To make pumpkin spice hot chocolate, warm 2 tablespoons of pure pumpkin purée for a minute, then whisk in 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, a pinch of salt and ¼ cup of just-boiled water. Add 2 cups (480 ml) of milk, heat until steaming, and blend 15 seconds so it stays smooth. Two mugs, about 10 minutes.
Real pumpkin is what makes this different from hot chocolate with pie spice sprinkled in: the purée gives the drink body, and the cocoa keeps it from tasting like sweet squash.
Key facts for this pumpkin spice hot chocolate
| What | Value | Unit | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yield | 2 | mugs, 2 cups (480 ml) total | Grevista recipe, September 15, 2026 |
| Total time | 10 | minutes (3 prep + 7 cook) | Grevista recipe, September 15, 2026 |
| Pure pumpkin purée (not pie filling) | 2 | tbsp (30 ml) | Grevista recipe, September 15, 2026 |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 3 tbsp (16 g) | tbsp (g) | Tablespoon weight from USDA FoodData Central FDC 169593, checked September 15, 2026 |
| Pumpkin pie spice | ¾ | tsp | Grevista recipe, September 15, 2026 |
| Blending time to keep it smooth | 15 | seconds | Grevista recipe, September 15, 2026 |
| Milk temperature | steaming, ≈160 | °F (70 °C) | Grevista method note, September 15, 2026 |
| Caffeine in the whole batch | ≈37 (≈18 per mug) | mg | USDA FoodData Central FDC 169593, checked September 15, 2026 |
| Keeps, refrigerated | up to 2 | days | Grevista recipe, September 15, 2026 |
The amounts above are published as a recipe, not as the result of a tasting panel.
How do you make pumpkin spice hot chocolate?
Makes: 2 mugs (about 2 cups / 480 ml) · Prep: 3 minutes · Cook: 7 minutes · Total: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 g) pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling
- 3 tbsp (16 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp (38 g) brown sugar, or to taste
- ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 pinch fine salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) just-boiled water
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
- ¼ tsp (1 ml) vanilla extract
- Whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the purée. Warm the pumpkin purée in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring, until it darkens slightly and smells toasty.
- Make the cocoa paste. Add the cocoa, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt and just-boiled water. Whisk into a smooth paste.
- Add the milk. Whisk in the milk and heat until steaming, about 160°F (70°C), whisking often. Do not boil.
- Blend. Off the heat, blend with an immersion blender for about 15 seconds, or whisk vigorously.
- Finish. Stir in the vanilla, pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and cinnamon if you like.
Do you need real pumpkin in pumpkin spice hot chocolate?
For aroma, no: pumpkin pie spice (usually cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves) supplies the smell people recognize. For texture, yes. Two tablespoons of purée make the drink thicker and rounder in a way spice alone cannot. Cooking the purée for a minute first takes away its uncooked, vegetal edge.
Why is my pumpkin hot chocolate gritty?
Pumpkin purée contains fiber that does not dissolve. Without blending, it settles to the bottom of the mug within a minute or two and feels grainy. Fifteen seconds with an immersion blender, or a hard whisk, keeps it suspended.
The order of the steps matters as much as the blending. Published U.S. recipes checked in September 2026 also whisk the purée, cocoa and spice into a thick paste before any milk goes in; dropping cocoa into milk that already holds purée is what leaves specks of dry powder in the cup.
Can you use pumpkin pie filling instead of purée?
It is better not to. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, so you lose control of both and the drink usually ends up too sweet. If filling is all you have, leave out the brown sugar and the spice, then taste and adjust.
What does the cocoa add?
Bitterness and structure. Pumpkin and warm spices are both soft, sweet flavors, so the drink needs a cocoa with real depth to balance them. Using unsweetened cocoa also keeps the sugar adjustable, which matters when the spice is already doing so much. If you are choosing a cocoa for drinks, see the best cocoa powder for hot chocolate.
How can you change this recipe?
| If you want… | Change |
|---|---|
| Dairy-free | Use oat milk; with coconut milk, cut the spice to ½ tsp so it does not compete |
| Less sugar | Start with 1½ tbsp (19 g) brown sugar or 1 tbsp maple syrup |
| Stronger pumpkin flavor | Use 3 tbsp (45 g) purée and blend a little longer |
| No pumpkin pie spice | ½ tsp cinnamon, ⅛ tsp ginger, a pinch each of nutmeg and cloves |
| A plain base first | Start with our hot chocolate recipe with cocoa powder |
Who is this recipe for, and when should you skip it?
Skip it if you want a pale, sweet, white-chocolate style pumpkin drink — this one is dark and cocoa-forward. Skip it too if all you have is pumpkin pie filling (already sweetened and spiced, so the sugar and spice amounts here no longer apply), if you want a clear, thin drink, because the purée deliberately adds body, if you need it caffeine-free, or if you will not blend or whisk it before serving: the pumpkin settles and the cup turns grainy.
| A good fit if you… | Choose something else if you… |
|---|---|
| Want a fall drink with real pumpkin and adjustable sugar | Want a white-chocolate pumpkin drink: this one is dark and cocoa-forward |
| Have leftover purée after baking | Want a spicy drink: try Mexican hot chocolate with cocoa powder |
Pumpkin and spice need a cocoa that holds its own. The cocoa Grevista distributes is unsweetened, non-alkalized, single-origin Vietnamese Trinitario cocoa, and the producer’s cocoa won two Bronze medals for drinking chocolate at the Academy of Chocolate Awards 2018. For fall and holiday gifting, the 250 g (8.8 oz) luxury gift box is.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make pumpkin spice hot chocolate ahead?
Yes. Refrigerate it in a covered jar for up to 2 days, then reheat gently and blend or whisk again, since the pumpkin settles.
Can I use canned pumpkin?
Yes. Canned pure pumpkin purée is what this recipe is written for. Freeze leftover purée in tablespoon portions for next time.
Is there caffeine in pumpkin spice hot chocolate?
A little, from the cocoa. USDA values put 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder at about 37 mg of caffeine, shared across two mugs.
Is pumpkin spice hot chocolate the same as a pumpkin spice latte?
No. A pumpkin spice latte is espresso with steamed milk and pumpkin spice syrup. This drink has no coffee; its caffeine comes only from the cocoa.
Can I use white chocolate instead of cocoa?
You can, but it becomes a different, much sweeter drink. This recipe is built around cocoa’s bitterness balancing the pumpkin.
What should you read or do next?
- Hot chocolate recipe with cocoa powder — go here for the base method behind every variation, and for the paste step if yours went lumpy.
- Mexican hot chocolate with cocoa powder — make this if you liked the spice but want heat and froth instead of pumpkin.
- Peppermint hot chocolate from scratch — switch to this once the season turns from fall to the holidays.
- The best cocoa powder for hot chocolate — read this if the pumpkin buried the chocolate flavor.
- All cocoa powder recipes — browse this to use the rest of the tin in baking too.
Want a cocoa strong enough to balance pumpkin and spice? The Grevista 250 g (8.8 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder gift box.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (FDC ID 169593), portion weight and caffeine, checked September 15, 2026.
- Academy of Chocolate. Academy of Chocolate Awards 2018 results, checked September 15, 2026.
- Laura Fuentes. Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate made with Real Pumpkin, purée-first method, checked September 16, 2026.
- Plant Based RD. Vegan Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate, paste-before-milk method, checked September 16, 2026.
Written by the Grevista Editorial Team. Last updated September 15, 2026. How we check facts: Editorial Policy.