Delightful DIY Elmo Freakshakes: The Ultimate Guide to Fun & Easy Sesame Street Milkshakes

Get ready for a treat that will bring a huge smile to any child’s face – these utterly adorable Elmo Freakshakes! Inspired by our popular Cookie Monster Freakshakes and our charming Cookie Monster and Elmo cookies, these vibrant red milkshakes are a true celebration. They pair perfectly with both recipes, making them an ideal choice for a themed birthday party, a fun sleepover surprise, or simply a “just because” treat that kids (and adults!) of all ages will absolutely adore. Preparing these whimsical freakshakes is much easier than you might imagine, transforming simple ingredients into an extraordinary dessert experience.

What Exactly Are Elmo Freakshakes?

For those unfamiliar, a “freakshake” is an extravagant milkshake loaded with over-the-top toppings, transforming a classic drink into a dessert masterpiece. Our Elmo Freakshakes take this concept and infuse it with the beloved, cheerful spirit of Elmo from Sesame Street. The base is a creamy, bright red vanilla milkshake, artfully colored to match Elmo’s iconic hue. What truly sets these apart is the festive presentation: a glass rimmed with luscious vanilla frosting and a generous coating of colorful sprinkles, crowned with an adorable homemade Elmo cookie. It’s not just a drink; it’s an edible work of art designed to ignite joy and imagination.

Why You’ll Love Making These Elmo Freakshakes

There are countless reasons why these Elmo Freakshakes are destined to become a family favorite. Their appeal extends beyond just their delightful taste, offering a full sensory experience:

• Surprisingly Simple to Create: Despite their elaborate appearance, these freakshakes require minimal specialized skill. With store-bought cookies and frosting as a base, you’ll be amazed at how easily you can bring Elmo to life.
• Perfect for Any Celebration: Whether it’s a Sesame Street-themed birthday bash, a casual playdate, or a special holiday gathering, these freakshakes are guaranteed to be the star of the show.
• A Fantastic Activity for Kids: Involve your little ones in the decorating process! They can help frost the cookie “fur,” add the candy eyeballs and noses, or dip the glasses in sprinkles, fostering creativity and a sense of accomplishment.
• Visually Stunning and Instagram-Worthy: Prepare your cameras! These vibrant, playful milkshakes are incredibly photogenic, perfect for sharing on social media and creating lasting memories.
• Customizable Fun: While Elmo is the star, the concept can be adapted. Change the cookie character, experiment with different milkshake flavors, or vary the sprinkles to match any theme.

The beauty of these Elmo Freakshakes lies in their accessibility. We utilize simple, readily available store-bought sugar cookies and vanilla frosting, eliminating the need for complex baking from scratch. This makes the entire process enjoyable and stress-free, proving that you don’t need extensive culinary skills to create something incredibly cute and memorable. Kids will undoubtedly clamor for these at any Sesame Street-themed birthday party, a fun sleepover, or as a delightful surprise treat after a long day. I can guarantee they’d also relish the opportunity to help craft these themselves! Imagine the fun of letting them decorate the glasses and cookies while you expertly blend the milkshakes. Even “big kids” (aka adults!) won’t be able to resist their charm and deliciousness!

Gather Your Ingredients for Elmo’s Favorite Treat!

Creating these delightful Elmo Freakshakes requires a few simple components, divided into the milkshake base and the decorative Elmo cookies. Many of these ingredients are likely already in your pantry or easily found at your local grocery store.

For the Vibrant Red Milkshake (This recipe yields 2 generous milkshakes; feel free to double or triple for more fun!):

• 5 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream: Choose your favorite brand for the best flavor. For a slight variation, you could also use strawberry ice cream to achieve a pinker hue, or add less red food coloring to vanilla for a custom shade.
• Reddi Whip Whipped Topping: The classic choice for a fluffy cloud top. Any brand of aerosol whipped cream will work just fine!
• Multicolored Sprinkles: These add a festive, playful touch. Any mix of bright, fun colors will enhance the “freakshake” vibe. Consider nonpareils or jimmie sprinkles.
• Red Gel Food Coloring: This is key for achieving Elmo’s signature vibrant red. Gel food coloring provides a much more intense and concentrated color than liquid food coloring, preventing you from thinning out your milkshake mixture too much.
• Vanilla Frosting: A store-bought tub of vanilla frosting is perfect for rimming the glasses. Its thick consistency helps the sprinkles adhere beautifully.
• 1/2 Cup Milk: Any type of milk (dairy or non-dairy) will work to help blend the ice cream into a smooth, drinkable consistency. Adjust slightly for thicker or thinner shakes.
• Parchment Paper: Useful for neatly catching excess sprinkles when decorating the glasses.

