Cozy up with homemade Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate made with just a handful of simple ingredients! Combine milk, pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin pie spice, and white chocolate chips, then simmer until perfectly blended. Serve topped with whipped cream for a festive, comforting treat!
Ingredients
15 oz can pumpkin puree
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips
Whipped cream and cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
In a stockpot, whisk together pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, regular milk, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
Heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to simmer, stirring frequently. Be careful not to let it boil.
Add the white chocolate chips and stir until fully melted and incorporated.
Serve hot in mugs, garnished with whipped cream, a cinnamon stick, and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
Enjoy this warm and festive treat!
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Everyone needs a reliable cream cheese frosting recipe for all kinds of cakes and desserts, from red velvet cake and carrot cake to pumpkin spice bread, macarons, cupcakes, cookies, and more! Today, I’m sharing my favorite version—it’s smooth, firm, and perfectly balanced in sweetness. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make!
Equipment
Stand mixer with paddle attachment or a bowl and hand mixer
Rubber spatula
Ingredients
113 g (1 US stick) unsalted butter (softened) – or 2 sticks for stiffer buttercream
250 g (2 cups) powdered sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt – add one more pinch for stiffer buttercream
226 g (1 8-oz block) cream cheese
½ – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional; not included this time)
Instructions
Whip room-temperature butter, salt, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment until fluffy. Start at low speed to avoid powdered sugar scattering, then gradually increase to medium-high speed. Whip for about 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to clean the bottom and sides of the bowl and paddle for even mixing.
Add cold cream cheese (let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes to soften slightly) and whip at high speed until incorporated. For fluffier frosting, whip at medium speed for a few more minutes. The frosting thickens the more you whip. For a glossier, softer frosting, stop whipping sooner. Clean the bowl and paddle on the way.
To make it stiffer: Add one more stick of butter and a pinch of salt. Keep the other ingredient amounts the same. After adding the cream cheese, whip for about a minute at medium speed to avoid over-whipping. With more butter, too much whipping will make the frosting too airy.
Tips for Success
Use room-temperature butter to blend well and avoid a runny frosting. Cold butter doesn’t mix smoothly with the other ingredients.
Add all the powdered sugar at once with the butter. When making multiple batches, pulse the stand mixer on and off at low speed to prevent the sugar from scattering.
Cold cream cheese makes stiffer frosting, while room-temperature cream cheese results in a softer frosting. Whip at medium-high speed to ensure a smooth texture.
Be careful not to whip too long after adding the cream cheese, as it can become too airy.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, use an electric hand mixer instead.
Yield One batch of this recipe is enough for about 12 cupcakes or a 6-inch cake. Double or adjust the recipe as needed!
