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
I hate pumpkin pie too. It's just… gross. My sister found a new recipe though. It's like pumpkin pie but has cream cheese in it and a yummy brown sugary nut layer on the bottom. I actually really like it. You should try it next time you need pumpkin pie. 🙂
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000364650
Oh, and these shakes look SOOOO good.
I just barely found your blog and love it. I've been totally looking at all of your recipes.
Thanks SO much for this amazingly yummeroma milkshake.
We are a fam living overseas and I really really miss all the pumpkin filled coffee shops and to be totally honest even the pumpkin milkshakes at Mac Donalds WOW I should be shoved off the food blogs for that one! 🙂 ANYWHO was soo good to be able to make some of the good 'ol American goodness here in the South Pacific. 🙂
Cheers!
Gretchen
Made this last night and it was a HUGE hit with the family! Thanks Sure I would buy your diet, but I want to double my order and just pay separate shipping and handling! lol
This milkshake is absolutely amazing!!! The kids and I just had it……so, so tasty. Too bad for the husband, he's at work and there isn't a single spoonful left. Darn, looks like I'll have to make more.
Sara, I don't like pumpkin pie, either! I always get weird looks when I say that. My husband loves pumpkin pie and I love ice cream, so this treat is a wonderful compromise! Thanks, I'll be adding this to my meal planner for the week.
I made this for dessert tonight, oh my gosh, AMAZING!!! My two year old devoured it, and then wanted mine. Thank you!! So good!!!
Wow, this looks AMAZING!! Going to try a ice-creamless, sugar free version for special diet needs reasons… should still be somewhat of a treat!! thanks for the idea!
Have you heard of TCBY? Its a yogurt shop (The Country's Best Yogurt) in the Midwest and each fall they used to make a pumpkin pie shake w/ frozen yogurt!! This is exactly the SAME thing… I have now died and gone to heaven! Pumpkin heaven… When we lived in Nebraska I could hardly wait until fall rolled around for the pumpkin pie frozen yogurt. When the season was over, I was crushed! Now I can have it year round!!! Woo hoo!!! Thanks for saving the day… (yes I made this already but only had this weird vanilla/lemon swirled ice cream… it was too die for!!!! mmmm mmm mmm!!!!)
YUMMMM nuf said! lol
Thanks for the reminder to vote 🙂
I am going to try this, but I think I'm going to get the canned pumpkin that already has the spices in it, it's not because I'm super lazy (which I am by the way), but my son needs a pumpkin shake recipe for cooking class and I figured that would be easier than him messing with the seasonings. Ill let ya know how it tastes!!