For the Adorable Elmo Cookies (The Star Topping!):

For a detailed, printable recipe specifically for the Elmo cookies (and Cookie Monster too!), you can find it right here. This link provides comprehensive instructions for crafting these cute cookie toppers.

• 1 Package of Refrigerated Sugar Cookies: For ultimate convenience, refrigerated sugar cookie dough (like Pillsbury) is a fantastic shortcut. Of course, if you enjoy baking from scratch, feel free to make your own sugar cookies using your favorite recipe!
• Red Gel Food Coloring: Again, the gel is crucial here to achieve a deep, rich red color for Elmo’s “fur” when mixed with frosting.
• Butterscotch Hard Candies: These classic candies make the perfect round, orange nose for Elmo. If you can’t find them, an orange M&M or a small dab of orange frosting could work as an alternative.
• Tub of White/Vanilla Frosting: You can likely use the same tub of vanilla frosting you’re using for the milkshake glass rims, making it super efficient!
• Edible Jumbo Candy Eyeballs: These are widely available in baking aisles or craft stores. They instantly bring character cookies to life!

Creating Your Elmo Masterpiece: Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s break down the process into easy, manageable steps to ensure your Elmo Freakshakes turn out perfectly adorable and delicious!

Step 1: Prepare Your Adorable Elmo Cookies

The Elmo cookies are the crowning glory of these freakshakes, so it’s wise to make them first to allow ample cooling time. You can find detailed instructions for making the Elmo Cookies here. This initial step is crucial because the cookies need to be completely cool before frosting to prevent any melty mishaps. We often opt for refrigerated Pillsbury sugar cookies for their convenience and speed, but feel free to use your favorite store-bought sugar cookies or even a cherished homemade recipe.

The cookie decoration process is wonderfully straightforward. Start by taking your tub of vanilla frosting and mixing in a small amount of red gel food coloring. Stir until you achieve a consistent, vibrant red that perfectly captures Elmo’s joyful hue. Once your cookies are cool, generously apply this red frosting to each sugar cookie. Then, using a butter knife or a small offset spatula, gently whisk the frosting upwards in small motions to create that iconic fluffy, furry texture that Elmo is known for. This simple technique adds so much character!

To complete Elmo’s face, gently press two edible candy eyeballs onto the frosted cookie. For his charming orange nose, place a butterscotch hard candy right below the eyes. And just like that, you’re done! These cookies are not only super easy but incredibly effective at transforming a simple sugar cookie into a beloved Sesame Street character.

Step 2: Decorate Your Milkshake Glasses for an Extra Freakshake Flair

Preparing the glasses is where the “freakshake” fun truly begins. This step adds a dazzling visual appeal and an extra layer of sweetness.

Take your chosen milkshake glasses and spread a generous, even layer of vanilla frosting around the entire top rim. You can use a butter knife or a small spatula for this. Ensure the frosting is thick enough to create a good adhesive surface for the sprinkles, but not so thick that it becomes messy.

Next, pour a handful of your multicolored sprinkles onto a flat surface, such as a piece of parchment paper or a shallow plate. Carefully take each frosted milkshake glass and dip its rim directly into the sprinkles, gently twisting it to ensure a complete and even coating. You want the frosting to be completely covered in a kaleidoscope of colors!

For an extra festive touch, take any remaining sprinkles and lightly sprinkle them over the frosted rim, ensuring every inch sparkles. Once decorated, immediately place your milkshake glasses into the freezer for a few minutes. This quick chill is a crucial step: it helps the frosting and sprinkles set firmly in place, preventing them from melting or sliding off once the milkshake is added. A well-chilled glass also helps keep your milkshake colder for longer!

Step 3: Blend Your Elmo Red Milkshakes and Assemble

Now for the main event: creating the delicious, creamy red milkshake base.

In a sturdy blender, combine your 5 scoops of vanilla ice cream with 1/2 cup of milk. Then, add your red gel food coloring. Start with a small amount, perhaps a pea-sized drop, and blend. Gel food coloring is very potent, so it’s always best to add gradually. If you desire a more intense, deeper red, simply add a tiny bit more and blend again until you reach your desired Elmo-red shade. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, but still thick enough to be a milkshake. Avoid over-blending, which can make it too thin.

