Stay cozy and warm this fall with homemade Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate made with creamy pumpkin puree, sweet chocolate, and fall spices!
Perfect for a chilly morning or after a beautiful fall walk, Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate is wonderfully warming and sweet. Pumpkin puree, white chocolate, milk, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla come together in minutes for a decadent drink that will make you love the colorful leaves and cool weather even more!
Falling for Pumpkin
As soon as the temperature starts to dip, I either pull the frozen pumpkin puree out of the freezer or stock up on cans because this family loves pumpkins! Pumpkin and chocolate are especially delicious together, and making a few mugs of Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate is exactly what we go for to celebrate fall days. Pumpkin is the definite star of this drink and is perfectly balanced with white chocolate, which makes this drink taste extra special and wonderfully rich.
Keep a few hot chocolate recipes on rotation, like Homemade Hot Chocolate and Spiked Peppermint Hot Chocolate, to enjoy throughout the chilly months!
Other Recipes to Serve with Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate
- Pumpkin Pancakes with Pumpkin Spice Butter is hands down the best part of every morning or with brunch!
- Need a sweet pick-me-up while making pumpkin hot chocolate? Pumpkin Pie Truffles are loaded with real pumpkin pie, so you know they’re amazing!
Ingredients
Milk: To make this pumpkin hot chocolate, you will need milk. Use what you have on hand, including plant-based milk, or go with 2% for a nice creamy drink.
Pantry Items: This recipe also requires cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and white chocolate chips.
Pumpkin: Purchase a can of pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, or use homemade pumpkin puree.
Spices: A little pumpkin pie spice is needed for this hot chocolate.
Toppings: While optional, a little whipped cream and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg is delicious.
How to Make Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate
STEP ONE: Combine half of the milk, white chocolate, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and heat to medium. Stir the mixture until the chocolate melts and everything is well combined.
STEP TWO: Stir in the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice, and continue stirring until the hot chocolate is warmed through.
STEP THREE: Add the other half of the milk and stir. Continue stirring the hot chocolate until hot.
STEP FOUR: Pour the pumpkin hot chocolate into mugs, and if you like, top it with whipped cream and a dash of additional pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon. Enjoy.
Tips for Success
- If you’re using homemade pumpkin puree, it’s a great idea to run it through a mesh strainer to achieve a silky smooth consistency, which will blend better in the hot chocolate.
- This recipe makes enough for two mugs of pumpkin hot chocolate, but you can double or triple it to make enough for everyone.
- Want to get extra fancy with your hot cocoa? Try adding chocolate shavings to the top of the hot cocoa, or better yet, to the top of the whipped cream!
Do stores like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts have pumpkin hot chocolate?
When fall is in the air, stores like Starbucks and Dunkin are already rolling out seasonal favorites like pumpkin hot chocolate, pumpkin spice latte, and more! These stores and more love to combine everyone’s love of fall flavors and comforting chocolate, mocha, and coffee. You can always customize the perfect drink even if you don’t see what you want on the menu. However, these delicious drinks are primarily made with sugary syrups and not with nutritious pumpkin puree, so while a trip to the coffee shop might be a special occasion, making homemade Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate can be something you make every weekend!
How do I make my own pumpkin spice?
Pumpkin pie spice is essential in many recipes and a fall staple! Easily blend your pumpkin pie spice to use in pies, season apples, elevate your oatmeal, or take your hot chocolate to the next level. Whisk together 3 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon, two teaspoons of ground ginger, two teaspoons of ground nutmeg, one clove, and one ground allspice. Most people also add a pinch of ground black pepper to amp up the flavors of the spices. Store the blend in a jar when needed for your fall baking.
More Great Pumpkin Drinks to Love
- Pumpkin Chai Smoothie
- Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Drunken Pumpkin Mocha
- Pumpkin Ginger Shandy
- Warm Pumpkin Pie Spice Cocktail
*This post originally posted on 10/30/2015.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups 2% milk divided
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (see note)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Toppings
- Whipped cream
- Nutmeg fresh or ground
- White chocolate shavings
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of milk with the white chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Cook over medium heat, whisking periodically, until the chocolate is melted and combined.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. Continue to cook while occasionally stirring until heated through.
- Add the remaining milk and cook until heated through.
- Portion into coffee mugs. Serve warm with topped with whipped cream, white chocolate shavings, and/or nutmeg.
Notes
- If using freshly roasted pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin, I recommend pouring the hot chocolate through a fine mesh sieve to eliminate any chunks. Canned pumpkin is much smoother.
- Nutritional information does not include toppings.
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