Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

An easy, spiced pumpkin hot chocolate recipe made by stirring creamy white chocolate into whole milk infused with warm autumn spices. Combined with pure pumpkin purée, vanilla bean paste, and maple syrup, this sweet, drinkable treat makes the perfect pumpkin hot chocolate for warming up on a chilly autumn afternoon.

Key Ingredients

• Milk – I prefer the creaminess of whole milk (or half-and-half, for an even creamier drink), but you can make this recipe using your favorite plant milk instead. Remember that it won’t be vegan, since white chocolate contains dairy.
• White Chocolate – I recommend a good-quality, good-tasting white chocolate from a brand like Callebaut, Guittard, or Valrhona (I tested this recipe with Guittard Créme Francaise 31%) but even chocolate chips will work in a pinch.
• Pumpkin – Use real, 100% pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains spices. In the UK, you can often find canned pumpkin in the “American foods” section at Sainsbury’s or Tesco, or order it from Amazon. And if you can’t find canned pumpkin purée, you can use a blender or food processor to make your own, using my butternut squash purée recipe as a guide.

• Sweetener – I used maple syrup because it always feels autumn-y to me, and fits with the “pumpkin pie” theme. You can replace it with honey. And remember to sweeten in small increments—white chocolate is already very sweet.
• Spices – Opt for fresh, whole cinnamon sticks and cloves, and a piece of whole, fresh ginger root. You don’t need to peel the ginger, since you’ll remove it after infusion.

Tips, Tools, and Serving Suggestions

• Add fun garnishes. I love making this pumpkin hot chocolate because it lends itself to so many fun fall garnishes. Top with homemade pumpkin whipped cream; pieces of candied ginger; crushed pumpkin seed brittle; shaved white chocolate; candied pecans; or ground cinnamon. And don’t forget the cinnamon stick for stirring!
• Use a spicy sweetener. Instead of the basic liquid sweeteners suggested above, make a spicy pumpkin drink by sweetening with hot honey or homemade ginger simple syrup.
• Use whole spices. I do not recommend making this hot chocolate with ground, jarred spices, which often lack flavor and are difficult to strain, causing the finished beverage to have a gritty or grainy texture.
• Increase the infusion time. The longer you allow the spices to infuse in the milk, the stronger and spicier the finished drink will taste. I recommend steeping the spices for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour.
• Strain thoroughly. After infusing the spices, pass the milk through a fine mesh strainer to remove the whole spices and pieces of ginger. Discard these with food waste or regular household trash.

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Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

Recipe by becky

• Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield480 milliliters (2 1-cup portions) 1x

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An easy pumpkin hot chocolate recipe made with creamy white chocolate, whole milk, warm autumn spices, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and vanilla bean paste.

Ingredients

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360 milliliters whole milk (1 1/2 cups)
20 grams fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (2-inch piece)
5 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
1 6-inch cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
75 grams chopped white chocolate (1/2 cup)
80 grams pumpkin purée (1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon maple syrup, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Pumpkin whipped cream, chopped pecans, ground nutmeg, or ground cinnamon, to garnish

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Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk, sliced ginger, whole cloves, whole allspice, cinnamon stick, and ground nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Simmer for one minute.

Remove saucepan from heat. Cover and allow spices to steep in the milk for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour.

Pass the infused milk through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the spices.

Rewarm milk over low heat. Whisk in chopped white chocolate, stirring until completely melted.

Whisk in pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and vanilla bean paste.

Remove from heat. Pour into mugs and garnish as desired. Serve immediately.

 

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Steeping Time: 1 hour
• Category: Beverages
• Method: Stovetop

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

To serve for a party: Make hot chocolate on the stovetop then pour it into a slow cooker. Place mugs and a ladle nearby, along with a piping bag of pumpkin whipped cream and a shaker of ground cinnamon, and allow guests to help themselves throughout the evening.

Other Hot Chocolate Recipes You Might Enjoy

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
Lavender Hot Chocolate
Blueberry Hot Chocolate
Grapefruit White Hot Chocolate
Raspberry and Rose Hot Chocolate

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!