The classic three ingredient dessert cocktail gets a warm fall twist. This pumpkin spice mudslide is creamy, a little boozy, and comes together in five minutes!
Why this recipe works
I have always loved mudslides. A mudslide on the rocks is a great after dinner drink and quite dessert-y. When Antoine and I were on vacation, the resort was serving up frozen mudslides by the pool, they were hard to resist! Anywho, with fall in full swing, I thought it’d be a great idea to make a quick and easy pumpkin spice mudslide which would be great for Thanksgiving or fall parties!
A classic mudslide is made up of vodka, coffee liqueur, and Irish cream. It tastes like dessert, honestly. Now, this pumpkin version only differs by one ingredient. Pumpkin pie spice. No pumpkin puree or specialty seasonal liqueurs involved. However, there’s a little trick to adding the pumpkin pie spice. If you just dump it in and shake it with everything else it’ll clump, float, and ultimately settle at the bottom of your glass. So I whisk it into a tablespoon of the Irish cream first to make a smooth paste. The fat in the cream grabs the spices and helps distribute it throughout the entire drink. And there ya have it, a super easy pumpkin spice mudslide with no crazy extra ingredients!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
PUMPKIN PIE SPICE – Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of your favorite warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. Buy it premixed or stir up your own. The one thing I beg you to do with this recipe is to not skip the step where it gets whisked into a little Irish cream first, because that’s what keeps it from going gritty. You’ll want a pinch extra for dusting over the whipped cream. If you do not mix it with the Irish cream first, you’ll end up with clumpy, gritty bits every time you take a sip.
IRISH CREAM – Baileys is the typical go-to, but any Irish cream works. I like to let mine rest for 15-20 minutes before mixing it with the pumpkin pie spice. If its too cold, it makes a stiffer paste that’s harder to smooth out. If you can find Baileys Pumpkin Spice, you can definitely use it here! It’s a seasonal flavor that tends to sell out quick and might be hard to find.
COFFEE-FLAVORED LIQUEUR – Kahlua or just about any coffee liqueur will do. The coffee liqueur is a staple in any mudslide. It goes really well against a creamy base.
VODKA – Opt for plain vodka. The coffee liqueur and Irish cream carry most of the flavor here. If you want to lean further into the season, vanilla or caramel vodka would both be good swaps!
WHIPPED CREAM – This is purely for garnishing, which you can skip if preferred. Canned whipped cream or homemade whipped cream are are both perfectly fine!
How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Mudslide
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin pie spice and 1 tablespoon of the Irish cream. Creating the slurry first will reduce any leftover grittiness from the spice.
- Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and pour in the spice slurry.
- Add vodka, coffee liqueur, and remaining Irish cream.
- Shake for 10-15 seconds then pour over ice in rock glass.
- Garnish with whipped cream and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Because dry spice won’t dissolve in cold alcohol. If you dump it straight into the shaker it clumps up, floats on top, and settles into grit at the bottom of your glass. Whisking it into a tablespoon of Irish cream first makes a smooth paste. The fat in the cream distributes the spice evenly through the drink. It takes about 30 seconds and keeps your cocktail from tasting like sandy coffee.
Yes. Use it in place of the regular Irish cream and cut the pumpkin pie spice back to about 1/4 teaspoon, since the liqueur is already sweetened and spiced. I purposely built this recipe around not having to use Baileys Pumpkin Spice simply because it’s seasonal and can sometimes be hard to find.
I wouldn’t suggest it. Pumpkin puree is thick and starchy, making the drink pulpy instead of silky. If you want real pumpkin in a cocktail, my pumpkin pie martini is probably more up your alley!
It’s a dessert cocktail, so yes, it’s sweet. The coffee liqueur and Irish cream both add sugar. If you’d like it less sweet, reduce the coffee liqueur to 3/4 ounce.
Straining into the glass gives you the cleanest pour because it catches any stray spices that didn’t go into the paste. If you’ve made the slurry properly there shouldn’t be much left behind, but a fine mesh strainer is cheap insurance.
Yes. Make the spice paste the same way, then blend it with the vodka, coffee liqueur, remaining Irish cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and about a cup of ice. My frozen mudslide has the full method if you want to work from that one.
Multiply everything by the number of drinks you want and whisk the full amount of pumpkin pie spice into about 1/4 cup of the Irish cream to start the paste, then stir in the rest. Keep the mix covered in the refrigerator and shake each drink with ice as you go. Shaking ahead waters it down.
Storage and Freezing Information
A mudslide is meant to be shaken and poured, so it doesn’t keep once it’s made. The ice keeps melting and the drink turns thin and separates within about 20 minutes. They truly better off enjoyed right away!
What you can do ahead is the mix itself. Whisk the pumpkin pie spice into the Irish cream, stir in the vodka and coffee liqueur, and keep it in a covered jar or pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a good shake before you pour, since the spice will settle as it sits. Then shake each serving with ice right before it goes in the glass.
Don’t freeze the mix. Irish cream separates and turns grainy when it’s frozen and thawed, and it won’t come back together.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cold in a short rock glass over fresh ice, with the whipped cream piled on and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice dusted over the top. It’s an after dinner drink more than a before dinner one, so it’s at its best at the end of a fall evening, passed around a Halloween party, or poured once the Thanksgiving plates are cleared.
Set it out with a dessert spread and let people sip it alongside something pumpkin like pumpkin pie squares or pumpkin cheesecake brownies, or keep it simple with a plate of cookies. If you’re serving a crowd, line the glasses up on a tray with a bowl of whipped cream and the spice jar beside them so people can finish their own.
More Fall and Dessert Cocktail Recipes
- Mudslide
- Frozen Mudslide
- Pink Mudslide
- Pumpkin Pie Martini
- Caramel Pumpkin Cocktail
- Baileys Chocolate Martini
- Kahlua Frappuccino
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Pumpkin Spice Mudslide
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce coffee flavored liqueur
- 1.5 ounces Irish cream divided
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Set the Irish cream out ahead of time. Cold cream makes a stiff paste that’s harder to smooth out.
- If you’re using Baileys Pumpkin Spice in place of regular Irish cream, cut the pumpkin pie spice to 1/4 teaspoon, since that liqueur is already sweetened and spiced.
- For a less sweet drink, reduce the coffee liqueur to 3/4 ounce.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin pie spice and 1 tablespoon of the Irish cream. Creating the slurry first will reduce any leftover grittiness from the spice.1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and pour in the spice slurry.
- Add vodka, coffee liqueur, and remaining Irish cream.1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce coffee flavored liqueur
- Shake for 10-15 seconds then pour over ice in rock glass.
- Garnish with whipped cream and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice if desired.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Straining into the glass gives the cleanest pour and catches any spice that didn’t go into the paste.
- To make ahead, mix the spice paste, vodka, coffee liqueur and remaining Irish cream and refrigerate it covered for up to 3 days. Shake it well before pouring, since the spice settles, then shake each serving with ice.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
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