Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
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Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate is a delicious fall treat with real pumpkin puree and notes of vanilla and pumpkin spices – keep it on warm in a slow cooker for a party! Perfect for sipping on a chilly evening!
I can never get enough hot chocolate on those brisk Fall days. If I’m not drinking this Pumpkin Hot Chocolate, I’m sipping on a boozy Butterscotch Schnapps Spiked Hot Chocolate or my favorite Red Velvet Hot Chocolate!
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Table of Contents
Why We Love Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
I’m a sucker for the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, so I thought how about a Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate?! It’s is a rich, creamy hot drink that does not include coffee, so it’s the perfect treat for non-coffee drinkers and children!
The combination of pumpkin and rich white chocolate makes for an indulgent sip for fall, especially for pumpkin lovers like me. If pumpkin pie could taste like a drink, this would be the one.
Move over pumpkin spice latte, this Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate is perfect to sip on Halloween night, awaiting the onslaught of trick-or-treaters. It would also be perfect at Thanksgiving or just any cold night snuggled up by the fire!
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
Making Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate at home couldn’t be easier.
- Made with real pumpkin puree
- Ready in less than 10 minutes
- Just one pot on the stove and a whisk
- Ideal for sipping in front of a cozy fire.
Ingredients For Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
(full printable recipe at the end of this post)
For this delicious hot chocolate recipe, you only need 7 ingredients. Get out that shopping list and jot them down.
- Whole milk: Whole milk works best in chocolate milk, but you can use 2% as well.
- Pumpkin puree: Be sure to get a can of pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Pumpkin spices: To give your hot chocolate pumpkin flavoring, you’ll need ground cloves and pumpkin pie spice.
- Vanilla: This will add a subtle hint of vanilla while also enhancing other flavors in the hot chocolate.
- White chocolate: For best results, use a high-quality chocolate baking bar.
- Sea salt: Sea salt helps to balance out the sugars and enhance the flavors.
- Whipped Cream: It’s an optional topping but highly recommended. If you want to go homemade, Cinnamon Whipped Cream is fabulous!
How to Make Pumpkin Hot Chocolate On The Stove
This recipe can be made in a saucepan or in a slow cooker if you want a larger batch. For a smaller batch, follow the steps below:
Simmer: In a small saucepan, heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices just until simmering.
Add Chocolate: Next, remove the pan from the heat and add the roughly chopped chocolate. Stir or whisk until fully melted.
Add Toppings: Pour the pumpkin hot chocolate into mugs. Top each mug with a generous mound of whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.
Serve and Enjoy!
How to Make Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate in the Crockpot
Want to make a large batch of pumpkin hot chocolate for a party? Make it in a slow cooker so that you can keep it nice and hot throughout the party. Simply multiply all the ingredients in the recipe at the end of the post x4 for 8 servings and follow these steps below to make crockpot pumpkin hot chocolate:
- Put milk, pumpkin puree, spices, and extract into your slow cooker. Whisk all the ingredients together and add finely chopped white chocolate.
- Set the slow cooker on low for 2 hours or until chocolate is fully melted and the mixture reaches your desired temperature.
- Set out mugs, marshmallows, whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and chocolate shavings for toppings.
Serve and Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Do I have to use whole milk?
Whole milk will make your hot chocolate the creamiest and sweetest it can be. However, you can use any milk that you want including 2%, 1%, skim, oat milk, soy milk, and almond milk.
Can I make my own pumpkin pie spice?
Absolutely! Pumpkin pie spice is just a combination of other spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. You make your own with my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe.
Can I make spiked pumpkin spice hot chocolate?
You can easily spike hot chocolate for an adult-only party by adding cinnamon schnapps. Vodka fan? Try a flavored vodka, like caramel vodka, vanilla vodka. Your favorite bourbon or rum would also be delicious. You do you!
Do I have to use white chocolate?
We love how well white chocolate pairs with the pumpkin, but you can certainly make this hot chocolate with bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate if you prefer.
Pro Tips For The Best Hot Chocolate
Stir constantly: Milk can burn easily, so make sure that you stir your milk, puree, and spices consistently while it’s cooking.
Use low to medium heat. Don’t rush it, always simmer, if you boil milk too hard or too fast it will scorch and burn.
For a richer hot chocolate replace 1/4 of a cup of the milk with cream.
Store leftover hot chocolate in the fridge: Just be sure to allow leftover pumpkin hot chocolate to cool completely, before transferring to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.
To reheat: simply transfer the hot chocolate to a microwave-safe mug and microwave until the desired temperature, or transfer to a saucepan and reheat on the stove until the desired temperature is reached.
Like This Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Recipe? Pin It!
I hope your family enjoys this pumpkin spice white hot chocolate as much we do!
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Originally posted in October 2011. UPDATED October 2021. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.
Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate
A delicious fall treat with real pumpkin puree and notes of vanilla and pumpkin spices – keep it on warm in a slow cooker for a party!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- pinch of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch sea salt
- 2 ounces white chocolate (roughly chopped)
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, pumpkin, spices and vanilla. Cook stirring constantly until just simmering.
- Remove from heat and add chocolate ( reserve some chocolate for garnish) and stir or whisk until melted.
- Just before serving, top each mug with a generous mound of whipped cream, a few shavings of white chocolate, and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
To make a larger batch (8-10 servings) in a slow cooker:
- Add 6 cups of milk, 2 cups canned pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to a slow cooker. Use a whisk to combine as fully as possible. Add 8 ounces of finely chopped white chocolate (or you could use white chocolate chips).
