Frozen Grasshopper
A frozen Grasshopper with crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, milk and vanilla ice cream — a boozy mint shake for Margaritaville machines.
Jump to recipe ↓The Grasshopper is a mint-chocolate after-dinner classic that became a Midwestern supper-club favorite blended with ice cream. A frozen concoction maker gives it a lighter, fluffier texture than a regular blender.
It’s built like the manual’s mudslide — about 3½ ounces of liquid plus ice cream per drink — so it behaves the same way in the machine.
Frozen Grasshopper recipe
Ingredients (1 drink)
- 1 oz green crème de menthe
- 1 oz white crème de cacao
- 1½ oz whole milk or half-and-half
- 4 Tbsp vanilla ice cream
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Chocolate shavings, mint leaf. Glass: Coupe or milkshake glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add liqueurs, milk and ice cream to the jar.
- Run the cycle (Slides/Smoothies program if available).
- Garnish with chocolate shavings or a mint leaf.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| green crème de menthe | 2¼ oz | 3 oz | 2 oz | 2½ oz | 5 oz |
| white crème de cacao | 2¼ oz | 3 oz | 2 oz | 2½ oz | 5 oz |
| whole milk or half-and-half | 3⅓ oz | 4½ oz | 3 oz | 3¾ oz | 7⅔ oz |
| vanilla ice cream | 9 Tbsp | 12 Tbsp | 8 Tbsp | 10¼ Tbsp | 20⅓ Tbsp |
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
- Dairy and cream liqueurs make a thick, shake-like drink. Use the Slides setting on the Fiji (the Tahiti manual also lists Mudslides), soften ice cream for five minutes first, and rinse the jar soon after serving.
- The ingredient list is written for a single 12 oz drink, which matches the 1-drink setting on Key West and Fiji dials. Multiply by 2 or 3 and set the Number of Drinks dial to match.
- This batch uses about 3.5 fl oz of liquid for 1 drink. 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
Crème de menthe and crème de cacao are both sweet and only moderately strong, so the drink is creamy and dessert-like; milk keeps it pourable.
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
- Green crème de menthe gives the signature color; white keeps it pale.
- Crush a chocolate cookie for the rim.
- Mint chocolate chip ice cream doubles down on flavor.
- Rinse the jar promptly after dairy drinks.
- 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 chocolate shavings, mint leaf and serve in a coupe or milkshake 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
- Brandy Alexander: Use brandy and dark crème de cacao, dust with nutmeg.
- Thin Mint: Add a chocolate cookie per drink.
- Stronger: Add ½ oz vodka per drink.
Mocktail swap
Use ¼ tsp peppermint extract, 1 Tbs chocolate syrup and extra milk per drink.
Frequently asked questions
What’s crème de cacao?
A chocolate liqueur; the white (clear) version keeps the drink green.
Can I skip the ice cream?
Use 1 oz more milk, but it will be less creamy.
Is it strong?
Moderate — two 1 oz liqueurs per drink.
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.
