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This Bourbon Street milkshake is the best boozy milkshake! It’s made with espresso, coffee ice cream, and bourbon, then topped with praline whipped cream.

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What happens when you put an adult twist on an espresso milkshake? It becomes a Bourbon Street milkshake!
If you can’t decide between giving in to your sweet tooth or wanting to catch a buzz, this bourbon milkshake with espresso is the perfect creamy blend to whip up at home.
Full of delicious coffee with a hint of bourbon flavor, this is a milkshake that’s both ready to party with you or mix up your nightcap!
It’s also topped with chopped pecans and praline whipped cream to give it some holiday charm. ๐
What Is Bourbon Milkshake Made With Coffee Ice Cream?
Bourbon Street milkshake, just like the historic street in New Orleans, is perfectly boozy and full of life. And, of course, it’s made with bourbon.
It’s an espresso milkshake spiked with bourbon and served with praline whipped cream and chopped pecans on top. I can’t imagine a better refreshing treat for adults than a blend that will give you caffeine and buzz in one glass!
This bourbon coffee milkshake also perfectly suits fall.
Sure, you can treat yourself to a pumpkin pie smoothie or apple crisp frappuccino, but who says you should just stick to non-alcoholic drinks during this sweater weather?
Whether you just want to chill at home or host a harvest party, this bourbon shake is the best drinkable celebration!
Why You’ll Love This Bourbon Milkshake Recipe With Espresso
- Dessert With A Buzz: This boozy coffee bourbon milkshake is deliciously creamy, like a drinkable dessert! With coffee and bourbon, it’s also the perfect nightcap to unwind with!
- Perfect For Parties: This bourbon shake recipe knows how to party, and it’s ready for one. You can easily double this recipe to make a big batch for a crowd.
- Customizable Treat: Customize your Bourbon Street milkshake with a different ice cream flavor, use different toppings, or add your favorite treats to the blend. Whip up your spiked milkshake with whatever your sweet tooth is craving!
What Does Bourbon Shake Taste Like?
Perfectly named after the street known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and exciting nightlife, this bourbon milkshake made with coffee ice cream is like a celebration in a glass.
It’s full of delicious coffee, praline’s buttery sweetness, and, of course, the aromatic flavors of bourbon.
It has just enough booze to let you know it’s there, but your sweet tooth will still be satisfied with every sip.
There’s just something special with spiked milkshakes, don’t you think?
A simple vanilla milkshake blended with vodka is absolutely delicious, but bourbon, coffee ice cream, praline whipped cream, and pecans? This blend is everything an adult shake should be and more.
Ingredients For Bourbon Coffee Milkshake
Milkshake:
- Coffee ice cream – Complements bourbon perfectly without making the milkshake overly sweet.
- Freshly brewed espresso – Gives our Bourbon Street milkshake a bold coffee flavor.
- Espresso powder – Using espresso AND espresso powder for this bourbon coffee milkshake might seem like overkill, but trust me, everything blends well perfectly. Using the two also enhances the richness of the shake.
- Malted milk powder – We’re going all out with our bourbon shake. We’ll also include malted milk powder in the blend for a distinct milky, nutty flavor.
- Half and half – This ensures that our boozy coffee bourbon milkshake will stay nice and thick despite the added liquor.
- Bourbon – Sweeter than other whiskeys, bourbon is the perfect addition to give our espresso milkshake an adult twist.
Praline whipped cream:
- Light brown sugar – Gives a deep sweetness to our praline syrup.
- Unsalted butter – The rich, buttery flavor is absolutely delicious with the coffee bourbon shake!
- Vanilla extract – This completes the flavor of our whipped topping.
- Water – To adjust the taste and consistency of our praline whipped cream.
- Confectioners’ sugar – Helps thicken the heavy cream.
- Heavy cream – Even though this is a boozy bourbon milkshake recipe with espresso, it’ll be incomplete without whipped cream on top.
- Bourbon – Yep, we’ll also sneak in a bit of bourbon on our praline whipped cream.
- Chopped pecans – Of course, this is not a praline-inspired topping without pecans!
