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Home/Autumn Leaves/Pumpkin Spice Hot White Chocolate

Pumpkin Spice Hot White Chocolate

This spiced hot chocolate is in the style of European drinking chocolate, which is made with whole milk (and sometimes part cream) and melted high-quality bar chocolate.

Pumpkin Spice Hot White Chocolate

There must be a hundred posts on the web on the topic of Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte. Amazing! Would you believe I have NEVER had a Pumpkin Spice Latte? I’m not quite sure how that happened. However, in perusing all of the copycat recipes, it appears that there is little if any actual pumpkin in this wildly popular autumnal concoction; just a teaspoon or so of Pumpkin Spice Syrup. Hmmm…

By the time I had read a dozen or so recipes for this drink, it was starting to sound less than wonderful. I won’t know for sure until I get on over to Starbucks and actually order one, but in the meanwhile I started thinking about how wonderful pumpkin and white chocolate are together. This rich, indulgent drink is the result.

Pumpkin Spice Hot White Chocolate | LunaCafe

The difficulty in working with white chocolate, however, is that it is essentially all sweetness with no acidic counterbalance. Thus, it can be exceedingly rich with nothing to relieve that richness. Partnerships with bitter or acidic elements, such as alcohol or espresso, can make all the difference. So, although I present you with the foundation recipe to begin with (and it is delicious), I prefer the variations. I will be sipping one of them on Halloween night, nestled by the fire, awaiting the onslaught of trick-or-treaters.

Pumpkin Spice Hot White Chocolate

This Hot White Chocolate is in the style of European drinking chocolate, which is made with whole milk (and sometimes part cream) and melted high-quality bar chocolate. The amount of white chocolate is variable. Use the lesser amount if you do not plan to add rum or espresso to your drink. Otherwise, you may find the drink a tad too sweet.

This drink is a perfect after dinner or late night finale.

3 cups whole milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
12 whole cloves, crushed slightly
12 whole allspice berries, crushed slightly
2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
2 tablespoons chopped orange peel (all pith removed)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

4-6 ounces, high quality white chocolate, roughly chopped (Lindt or Guittard recommended)
pinch sea salt (don’t even think about leaving this out)

Garnish
1 cup heavy cream, whipped and lightly sweetened
shaved white chocolate, from a bar of white chocolate
ground cinnamon in a shaker

  1. In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, bring the milk to a bare simmer.
  2. Lower the heat to keep the milk below the boiling point and add the pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, candied ginger and vanilla bean.
  3. Remove from the heat and let mellow as long as you can wait (refrigerate if you need to hold longer than an hour).
  4. When ready to serve, pour the milk mixture through a triple mesh strainer into a clean saucepan. Heat to just below a simmer and remove from the heat.
  5. Add the white chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted.
  6. Remove from the heat, and add sea salt.
  7. To serve immediately, pour into five, eight-ounce capacity, Irish coffee or other stemmed glasses.
  8. To store, let cool, decant, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat to serve.
  9. Just before serving, top each glass of hot chocolate with a generous mound of whipped cream, a few shavings of white chocolate, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve immediately.

Makes five, 6-ounce servings.

Jumpin’ Pumpkin Spice Hot White Chocolate

To each serving, add 1 shot espresso, stir, and top with whipped cream.

Spirited Pumpkin Spice Hot White Chocolate

To each serving, add 1 ounce Meyer’s dark rum, stir, and top with whipped cream.

Copyright 2009 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

Written by:
Susan S. Bradley
Published on:
October 18, 2009

Categories: Autumn Leaves, Drinks, PumpkinTags: autumn, Drinks, Fall, pumpkin, white chocolate

About Susan S. Bradley

Intrepid cook, food writer, culinary instructor, creator of the LunaCafe blog, author of Pacific Northwest Palate: Four Seasons of Great Cooking, and former director of the Northwest Culinary Academy.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sabrina Zaragoza

    October 18, 2016 at 6:45 am

    White chocolate is dangerous for sure! Its so creamy and delicious! Just like this hot chocolate! Perfect for the midwest as its getting pretty chilly here in the evenings and mornings!
    Thank for sharing, Susan.

  2. Nerja Rentals

    October 2, 2016 at 12:41 pm

    Really looks delicious. I love Lindths white chocolate. Ate it the first time in Nerja in Spain and been hooked ever since. 😀

  3. Karen

    February 8, 2015 at 10:47 am

    Pumpkin isn’t just for October, right? Love white chocolate too!

  4. online buying guide

    June 5, 2013 at 7:37 pm

    I like the valuable info you provide for your articles.
    I will bookmark your weblog and check once more right here regularly.
    I’m fairly certain I’ll be informed many new stuff right
    here! Best of luck for the next!

