If you’re craving all the cozy, creamy flavors of pumpkin pie but don’t feel like turning on the oven, this Pumpkin Pie Milkshake is here to save the day. It’s everything you love about a classic slice of pumpkin pie—sweet, spiced, and perfectly pumpkin-y—blended up with rich vanilla ice cream for the ultimate fall treat. Topped with a swirl of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, this milkshake is basically autumn in a glass.
Ingredients & Equipment Needed
- pumpkin puree – canned or homemade
- milk or cream
- vanilla
- cinnamon
- cloves
- nutmeg
- brown sugar
- vanilla bean ice cream – I like Breyers Vanilla Bean. It’s important to use good ice cream here, with a few ingredients as possible. Try to also stay away from any vanilla ice creams that are that bright yellow-ish color.
- graham crackers
- blender – I made this to fit perfectly into my Blendtec Twister jar (which is smaller than a normal size blender jar) so you could certainly double it in a larger, high-powered blender. If you have a Blendtec, the Twister Jar works exceptionally well for things like this! (If you’re wondering about my specific Blender, it’s the Blendec Designer Series 625, which comes in that awesome sea foam color.)
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
- Soften the ice cream at room temperature.
- Blend pumpkin, milk or cream, vanilla, spices, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add ice cream and blend again until combined.
- Pour into glasses and top with crumbled graham crackers.
Storage & Other Tips
- Milkshakes in general do not keep well, so we recommend serving immediately.
- My favorite milkshake tip: Here’s the problem with making thick, diner style milkshakes at home – a lot of times you have to add so much milk to the thing to get the blender to process that it turns into a milk-slushie instead. Or you have to blend and plunge, blend and plunge, etc. You know the drill, right? So if you have any trouble with your blender, I would recommend blending everything but the ice cream first and then mashing it into the ice cream by hand. If your scooped ice cream sits out at room temp while you measure the other things and get them all ready, then by the time you mash it all together it should be a good consistency and it will turn out like a nice soft-serve at the end. If you want it thinner, to drink with a big straw, just add a little milk or cream until you reach the right consistency.
My blender isn’t handling the thickness—any tips?
For thick, “diner‑style” shakes, blend the base (pumpkin, spices, milk) first, then hand‑fold in slightly softened ice cream. Add more milk as needed until smooth.
How do I adjust the thickness or sweetness?
Thicker shake? Use less milk or more ice cream.
Thinner, drinkable style? Add a splash more milk.
Need extra sweetness? Stir in a drizzle of maple syrup or caramel.
Can I double the recipe to serve more people?
Yes, just ensure your blender jar is big enough to hold it all!
Can I use leftover pumpkin pie instead of puree?
We have never tried it this way so we can’t guarantee the results. However, it’s a somewhat common thing to do, and sounds like a great idea to me! Some people take off the crust, some leave it on. If you try it, let us know how it goes in the comments!
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Quick and easy frozen treat using real pumpkin and warm spices. The perfect autumn dessert!
Servings generous servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree canned or homemade
- 2-4 tablespoons milk or cream more if needed, divided
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/16 teaspoon cloves just use a ⅛ teaspoon to measure and fill it half way, or do a large pinch
- 1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cups vanilla bean ice cream I like Breyers
- 1-2 graham crackers
Instructions
- Set ice cream out at room temperature.
- In the jar of a blender, or bowl, combine pumpkin, 2 tablespoons milk or cream, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Blend or whisk to combine. Add ice cream and process (or smash by hand) to combine. (See notes for tips.)
- Pour into glasses and top with crumbled graham crackers.
Notes
- Optional: after blending milkshake, stir in by hand chunks of graham crackers, baked pie crust, or chunks of shortbread cookies.
- Tip on Blending: Here’s the problem with making thick, diner style milkshakes at home: A lot of times you have to add so much milk to the thing to get the blender to process that it turns into a milk-slushie instead. Or you have to blend and plunge, blend and plunge, etc. You know the drill, right? So if you have any trouble with your blender, I would recommend blending everything but the ice cream first and then mashing it into the ice cream by hand (well, with a hand. Holding a fork or spoon 🙂 If your scooped ice cream sits out at room temp while you measure the other things and get them all ready, then by the time you mash it all together it should be a good consistency and it will turn out like a nice soft-serve at the end. If you want it thinner, to drink with a big straw, just add a little milk or cream until you reach the right consistency.
Nutrition
Serving: 2g, Calories: 374kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Sodium: 163mg, Potassium: 401mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 43g, Vitamin A: 6937IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 219mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 374kcal
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
Questions & Reviews
YUM!!! sounds delicious!!! Great site!!
We just tried this recipe tonight. Delicious! Such a great fall treat and a nice alternative to pumpkin pie which I'm sure we'll have plenty of over the next week! Thanks for posting!
Thanks for having our backs Barb!
Okay, I went back and she did give you credit so it was just my poor reading comprehension skills. No blog infringement.
Ah-ha. I think I saw this somewhere else and I dont' think she gave you credit. In fact, pumpkin is on my grocery list specifically to try this based on the other girl's blog. I am happy that I now know who to really thank.
Em- I bet that's super good! I made it the other day with apple pie ice cream and it was pretty good too!
We've made this several times, and today I was craving it again since we had some leftover pumpkin puree in the fridge. However, we only had butter pecan ice cream. I used that and it was so good! I loved having all the pecan chunks in it.
Holman Family- I love it!! That would definitely be more acceptable for breakfast, lol I'll have to try it that way too- thanks for sharing!
This is so addicting … I crave it and figured out how to have it for every meal … I just took out the ice cream, added a scoop of protein powder, extra milk and ice … 2xday 🙂
So yummy! I am going to have to limit how often I can make this 🙂 I blended in the graham cracker and loved it. Thanks for posting this!!