October 21, 2022
updated
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Warm yourself up with a cup of pumpkin spice hot chocolate! Every sip provides rich cocoa flavor with a smooth texture infused with delicious fall spices!
Aside from its decadence, you’ll love how easy it is to make with spices, canned pumpkin, your choice of milk, and chocolate chips… you know you want some.
Best-Ever Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
Can you get pumpkin hot chocolate at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks? Yes, but there’s something special about this homemade recipe made with REAL pumpkin and chocolate chips that tops anything the go-to coffee shops can make.
Not only is the pumpkin flavor real, but the consistency of the beverage is smooth and velvety. Plus, it’s a simple fix in your stovetop and takes less than 5 minutes to whip up.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
As promised, here’s the short and sweet ingredient list for pumpkin hot chocolate:
- Milk: if using regular, whole milk or 2%. If using non-dairy, try oat milk!
- Canned pumpkin puree: the real stuff, no canned pumpkin pie mix.
- Pumpkin pie spice: essential for the fall spice flavor. You can also use ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛th teaspoon ground cloves, and ⅛th teaspoon ground ginger.
- Vanilla extract: works great with the pumpkin and cocoa flavors.
- Sugar: minimal amount since this recipe is made with real chocolate.
- Chocolate: use semi-sweet chips or bittersweet baking chocolate like Ghirardelli or Guittard.
- Whipped cream: one of the best hot chocolate toppings!
Find all ingredient measurements and detailed cooking directions in the recipe card.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
Similar to my classic hot chocolate made with chocolate chips, this recipe incorporates pumpkin puree and spice into the sweet mixture. Here’s what to do:
- Make the base
Combine the milk, pumpkin puree, spices, and vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. - Add the chocolate
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the sugar and chocolate until both are completely dissolved into the hot liquid. - Grab a cup!
The only thing left to do is to pour everyone a mug and top it with whipped cream or marshmallows. Maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon for good measure.
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Can You Use Cocoa Powder Instead?
When using real pumpkin, you want to stick with semi-sweet chocolate chips or high-quality baking chocolate. By melting the chocolate with the pumpkin puree you’ll achieve a smooth texture for the hot cocoa base.
Using cocoa powder and pumpkin puree can lead to clumps, and the last thing you want to do is sit there with a fork trying to break up your mixture.
In the end, melting solid chocolate works better with real pumpkin puree.
If you’re using pumpkin syrup, like the one you use to flavor coffee, you can use my traditional hot cocoa recipe made with cocoa powder.
Best Toppings for Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
Where do we start? There are so many ways to top a cup of this pumpkin spice-infused recipe, but here are a few hot chocolate topping ideas to get you started:
- Homemade Marshmallows
- Whipped cream
- Cinnamon
- Caramel drizzle
- Chocolate shavings
Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Whipped cream , for serving
Instructions
- Whisk the milk, pumpkin puree, spices, and vanilla in a large saucepan until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring consistently.
- Remove from heat and add the sugar and chocolate chips. Continue stirring until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Ladle the hot chocolate into mugs and top with whipped cream.
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