Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

And the weekend is over. Don’t they always go by way too fast? Yes, I think so too!

We enjoyed absolutely beautiful weather here in Kansas City this weekend, and it looks like it’ll continue for a little longer into the week. I’m loving it!

But despite how good the sunshine feels, fall is still here and warmer temperatures are not here to stay. What does that call for? A delicious, creamy hot beverage.  Add some pumpkin, and we’re golden!

 

Note: I made this hot chocolate and brought it to an E.T. fall movie night, keeping it warm in a large crockpot. This recipe makes a large batch (using a full gallon of milk) so it’s perfect for a large group, but you can easily cut the recipe in half or thirds, etc for a smaller group!

 

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate                                                                                                               *Yield: A little over a gallon
*Adapted from Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon milk (I used Kalona Super Natural whole milk to make it extra creamy – bonus: their milk is organic, non-homogenized, cream top, and from grass fed cows)
• 4 cups pure pumpkin puree
• 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 16 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chocolate bar, chopped)
• 1 cup brown sugar

Instructions:

• Pour milk into a large stock pot and place on stovetop over low heat, until warm. (Be sure to keep checking it, as you don’t want your milk to burn).
• Stir in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and sugar. Whisk until smooth.
• Add chocolate and let melt for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• To remove excess lumps, place hot chocolate through a blender (alternatively, you can pour the hot chocolate through a fine mesh strainer). I prefer the blender method, as it makes the hot chocolate nice and frothy!

Feel free to keep the mixture refrigerated in the stock pot and reheat as desired or keep the hot chocolate warm at a party by pouring it into a crock pot on low heat!

I was slightly skeptical at first of the actual pumpkin puree in this recipe but found it to be exceptionally delicious!  You could definitely taste it but it was subtle, and even friends who said they typically don’t like pumpkin flavored things really enjoyed it.  Yum!

Homemade dairy-free hot chocolate

Brr! The weather is cold, dreary and rainy in Kansas City today. There was talk of snow flurries but it looks like it’s just going to be rain. Don’t tell anyone, but I kind of like it!

I don’t claim to like the cold but I’m sort of a sucker for the coming festivities and warmth of the holiday seasons. Anywho … today’s weather called for a warm and tasty beverage!

Before I started eating healthy, I was a non stop hot chocolate guzzler in the cold months. I would literally have 4+ cups a day. I’m talking instant hot chocolate from a huge tub. I didn’t realize at the time just how many grams of processed sugar and other ingredients I was consuming, and I didn’t care!

Long story short, I ended up switching to tea when I made the switch to “real” foods and now it’s my favorite hot beverage all year round. But part of me is still nostalgic for this warm chocolate beverage. Thus, I thought it was about time it makes a comeback in a much healthier way!

Homemade Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate
**Makes about 4 cups of hot chocolate

Ingredients:

• 4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder
• 1/4 cup vegan friendly cane sugar (I imagine about any sweetener of choice would really work here)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Place all ingredients into a medium sized saucepan, stir and heat on medium high for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

And there we have it … warm chocolaty comfort in a mug!