- Set the slow cooker on low for 2 hours or until chocolate is fully melted and the mixture reaches your desired temperature.
- Set out mugs, marshmallows, whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and chocolate shavings for toppings.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 298Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 174mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 28gProtein: 8g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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Yep, you had me at “pumpkin” too! This sounds wonderful!!
Oh yummmm! Pinning immediately. Thanks for sharing, Cheryl!
This looks fabulous. I love the little collage. Your pictures are always an inspiration, Cheryl. Great work!
Thanks for the great linky party. You always inspire me with all you are organizing and cooking! Thanks!
Jill of oursevendwarfs.com
That looks and sounds so yummy! What a great photo!
Oh yum Cheryl, definitely trying this one!!!!!!!
Dessert in a cup-yes, I will have two! Great idea and great recipe!
YUM! I need some this morning.
I am loving this hot chocolate! Sure wish I had a cup now. And you are right-it would go perfect with the pumpkin donut holes:)
looks so good. I’m putting this on my Facebook page today
Ooohhh YUM! I could go for a cup of that right now! I love your Cocoa Latte Maker, I think I need to ask Santa for one of those! Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for another great idea. we actually saw the hot choclate machine inthe store yesterday and I told hubby there is nothing I would need that for. I guess I was wrong;p
Mmmmmmmmm. And mmmmmmmmmmm.
Love this Cheryl! A perfect treat & soooo pinned 🙂
Thanks for hosting, Cheryl!
That hot chocolate looks amazing! Wow – you could make a really over the top breakfast with your hot chocolate and my favorite breakfast cookies :). Too much?
Thanks for hosting!
Love this! I’ll make it this weekend for the kids!
I just love your site!! But THIS – this looks sooo yummy!! A must try as soon as I get some canned pumpkin. 🙂 I love this time of the year for food alone. 🙂
Love the photography. I feel as if I can drink the hot chocolate from my computer screen!
This is genius! I was just wishing LAST night that I had WHITE chocolate hot chocolate! My bag of pumpkin spice marshmallows got me thinking! ♥
So pretty! I bet it tastes and smells incredible, too. Yum!
Yummy!
The pictures are AMAZING!
I need to take a few FOOD staging tips from YOU!
Looks like something in a magazine!
The other day I was pretending I was a FOOD blogger. 😉
You know…so I could go to MONTANA! 😉
So I put up a fabric drape behind my hot cocoa when I photographed it for the blog! 😉
Woopsie!
It didn’t turn out like this!
Please come and teach me how to take pictures of FOOD so I can go to MONTANA!!! 😉
xoxoxo
Ooh, this looks and sounds extremely delicious!! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe and hosting this fun party!
xoxo,
Vanessa @ {nifty thrifty things}
Oh wow! This looks so yummy! I despise coffee and long to look like an adult drinking something more than hot chocolate! LOL!!!
I cannot wait to try this.
Leigh Ann
Looking forward to curling up with my laptop while my twins are playing and enjoying a cup of this delicious Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate while checking out all these amazing links being shared! This recipe had me at pumpkin too!
I just made an at home pumpkin spiced latte the other day but never thought about adding hot chocolate. Sounds amazing! I’m definitely trying this one.
Pumpkin pie in a mug sounds excellent! I’m not a coffee drinker so this is perfect for me.
I LOVE anything pumpkin, but sadly can’t have the chocolate in this (diabetic). However, I think I am going to try it and substitute Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf No Sugar Added Vanilla Powder for the white chocolate (that stuff is pretty amazing). It won’t be quite the same, but still… PUMPKIN! Thanks for the recipe idea!!
Wow. These look SO GOOD. This time of year I live for pumpkin lattes. I didn’t know there was a latte machine out there, how cool!
Your photographs of this drink make it absolutely irresistible! Have a lovely weekend Cheryl.
This sounds absolutely lovely!
This recipe sounds delicious! I must try it this week, I love pumpkin. I also shared your post on my blog for DIY hot cocoa recipes. Your pics make this recipe look to die for!
YUM! My oldest has been asking me to make this all week now 😀
Cheryl that looks absolutely incredible. Pinned it, but I’m pretty sure I don’t need it pinned, because I’m not going to be able to get it out of my head until I get a chance to make it. Thanks!
I made this tonight but I used light vanilla organic soy milk instead of whole milk… still absolutely delicious! Thick & decadent; soooo perfect for a Sunday night snuggled up with your loved one(s). 🙂 I put a little Hershey’s syrup on top of the whipped cream too, yummy. Thank you for this wonderful, easy recipe! Can’t wait make some for my mom when I go home for Thanksgiving 😀
This looks amazing! I love Hot Chocolate and can’t wait for the full season to be upon us! I am going to have to try this out!
This looks amazing!! Can’t wait to give it a try 🙂
This hot chocolate is amazing! I just made it as a surprise dessert for my husband and we’re hooked! It was so easy and he couldn’t figure out what was in it, so the guessing game was fun. My 2 year old son even got a tast and said “Gooood” So cute! Thanks for this, it will be a fall staple.
Looks and sounds incredible!
This hot chocolate is delicious! My family members and I loved to have it in winter. Thanks for sharing!
Och! I drank it and I am delighted. Thank You for the recipe.
Greetings from Poland 🙂
You may want to proof your information before publishing it. “In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, pumpkin, and spices. Cook string constantly until just simmering.” String should be stirring.