetener — Your strawberries may be perfectly ripe and sweet, and along with the gulkand, it may be just enough sweet for the drink. In this case, you can skip adding honey to the shake.

Add a touch of extra fiber — You may throw in some flax seeds, chia seeds, or even hemp seeds to the strawberry gulkand shake to add more fiber to it.

Sweetening alternatives — This recipe uses honey as a natural sweetener. However, if you are not using honey for any reason, the other options are maple syrup, Medjool dates, or agave syrup.

Add the protein powder — Amp up the protein nutrition of your strawberry gulkand milkshake with added proteins, like any nut butter or a protein powder of your liking.

Frosted glasses for a super chilled shake — Stack your glasses in the freezer for some time before serving this delicious treat. A frosted glass helps retain the drink’s chillness for a longer time. So, you can enjoy your chilled shake for a long.

Key to the creamiest milkshake — The full-fat milk and half and half used to prepare this milkshake are the secrets to its super creaminess. Do not substitute it with low-fat dairy, or its creaminess will be compromised.

Do not use fruit juice as a substitute for milk — Using juices as a substitute for milk will completely ruin the essence of this milkshake. Adding milk is imperative for creating a creamy and super indulgent milkshake.

Explore the variations — You may experiment by using different combinations of berries for this milkshake. Other berries also make beautiful blends with Gulkand to create delicious drinks.

Make it nuttier and nutrition-rich — You can add nuts and seeds of your choice to make this Strawberry Gulkand Milkshake nuttier in taste and more nutritious and flavorful.

Let me know what you think!

You will love this drink if you are a strawberry or gulkand lover. And trust me, you will fall for it even if you are not.

Give this recipe a try and dig into a delicious strawberry-gulkand treat that will delight your taste-buds craving for a relaxed and sweet indulgence!