Tools Needed To Prepare Bourbon Street Milkshake
- Blender for blending the milkshake
- Stand mixer for whipping the cream
- Bowls for the ingredients
- Whisk for combining the ingredients
Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Bourbon Milkshake
Half and half substitute
I highly recommend half and half for this boozy Bourbon Street milkshake for that luscious thickness that makes milkshakes, not just “blended ice cream” you can sip.
But if unavailable, you can still make this recipe with whole milk.
Coffee ice cream substitute
Another delicious ice cream for this bourbon milkshake recipe with espresso is salted caramel ice cream! The hints of saltiness together with espresso and bourbon are something else.
Chocolate chip cookies
Just because this is a bourbon milkshake made with coffee ice cream doesn’t mean we can’t make it as decadent as we want.
Yep, even as a 20-something, you can bet I’ll add chocolate chip cookies to my spiked milkshake! ๐
How to Make a Bourbon Milkshake
Ingredients:
For the milkshake:
- 2 scoops coffee ice cream
- 2 tbsp freshly brewed espresso, chilled
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- 1 tbsp malted milk powder
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2 tbsp bourbon
For the praline whipped cream:
- 1/8 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp water
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream for the whipped topping
- 1 tsp bourbon
- Chopped pecans for garnish
Tools you need:
Instructions:
STEP 1: Gather the ingredients for your Bourbon Street milkshake.
STEP 2: Add the scoops of ice cream, brewed espresso, espresso powder, malted milk powder, half and half, and bourbon to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
STEP 3: Pour the milkshake into a glass, and to keep it perfectly thick, place the milkshake in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving.
STEP 4: Meanwhile, let’s make the praline whipped cream topping. Start with brown sugar and butter in a saucepan.
STEP 5: Stir until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts completely.
STEP 6: After 2 minutes or when the butter-sugar mixture is bubbly, remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract and water. Whisk to combine.
STEP 7: Next, beat in the confectioner’s sugar to the praline mixture until smooth. Allow it to cool before adding the mixture to the whipped cream. This usually takes around 20 minutes.
STEP 8: Whip the heavy cream with the whip attachment of the stand mixer on medium speed.
STEP 9: Once soft peaks form, add the praline mixture and whip for another 30 seconds on medium speed or until everything is well incorporated.
STEP 10: Add the bourbon and mix just until combined.
STEP 11: To serve, top the milkshake with the whipped topping and chopped pecans. Enjoy!
What Pairs Well with Bourbon Milkshake?
This party-ready Bourbon Street milkshake will pair well with savory snacks and treats!
But instead of the usual burgers and fries, why not treat yourself to something unique and exciting?
This bourbon milkshake will be delicious with our Big Mac tacos and parmesan potatoes! Meaty and cheesy snacks are just pure heaven with this boozy, decadent drink. ๐คค
And for those who thought this bourbon milkshake recipe with espresso is perfect for toasting the fall season, you can’t go wrong pairing it with recipes that feature the season’s crops.
Try our accordion potatoes for a fun take on crispy potatoes, then bake our super moist sweet potato Bundt cake for a dessert that’s not overwhelmingly sweet. Both these dishes are guaranteed crowd-pleasers, trust me!
Tips About Making Bourbon Street Milkshake
- Try different flavor combinations for your boozy milkshake! You can combine vanilla ice cream and bourbon since the latter’s taste has hints of vanilla, or swap bourbon with Irish Cream to pair beautifully with the coffee ice cream.
- It usually takes 4 minutes on medium speed for the heavy cream to reach the soft peak stage. Another way to know is by lifting the beater and checking the cream. It should be able to hold its shape, but the tip of the peak curls on itself.
- To get the perfect consistency when you blend your Bourbon Street milkshake, start on low speed, then gradually increase the power. You can also check our comparison guide on the best blender for milkshakes because, at the end of the day, you need a quality blender to consistently get that thick milkshake texture.
How To Store Boozy Coffee Bourbon Milkshake
- Fridge: This boozy coffee bourbon milkshake is best enjoyed as soon as you make it. But if leftovers are inevitable, transfer the milkshake to an airtight container and drink it within the next day.
