Frozen Mudslide Recipe

Thick, icy, and completely indulgent, this Frozen Mudslide Recipe basically makes a grown-up chocolate milkshake with a serious edge. Rich chocolate ice cream, creamy Irish cream, coffee liqueur bitterness, and just enough vodka to keep things honest. It’s cold, velvety, and dangerously smooth, with that dessert-bar richness that coats your mouth and makes you slow down without realizing it. Sweet, boozy, nostalgic, and wildly satisfying from the first sip to the last chocolatey swirl.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE A MUDSLIDE

• Dessert and cocktail in one glass
  
• Thick, milkshake-style texture
  
• Balanced booze, not harsh
  
• Five minutes, one blender
  
• Crowd-pleasing and unapologetically indulgent

Frozen Mudslide Recipe

This is not a subtle drink… and it’s not pretending to be.

You don’t sip a mudslide cocktail politely. You commit to it.

It’s cold and creamy and rich in that way that feels a little ridiculous, but that’s the point. The ice cream carries everything, the chocolate shows up, and the booze stays smooth instead of sharp.

This is the drink you make when dinner’s done, the lights are low, and nobody needs to be anywhere else.

Grab a straw. Maybe a spoon. And don’t overthink it.

INGREDIENT NOTES

• Chocolate Ice Cream: Full-fat only for this mudslide recipe! Lower-fat versions turn icy and thin.
  
• Vodka: Neutral and clean. This one’s for structure, not flavor.
  
• Irish Cream: Adds sweetness and body.
  
• Coffee Liqueur: Balances the chocolate with a touch of bitterness.
  
• Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half: Heavy cream is richer, while half-and-half is lighter but still smooth. Either works.
  
• Chocolate Syrup: Rounds everything out and deepens flavor. Looks pretty drizzled on the side of the glass too!

CHAD’S RULE OF THUMB

If it tastes good as a milkshake before you add the alcohol, it’ll make a great mudslide. If it doesn’t, the booze won’t fix it.

SOLID, NO-ARGUMENT PICKS

These brands behave exactly how you want in a frozen mudslide recipe:

• Baileys Irish Cream: Creamy, smooth, reliable
  
• Kahlúa: Balanced coffee bitterness, not harsh
  
• Tito’s Vodka: Clean, neutral, disappears into the drink

Classic flavors. No surprises.

STEP-UP OPTIONS (CONNOISSEUR APPROVED)

If you want a slightly more refined edge…

• Stoli Vanilla Vodka: Adds depth without sweetness overload
  
• Mr Black Coffee Liqueur: Bolder coffee flavor, less sugar
  
• Homemade Chocolate Syrup: Deeper cocoa flavor

Still plenty indulgent. Just sharper.

VARIATIONS

TGIF-Style: Half chocolate, half vanilla ice cream.

Vanilla Mudslide: Use only vanilla ice cream.

Extra Boozy: Add 1 more ounce of vodka.

Irish Mudslide Drink: Replace vodka with Irish whiskey.

Coffee Forward: Include an extra splash of coffee liqueur or swap in some coffee ice cream.

No Cream: Skip the heavy cream/half-and-half and add one more scoop of ice cream.

WHEN TO SERVE IT

• After dinner, instead of dessert
  
• Casual entertaining
  
• Late-night cocktails
  
• St. Patrick’s Day
  
• When subtle sounds exhausting

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• Drizzle chocolate syrup down the sides of each glass before pouring.
  
• Add whipped cream and extra drizzle if you want full dessert energy.
  
• Top with shaved chocolate or espresso beans for something a little extra.
  
• Best with no food plans afterward 😉

MUDSLIDE RECIPE FAQ

A frozen mudslide works because fat, sugar, and alcohol are doing different jobs at the same time.

Ice cream provides fat and structure, which smooths alcohol burn and creates that milkshake texture. Alcohol lowers the freezing point, keeping the drink soft instead of icy.

The coffee liqueur adds bitterness, which prevents the chocolate from tipping into cloying.

Crushed ice is key: smaller ice particles integrate instead of rattling, giving a consistent mouthfeel. Blend long enough to emulsify everything fully, but not so long that heat thins it out.

This frozen mudslide recipe isn’t about finesse. It’s about balance and temperature control.

TOOLS NEEDED

• High-Speed blender: Smooth texture is a must here.
  
• Measuring Cup or Jigger: Balance matters for the best sip.
  
• Tall Glasses: This is not a rocks-glass kind of drink.
  
• Spoon or Straw: Dealer’s choice!

Enjoy!

With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.

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Originally published September 2011, updated and republished February 2026

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