Rich, creamy dark chocolate milkshakes peppered with flecks of dark chocolate candy bars are swirled and drizzled with accents of homemade salted caramel.

I actually have two recipes to share with you today. Two delicious, very easy, no-bake (courtesy of my broken oven) recipes that pair flawlessly with one another (though they function quite nicely independently as well).

Yesterday I was ecstatic to learn that my oven was ready to pick up a full day earlier than originally scheduled, only to learn once it arrived at my house that the door was shattered. Two hours on the phone later, I’m hopeful the replacement will arrive Friday (though I’ve been told it’s unlikely).

One small silver lining of this oven fiasco is that it’s pushing me to create more no-bake recipes, which I don’t often experiment with. Also, I’d have to say that it’s fortunate that my oven decided to expire now rather than in the middle of winter–what better time to for no-bake desserts than during the dog days of summer when chilled recipes reign king and many people prefer to let their ovens hibernate for the season.

No-bake recipes tend to be quicker and easier than those that require an oven, and these milkshakes and caramel sauce are no exception (fortunately my stove top is still functioning, or the caramel sauce would not have been a possibility, either).

The caramel sauce should be made in advance and allowed to cool a bit before being swirled into the glasses and drizzled on top the shakes. It’s very important to whisk the full amount of time indicated and to ensure that the sugar has completely dissolved (otherwise you will have grainy caramel). If you like your caramel a bit thicker, feel free to omit a tablespoon or two of the heavy cream.

The milkshakes come together very quickly with only a few ingredients, and as with most recipes, the quality of the ingredients that you choose will make a significant impact on the resulting flavor. I recommend using both a premium ice cream and premium dark chocolate (3/4 of a bar of Ghirardelli 60% went into these milkshakes).

These shakes are very thick and studded with a generous proportion of dark chocolate flakes; there will be satisfied chewing of chocolate and struggles with straws (you may want to use a spoon), but I’m quite certain you’ll find it to be worth it.

While the recipe for the milkshakes serves only two, the caramel recipe below will make much more than you need for two milkshakes and can be stored in an airtight container (I recommend a mason jar with a removable lid that can be easily reheated before pouring over future milkshakes and sundaes).

Caramel Sauce

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

In small saucepan over low heat, combine brown sugar, heavy cream and butter.
Stir until butter is completely melted.
Increase heat to medium and whisk, non-stop for 5 minutes (until sauce slightly thickens and sugar is completely dissolved--do not allow to boil).
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and sea salt.
Allow to cool before serving.
Excess sauce should be stored in refrigerator in airtight container--warm in microwave before using.

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