It’s true, you can make a vegan coconut pecan shake from things you probably have in your pantry right now. All you need to include is a blender and ice. You’ll be able to make a cold, sweet, thick and rich shake with pure ingredients whenever the mood hits you!

I’m using Mary Banker’s awesome idea of grinding chia seeds to make a binder for frozen drinks. She was a tester for The Easy Vegan Cookbook and came up with the idea for the salted caramel shake recipe.

In the past, I’ve used xanthan gum or pectin to keep my frozen coffees from separating into just liquid and ice. Some of you are avoiding those ingredients for one reason or another. You can make the same substitution in my other frozen coffee drink recipes.

It’s really a simple idea. First you make the milk by combining the pecans, coconut and water. I love the flavor combo and they both contribute thickness to the creamy base.

You can really use any nut combination or just one. If you use almonds or other hard nuts you need to soak them for a few hours. You could get away with using cashews without soaking if you’re in a pinch.

You can also just use nondairy milk that you already have made. Be aware that the natural fat in the pecans and the coconut make this thick and rich. If you use rice milk it will be less of a decadent treat, but oat milk would work well if you have a nut allergy.

You can strain the milk or not. If you like the texture of the little pieces of pecans and coconut in your shake don’t strain , or if you hate that texture, go ahead and strain. As you can see on my straw, I choose to not strain it.

Next you add the ground chia seeds and sweetener. I admit, I used the dry container of my Vitamix to grind mine, but you can use a coffee grinder.

Blend one more time. Now you’re ready to add the crushed ice. After you blend the ice you’ll have a vegan shake!

This is just a starting point. You can add in extracts like vanilla, a touch of alcohol like bourbon or Grand Marnier, even blend in some seasonal fresh fruit. You can make all your favorite combinations with the milk and sweeteners that fit with your dietary needs.