Once your milkshake is perfectly blended and your glasses are nicely chilled from the freezer, it’s time to assemble! Carefully pour the vibrant red milkshake mixture into your prepared glasses, filling them almost to the brim. Next, add a generous swirl of Reddi Whip whipped topping on top – the higher the better for that dramatic freakshake effect! Feel free to add a final sprinkle of multicolored sprinkles over the whipped cream for an extra pop of color and texture.

Finally, carefully place your finished Elmo cookies neatly on top of the whipped topping. You can center them or position them slightly off-center for a playful look. Don’t forget to add a fun, striped straw for sipping, and perhaps a long spoon for digging into those delicious toppings!

These Elmo Freakshakes are truly super adorable and remarkably simple to make, proving that impressive desserts don’t have to be complicated. I genuinely hope you have an absolute blast making and enjoying these!

Tips for the Perfect Elmo Freakshake Every Time

To ensure your Elmo Freakshakes are as perfect as they are playful, keep these handy tips in mind:

• Chill Everything: A cold glass is key! Freezing your decorated glasses for a few minutes before pouring the milkshake helps the frosting and sprinkles stay put and keeps your shake colder longer.
• Quality Ice Cream: Since vanilla ice cream is the primary flavor, use a good quality brand that you enjoy. This will make a noticeable difference in the taste of your milkshake.
• Don’t Overmix: When blending the milkshake, blend just until smooth and combined. Over-blending can make the shake too thin and watery. If it’s too thick, add a tiny splash more milk; if too thin, add another scoop of ice cream.
• Gel Food Coloring is Best: As mentioned, gel food coloring provides a much richer, more vibrant color without adding excess liquid, which could thin out your milkshake or frosting.
• Get Kids Involved Safely: Let children help with decorating the cookies (after baking) and dipping the glasses in sprinkles. Supervise closely during blending and assembly.
• Serve Immediately: Freakshakes are best enjoyed right after assembly to prevent toppings from collapsing and the milkshake from melting too quickly.

Elmo Freakshake Variations and Customizations

While Elmo is fantastic, there’s always room to personalize your freakshakes!

• Flavor Twists: Instead of vanilla, use strawberry ice cream for a slightly different red hue and fruity flavor. For a chocolate lover, a chocolate milkshake base with red coloring could be an adventurous take!
• Other Sesame Street Characters: Why stop at Elmo? You can easily adapt the cookie recipe to create Cookie Monster Freakshakes by using blue frosting and mini chocolate chip cookies, or even Oscar the Grouch with green frosting and some crumbled chocolate cookie “dirt” on top.
• Topping Ideas: Beyond sprinkles, consider adding mini marshmallows, red gummy candies, chocolate chips, or even a mini red velvet cupcake on top for an even more “freaky” creation.
• Dairy-Free Options: For those with dietary restrictions, swap dairy ice cream for a vanilla non-dairy alternative (like oat milk or almond milk based ice cream) and use non-dairy whipped topping and frosting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Elmo Freakshakes

Can I make these Elmo Freakshakes ahead of time?

The Elmo cookies can certainly be made a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container. The milkshake and full assembly, however, are best done right before serving to ensure the best texture and prevent melting.

What kind of sprinkles should I use?

Any multi-colored sprinkles will add to the festive look! Nonpareils (tiny balls) or jimmie sprinkles (rod-shaped) work wonderfully for rimming the glass and sprinkling over the whipped cream.

Can I use liquid food coloring instead of gel?

While you can use liquid food coloring, we highly recommend gel. Gel food coloring provides a much more vibrant and intense color with less product, which is important for keeping your milkshake thick and not watering down your frosting.

I don’t have butterscotch hard candies for Elmo’s nose. What can I use?

No problem! An orange M&M, a small orange jelly bean, or even a small dot of orange frosting (colored with a tiny bit of orange food coloring) can be used as a substitute for Elmo’s nose.

How many servings does this recipe make?

This recipe is designed to make 2 substantial Elmo Freakshakes. If you’re hosting a larger party, simply double or triple the ingredients as needed.

Are there any dairy-free options for this recipe?

Absolutely! You can substitute dairy vanilla ice cream with a dairy-free vanilla alternative, use a plant-based milk (like almond or oat milk), and ensure your frosting and whipped topping are also dairy-free to make this recipe vegan-friendly.

These creations also make fantastic Instagrammable material – get ready for those likes! We love, love, love Elmo here at Amanda’s Cookin’, and if you share our enthusiasm, be sure to also try out these adorable Elmo Pretzels for another fun Sesame Street-themed treat!

Don’t Miss More Exciting Milkshake Ideas Below!