The Best Milkshakes in Toronto

The best milkshakes in Toronto make you stop and linger over that first taste. While, yes, the pause could be explained as lightheadedness due to attempts to force a super-thick shake through a straw, I like to think of it as a sort of pleasure coma; momentary paralysis due to dairy delight. Nothing satiates a sugar craving quite like this creamy elixir, especially when it has been blended to the right consistency and texture.

And while there is a place for the passion fruit berry banana milkshake on the roster of Toronto offerings, I think the real measure of a milkshake purveyor is how it serves its chocolate. To win my approval, it must be incredibly rich, impossibly creamy, yet true to the old-fashioned chocolate shake feel. The places that have made it on this list seem to have achieved that fairly well.

These are the best milkshakes in Toronto.

Ed's Real Scoop

The key to a fantastic milkshake is to start with fantastic ice cream. For that, Torontonians (especially east-enders) know that Ed's is the place to go. The staff at Ed's will make you a milkshake out of any of its ice creams or sorbets (I suggest the coffee toffee), for $4.25 or $5.31 depending on size. Ed's also offers a new Maple Bacon ice cream. Any takers on the milkshake? More »

Tom's Dairy Freeze

Tom's Dairy Freeze just has that perfect vibe to really enjoy an old-fashioned milkshake. The flavours, though, stray from just the traditional, and include Rum Butter, Lemon/Lime, Mint, and Orange. Available in regular, thick, and malt, Tom's milkshakes come in three sizes and start at $3.25. More »

Dutch Dreams

For those who like their milkshakes with a side of whimsy. And if drinking a milkshake makes you feel like a kid, drinking one in Dutch Dreams will make you feel, uh, even more like a kid. Dutch Dreams offers milkshakes using any flavour of its homemade ice creams, and each shake is $5.93 including tax. More »

The Lakeview

The Lakeview's shakes are straight-up classics, available in chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. These classics, however, can be spiked (for an extra charge) and blended with extras such as bananas, peanut butter, or mixed berries. The latest "kick" added to the roster? Pie. Yes, they will actually blend pie into your milkshake. Shakes start at $5.65. More »

The Big Chill

The Big Chill is great for a late-night shake. That is, as long as you don't mind waiting in a pretty fair-sized line, depending on the night. The Big Chill makes its milkshakes using its homemade ice cream, in flavours such as Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter (I'm drooling..), Dutch Apple Pie, and Blood Orange Sorbet. $6.65 With tax. More »

Dangerous Dan's

Ah, good ol' Double D. There's nothing that pairs with a 24oz burger quite like a strawberry shake, right? Dangerous Dan's shakes are simply delicious, creamy and surprisingly addictive. They're available in flavours such as chocolate, vanilla, banana, coffee, or Elvis, its famed chocolate/peanut butter combination. More »

Big Smoke Burger

Is it the milkshake itself or the burger/milkshake pairing that tastes so damn good? In any case, it's hard to order up a burger a Big Smoke (formerly Craft Burger) without also opting for one of its classic shakes. Nothing extraordinary here, just chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry available for $3.95 each. More »

W Burger Bar

W Burger Bar offers both regular and spiked milkshakes, the latter of which comes in irresistible varieties such as Chocolate Silk made with Kahlua, Cherry Brandy, and White Crème de Cacao. The regular milkshakes are available in chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry, and the secret is - Chapman's ice cream? Apparently so. Shakes are $4.99 for regular and $9.99 for spiked. More »

Bombay Chowpatty

The go to place in Little India for something frosty, Bombay Chowpatty is best known for their Royal Falooda and lassis but they also make fresh to order Mango shakes ($3.49), a blended combination of vanilla ice cream and alphonso mango topped with ground dry pistachios and sucked through a thick straw. More »