Frozen Amaretto Sour
A frozen Amaretto Sour with amaretto, fresh lemon, simple syrup and optional egg-white foam — sized for Margaritaville frozen concoction makers.
Jump to recipe ↓An Amaretto Sour is almond liqueur, lemon and sweetener — soft, dessert-like and less harsh than whiskey sours. Frozen, it turns into a pale-gold slush that works as an after-dinner drink or a milder party option.
Amaretto is already sweet, so the lemon is generous and the syrup stays modest.
Frozen Amaretto Sour recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 6 oz amaretto liqueur
- 3½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 oz simple syrup (paid link)
- 1½ oz cold water
- 6 maraschino cherries (optional, in the jar)
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Lemon wheel, maraschino cherries. Glass: Rocks glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add amaretto, lemon juice, syrup, water and cherries to the jar.
- Run the cycle.
- Pour into rocks glasses. Garnish with a lemon wheel and more cherries.
How much to make in your machine
Every Margaritaville frozen concoction maker is designed around a particular volume of liquid — the shaver portions ice for it. The table scales this recipe to the margarita liquid volume printed in each model’s manual (Key West DM1000 / DM1946 3 × 12 oz drinks: 9.75 fl oz; Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM2000 3 × 12 oz drinks: 13 fl oz; Tahiti DM3000 per 24 oz jar: 8.67 fl oz; Bali DM3500 half chamber: 11 fl oz; Bali DM3500 full chamber: 22 fl oz). Amounts are rounded to the nearest ¼ or ⅓ oz.
| Ingredient | Key West DM1000 / DM19463 × 12 oz drinks | Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM20003 × 12 oz drinks | Tahiti DM3000per 24 oz jar | Bali DM3500half chamber | Bali DM3500full chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| amaretto liqueur | 4½ oz | 6 oz | 4 oz | 5 oz | 10¼ oz |
| fresh lemon juice | 2⅔ oz | 3½ oz | 2⅓ oz | 3 oz | 6 oz |
| simple syrup | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz |
| cold water | 1 oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1¼ oz | 2½ oz |
| maraschino cherries (optional, in the jar) | 4½ | 6 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
Scaling is our calculation, not a manufacturer recipe. Fruit- and ice-cream-heavy drinks vary more; adjust with the Shave Only / Blend Only controls. The Key West DM1900 isn’t listed because we haven’t verified its manual yet.
Machine notes for this drink
- This batch uses about 13 fl oz of liquid for 3 drinks. If your drink comes out watery, the manuals’ first fix is to follow the recipe volumes or manually shave more ice; if it’s too stiff, add liquid and Blend Only.
Why this recipe works
Amaretto’s sugar and almond oils keep the texture smooth; lemon cuts the sweetness so it doesn’t taste like melted candy.
About boozy milkshakes
Ice-cream drinks use the shaver differently: the fat and sugar in ice cream and cream liqueurs make the texture thick and creamy. Soften the ice cream for 5 minutes, measure it in tablespoons, and rinse the jar promptly afterward — dairy residue is harder to clean once it dries.
Tips for the best texture
- Fresh lemon juice matters more than fancy amaretto.
- A few cherries in the jar tint the slush pink and add flavor.
- For a foam top like a shaken sour, dry-shake one egg white separately and spoon it on (optional; skip for vegan guests).
- Rinse the jar soon after — amaretto is sticky.
- Never put anything but ice in the ice reservoir, and don’t fill the jar past its maximum line — both are warnings in every manual.
- Too thin? Hold the toggle in Shave Only for a few seconds, then Blend Only to mix it in. Too thick? Add an ounce of liquid and Blend Only.
Serving & make-ahead
Garnish with lemon wheel, maraschino cherries and serve in a rocks glass. Serve boozy milkshakes in chilled glasses with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate or crushed cookies. They are rich, so a 6–8 oz pour is plenty per person. Rinse the jar and blade soon after, following your manual’s cleaning steps, because dairy dries onto plastic quickly.
Variations
- Bourbon amaretto sour: Replace 2 oz of the amaretto with bourbon.
- Cherry amaretto: Add 1 oz cherry juice and reduce water.
- Disaronno sour: Any amaretto brand works; Disaronno is the common bar pour.
Mocktail swap
Replace amaretto with 4 oz almond syrup (orgeat) and 2 oz cold water; keep the lemon and reduce simple syrup to 1 oz.
Shop the ingredients
- Monin Pure Cane Syrup (simple syrup), 750 ml (paid link)
We link to mixers, syrups and juices only — alcohol isn’t sold through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Is amaretto very strong?
Most bottles are around 20–28% ABV — milder than whiskey, so the batch can use more of it.
Can I use bottled sour mix?
Yes — about 5.5 oz sour mix in place of lemon, syrup and water (Collins Stone Sour or similar).
Egg white in the machine?
No — don’t put raw egg in the jar. Foam it separately if you want the classic sour head.
How much ice should I put in the machine?
Fill the ice reservoir with ice cubes — the machine shaves the amount it needs for the cycle (dial models size it to the 1, 2 or 3-drink setting). The manuals recommend ice that has been out of the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
Will this work in a regular blender?
Yes — add about 1½–2 cups of ice per 12 oz drink and blend until smooth. The texture will be coarser than shaved ice.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
