I think we all appreciate the wonder that is homemade hot chocolate. If you’ve never made it before, please do! I 100% appreciate the ease of a premixed, packaged hot chocolate, but a scratch version is a real treat. Because we’re in that season, I couldn’t resist making pumpkin spice hot chocolate and it really isn’t all that different from my usual hot chocolate recipe.

I start with milk and I prefer to do a combination of whole and 2% milk. To the milk, I’ll whisk in pumpkin purée, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Brown sugar instead of granulated white sugar is a great way to bring a little molasses-sweet spice that’s smooth compared to plain sugar. I also like to add semi-sweet chocolate chips into the mixture. I like the slightly bitter element of the semi-sweet chocolate as it melts into the hot chocolate. A pinch of salt is the final ingredient to complete my flavor profile and now, I’m ready to serve, well, almost! There’s just one more must-have with my cup of hot chocolate.

What would a cup of hot chocolate be without a generous swirl of whipped cream? I’ve always got a can of whipped cream in the refrigerator – you know, for emergencies. A generous swirl of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon is the last step before I get to curl up with a warm cup of pumpkin-spiced hot chocolate. If I’ve got extra chocolate chips – and I usually do – I’ll sprinkle a few of those on top, too.

Ahhh, nothing says warm and cozy quite like a cup of steaming hot chocolate topped with cool sweet whipped cream. A damp, cold fall day practically demands a cup of warm hot chocolate. And, in the spirit of the season, I just had to have a cup of my hot chocolate with a dash of pumpkin. If you love all things pumpkin, then you’ll likely fall in love with this pumpkin spice hot chocolate.