Frozen Pecan Pie Shake
A boozy frozen pecan pie shake with bourbon, maple syrup, butterscotch, toasted pecans and vanilla ice cream — a Thanksgiving dessert drink made in a Margaritaville frozen concoction maker.
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Pecan pie is the sweetest slice on the Thanksgiving dessert table, and this shake captures it: toasted pecans, maple, butterscotch and a splash of bourbon blended with vanilla ice cream.
Make it after dinner while the coffee brews. A machine batch serves three, and the bourbon is easy to leave out for anyone who wants it plain.
Pecan Pie Shake recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 3 oz bourbon
- 6 oz whole milk
- 2 oz pure maple syrup
- 2 oz butterscotch or caramel syrup
- 6 Tbsp vanilla ice cream, softened
- 3 Tbsp toasted pecans, finely chopped
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Whipped cream, toasted pecans, maple drizzle. Glass: Milkshake glass.
Instructions
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for 3–4 minutes until fragrant, then cool and chop finely; keep a spoonful aside for topping.
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add bourbon, milk, maple syrup, butterscotch syrup, vanilla, ice cream and pecans to the jar.
- Run the cycle (use the Slides program if your machine has it). Finish with a few seconds of Blend Only to break up the nuts.
- Pour and top with whipped cream, the reserved pecans and a thin drizzle of maple syrup.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bourbon | 2¼ oz | 3 oz | 2 oz | 2½ oz | 5 oz |
| whole milk | 4½ oz | 6 oz | 4 oz | 5 oz | 10¼ oz |
| pure maple syrup | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz |
| butterscotch or caramel syrup | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz |
| vanilla ice cream, softened | 4½ Tbsp | 6 Tbsp | 4 Tbsp | 5 Tbsp | 10¼ Tbsp |
| toasted pecans, finely chopped | 2¼ Tbsp | 3 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp | 2½ Tbsp | 5 Tbsp |
| pure vanilla extract | ⅓ tsp | ½ tsp | ⅓ tsp | ½ tsp | ¾ tsp |
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.
- 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
Maple and butterscotch syrups stand in for the brown-sugar-and-corn-syrup filling of a pecan pie, and toasting the nuts brings out the roasted flavor that raw pecans lack. Bourbon’s vanilla and caramel notes match the pie. Milk, bourbon and syrups add up to 13 oz of liquid, the three-drink volume for the Bahamas and Fiji.
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
- Don’t skip toasting the pecans; it’s the biggest flavor difference in the drink.
- Chop the nuts finely so they blend into tiny flecks rather than chunks that catch in the straw.
- Soften the ice cream for five minutes on the counter before scooping.
- Rinse the jar soon after serving — dairy and nut bits dry onto the blade.
- 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 whipped cream, toasted pecans, maple drizzle and serve in a 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
- Pie crust rim: Rim the glasses with maple syrup and crushed shortbread cookies.
- Chocolate pecan: Add 1 oz chocolate syrup for a Derby-pie flavor.
- Rum: Use dark or spiced rum in place of bourbon.
Mocktail swap
Leave out the bourbon and add 3 oz more milk. Keep everything else.
Making this for a holiday party, or giving a machine as a gift? Our Margaritaville Machine Gift Guide 2026 covers every model plus mixers, rim salt and glassware.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use pecan pie filling?
Skip it — the corn syrup makes the drink gummy. The maple and butterscotch syrups give the flavor without the texture.
Nut allergy?
Leave out the pecans and use ½ tsp butter-pecan or praline syrup only if it’s nut-free; otherwise make it as a maple-butterscotch shake.
Which bourbon?
Any smooth, everyday bourbon. A wheated bourbon tastes especially soft and sweet here.
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.
