A thick milkshake blended from Medjool dates and ice cream, caramel sweet with a fruit finish. The drink comes from California's Coachella Valley, but Arizona's own date groves supply the fruit at Scottsdale's Sphinx.

Wikipedia says the date shake originated in, and is particularly associated with, California's Coachella Valley, where roadside stands and Shields Date Garden, opened in 1924, sold dates and shakes. Arizona grows dates too: Visit Arizona counts nearly 15 million pounds of dates from Yuma's Medjool groves. Sphinx Date Ranch opened its shop and luncheon patio in Phoenix's Arcadia district in the early 1950s, and its Scottsdale shop still sells hand-sorted Arizona Medjools and a Date Milkshake on its patio.

Where to eat Date shake in Scottsdale

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 220 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 8 Medjool dates, pitted (about 1/2 cup chopped)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups vanilla ice cream
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  1. Warm the milk until hot but not boiling, pour it over the dates and let them soak for 10 minutes.
  2. Blend the dates and milk until smooth, about 30 seconds.
  3. Add the ice cream and salt, then blend 15 to 20 seconds, just until thick and combined.
  4. Pour into chilled glasses and serve with wide straws.

Editor tip. Soak the dates in warm milk first; unsoftened dates leave a gritty shake, and softened ones blend fully smooth.

Common allergens: Milk.