  5. London Photographer

    July 27, 2012 at 6:42 am

    Just tried it and it absolutely delicious. Thank you!!

    • Susan S. Bradley

      July 27, 2012 at 11:01 am

      Yahoo! Thanks for letting us know. 🙂

  6. NYCSingleMom

    March 5, 2011 at 11:45 am

    Sounds just delish but too much work for this lazy bum but I will dream about it.

    http://www.nycsinglemom.com

  7. London Photographer

    February 1, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    Pumpkin and chocolate? Why not – sounds delicious!

    • Susan S. Bradley

      February 3, 2011 at 6:45 pm

      LondonPhotographer, I was about to point out that it is pumpkin and white chocolate but then I remembered a dark chocolate cake with mashed pumpkin that I used to make. It’s delicious!

  8. nerha holidays

    November 16, 2010 at 4:03 am

    it does sound pretty good to me im not a giant star bucks fan, so i think i might just try it at home.
    Thanks 🙂

  9. nmsusieq

    December 6, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    OMG! I’m dieing to try this, but I don’t have any allspice berries or candied ginger. Hmmm! I wonder if I dare try it. Probably not,….but….

  10. sms bradley

    October 27, 2009 at 8:51 pm

    Thank you, Kevin! 🙂 The combination is so good, I plan to try an white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake.

  11. Sophie

    October 23, 2009 at 3:16 am

    What a delightful drink!! Very apart too!!

    I think Lindt chocolate is a good brand. I like this Swiss chocolate a lot!
    .-= Sophie´s last blog ..Sophie’s maple scones with pecans & cranberries, served with Maple’s Butter =-.

  12. Becky

    October 21, 2009 at 11:27 am

    This is a brilliant idea for fall/winter. Thanks for sharing — I’m always wondering how to recreate those fancy drinks at home.

    • sms bradley

      October 22, 2009 at 12:12 pm

      Thanks so much, Becky! 🙂

  13. TheWoman

    October 21, 2009 at 7:27 am

    This sounds phenomenal!
    .-= TheWoman´s last blog ..Ham, Cheese & Sweetcorn Muffins =-.

  14. Katie

    October 21, 2009 at 6:34 am

    Oh wow! I am going to have to make this right away. Sounds amazing!

    I have seen all those Starbucks copycat recipes too. I wonder if the Pumpkin Frappaccino actually has any pumpkin in it or if it’s just the syrup like the latte.

    • sms bradley

      October 21, 2009 at 9:58 am

      Katie, i’m sure it uses the syrup as well. I finally got around to tasting that syrup yesterday on my way to PDX. The barista looked at me like I was crazy when I asked to sample a small spoonful. 🙂 It has a pronounced caramel flavor with a nice hit of spices. The barista said that it does contain some pumpkin. However, the pumpkin flavor was very mild. Rather nice though all in all.

  15. b.

    October 20, 2009 at 9:38 pm

    where does the canned pumpkin get added? that is the most important part for me!

    • sms bradley

      October 21, 2009 at 9:55 am

      Good catch b., thanks! I corrected the recipe. The pumpkin goes in before the spices, in the order presented.

  16. danielle

    October 20, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    ooooh…I think I’d like to add the rum for sure!! I’ve never had the starbucks version either…but I hear its really good.
    .-= danielle´s last blog ..Grandma Mary’s Banana Pudding =-.

  17. Andy

    October 20, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    I don’t see where the Pumpkin Puree gets added? Since it is near the top of the list of ingredients, I assume it goes in to the milk with the spices. Is that right?

    • sms bradley

      October 21, 2009 at 9:53 am

      Good catch, Andy, thanks! I corrected the recipe. Yes, the pumpkin goes in with the spices in the order presented.

  18. Rochelle (Acquired Taste)

    October 20, 2009 at 9:29 am

    I don’t know what else to say other than, YUM! 🙂
    .-= Rochelle (Acquired Taste)´s last blog ..Stuffed "with goodness" Mushrooms =-.

  19. Arunah

    October 19, 2009 at 3:20 am

    The mere description of this recipe almost made me swoon with delight… Now, the implementation after salivating intensely…

    • sms bradley

      October 19, 2009 at 9:19 pm

      Arunah, LOL and thank you so much. 🙂

      • Nerja

        October 2, 2016 at 12:43 pm

        Really looks delicious. I love Lindths white chocolate. Ate it the first time in Nerja in Spain and been hooked ever since. 😀

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Susan S. Bradley

Intrepid cook, food writer, culinary instructor, creator of the LunaCafe blog, author of Pacific Northwest Palate: Four Seasons of Great Cooking, and former director of the Northwest Culinary Academy. Read More…

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