Frozen Mudslide Cocktail Recipe

I scream, you scream, we all scream for boozy ice cream! Here in Wisconsin we LOVE our ice cream drinks, and the frozen mudslide cocktail is no exception! These decadent chocolate cocktails are like a grown up milkshake, and I’ve been enjoying ice cream drinks pretty much since the moment I turned 21 thanks to old school bars like Bryant’s and At Random in Milwaukee.

As someone who’s developed dozens of cocktail recipes for this website and has been playing home bartender for over 15 years, I’ve learned that while it’s fun to go out for these ice cream drinks, it’s much more affordable and super easy to mix them up at home. I’ve tested this frozen mudslide recipe multiple times to get the ice cream-to-liquor ratio just right so it’s boozy enough to taste like a cocktail but not so strong that it overpowers the chocolate flavor. The key is using good quality chocolate ice cream and balancing the three different liquors so none of them dominate.

While Wisconsin has some more unique ice cream drinks like Pink Squirrels, Brandy Alexanders, and Grasshopper cocktails, the frozen mudslide has been popular in chain restaurants for years. This easy to recreate at home frozen drink is wonderful for chocolate lovers and anyone looking to beat the heat with a decadent dessert cocktail.

How is a Frozen Mudslide Different from a Classic Mudslide Cocktail?

A classic mudslide cocktail contains vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish cream liqueur, (often with a splash of heavy cream) that is shaken in a cocktail shaker with ice. It is then served with a drizzle of chocolate syrup as the “mud”.

The frozen version most often replaces the heavy cream with ice cream (and sometimes adds some ice cubes) that is then blended before serving.

The original cocktail is credited to the Wreck Bar on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.

Why You’ll Love this Frozen Mudslide Recipe

• Quick and Easy to Make! Measure, blend, serve and enjoy! You’ll be sipping on these yummy ice cream cocktails in less than 5 minutes.
• So decadent and chocolatey. The predominant flavor is chocolate.
• A great summertime dessert cocktail! Who doesn’t love ice cream when it’s hot out?

Frozen Mudslide Cocktail Ingredients

• Chocolate Ice Cream: this is the base of your boozy ice cream drink, so I recommend picking a good chocolate ice cream (choose one you’d enjoy eating on it’s own)!
• Irish Cream Liqueur, Coffee Liqueur, & Vodka. Mudslides are a little sneaky because there are several types of alcohol in this boozy ice cream drink! I mean, it’s pretty much an adult milkshake. I typically use Kahlua coffee liqueur, Baileys Irish Cream, and a high quality plain vodka. However, if you have local distilleries or other brands of these types of liquors that you enjoy, they will work well in this recipe.
• Chocolate Syrup: for adding a little decoration to the inside of the glass. I like to use a dark chocolate syrup in mine.
• Whipped Cream: while not required, I highly recommend adding this. Go big, or go home!
• Chocolate Shavings: again, not required, but highly recommended. I use my hand grater and shave a little bit off of a good quality 70% dark chocolate bar.

Recommended Equipment for a Frozen Mudslide Cocktail

A good quality blender. This is the blender we are currently using, and it has been working great! This is a simple, no-frills blender at a modest price point.

How to Make a Mudslide Cocktail

Place 2 glasses in the freezer to chill. If desired, add a swirl of chocolate syrup within each of your glasses set up prior to chilling as well.

Blend your ice cream, liquors, and ice in a blender until combined.

Divide evenly between 2 chilled glasses.

Top each drink with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

How to Make Mudslide Drink Ahead of Time

Unfortunately, frozen mudslides aren’t a good make ahead cocktail. The ice cream will melt and separate if left sitting, and once blended, the texture quickly goes down hill. These cocktails are best enjoyed immediately after blending while they’re thick and frosty. If you’re hosting a party, I recommend having all your ingredients measured and ready to go, then blending batches as needed throughout the event. You can chill your glasses ahead of time and add the chocolate syrup swirls in advance, which will save you some time when you’re ready to blend and serve.

Frozen Mudslide Recipe Variations & Substitutions

Use a different ice cream flavor. Vanilla ice cream or coffee ice cream are also delicious options for this recipe! Swap out the chocolate ice cream 1-for-1.

Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Topping this delicious boozy milkshake with a drizzle of chocolate sauce instead of (or in addition to) the recommended chocolate shavings is a great option!

Try a flavored vodka. If you’re a fan of flavored vodkas, try using caramel vodka, vanilla vodka, or whipped cream vodka in this recipe! This will add another depth of flavor to your easy dessert cocktail.

Use a good quality ice cream! The chocolate ice cream is the base of this mudslide drink recipe! Selecting a pint of chocolate ice cream that you like to eat on it’s own will ensure your ice cream cocktail is fantastic. If you’re splurging on an ice cream drink already, you might as well get the good stuff (at least that’s my philosophy)!

Have fun with your toppings! While I recommend whipped cream and shaved chocolate, get creative with your toppings! If you’d like to drizzle chocolate syrup on your cocktail. You could also add some chocolate sprinkles or rim your glass with sprinkles by dipping the rim in chocolate sauce and then dunking it in sprinkles.

How to Serve a Frozen Mudslide Cocktail

Looking for the perfect serving glasses for this easy cocktail recipe? Frozen mudslides are often served in a tall glass like a highball glass or a hurricane glass.

Don’t have one of these? I personally like to serve mine in a stemless martini glass or you can choose an old fashioned glass like this lowball glass.