- Freezer: I haven’t tried freezing leftover spiked milkshakes because I doubt the flavor and texture will be as delicious after thawing it.
Can You Make a Milkshake with Alcohol?
As proven by this bourbon milkshake, yes, you can totally make a milkshake with alcohol! These adult milkshakes are perfect for parties or when you just want to add some buzz to something indulgent.
What alcohol goes well with milkshakes? I say it’s bourbon, but I’m biased!
You might also enjoy milkshakes spiked with Kahlua, vanilla vodka, Bailey’s, or rum.
Are Spiked Milkshakes Good?
Yes! Boozy milkshakes like this Bourbon Street milkshake are perfect for those who are not a fan of strong-tasting cocktails but would still want to drink something with a kick.
You can experiment with different pairings depending on the flavor you want on your spiked milkshake.
My tip? Be inspired by the season to come up with the best flavor for your chilled treat!
FAQ About Boozy Milkshakes
Can you mix milkshake and beer?
Yes, you can mix milkshake and beer. The technique is to pour it into the blender before the rest of the ingredients for even blending. You can also use flavored beer to complement the ice cream, like chocolate cake beer for chocolate ice cream.ย
Is whiskey in a milkshake good?
Yes! Bourbon is a whiskey, and judging from this bourbon milkshake recipe, it’s a delicious way to spike up a milkshake.ย
Bourbon Street Milkshake
This Bourbon Street milkshake is the best boozy milkshake! It's made with espresso, coffee ice cream, and bourbon, then topped with praline whipped cream.
Ingredients
For the milkshake:
- 2 scoops coffee ice cream
- 2 tbsp freshly brewed espresso, chilled
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- 1 tbsp malted milk powder
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2 tbsp bourbon
For the praline whipped cream:
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients for your Bourbon Street milkshake.
- Add the scoops of ice cream, brewed espresso, espresso powder, malted milk powder, half and half, and bourbon to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the milkshake into a glass, and to keep it perfectly thick, place the milkshake in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving.
- Meanwhile, let's make the praline whipped cream topping. Start with brown sugar and butter in a saucepan.
- Stir until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts completely.
- After 2 minutes or when the butter-sugar mixture is bubbly, remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract and water. Whisk to combine.
- Next, beat in the confectioner's sugar to the praline mixture until smooth. Allow it to cool before adding the mixture to the whipped cream. This usually takes around 20 minutes.
- Whip the heavy cream with the whip attachment of the stand mixer on medium speed.
- Once soft peaks form, add the praline mixture and whip for another 30 seconds on medium speed or until everything is well incorporated.
- Add the bourbon and mix just until combined.
- To serve, top the milkshake with the whipped topping and chopped pecans. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations for this milkshake recipe! You might enjoy bourbon and vanilla ice cream since bourbon whiskey already has hints of vanilla, or you can swap bourbon with Irish cream to complement the coffee ice cream.ย ย
- What do soft peaks mean when whipping the cream topping? It will usually take 4 minutes on medium speed for the cream to reach the soft peak stage. You can also test by lifting the beater and checking if the cream can hold its shape, but the peak's tip still curls on itself.ย
- The secret behind making the absolute best milkshake at home? Use a good-quality blender! Then, start at a low speed and gradually increase the power. We have also reviewed the best blender for milkshakes if you want to compare models.
* This recipe was originally published on 07/2011 by Jaclyn. Notes and photos were updated on 11/2023.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 7353Total Fat: 178gSaturated Fat: 113gTrans Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 53gCholesterol: 557mgSodium: 665mgCarbohydrates: 1460gFiber: 0gSugar: 1445gProtein: 24g
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for the most accurate results.
Conclusion
Named after the famous party street, this Bourbon Street milkshake is quite literally a celebration in a glass.
It’s a blend of coffee ice cream, espresso, and bourbon to give you the perfect indulgence and buzz. Praline whipped cream also sits atop the blended bliss for a delightful finishing touch.
So next time you’re craving a milkshake, don’t just make something you’ve tried hundreds of times before.
Grab yourself some espresso and bourbon and blend the ultimate adult milkshake.
Love this bourbon shake recipe? Here are other boozy blends for your next home party: