Toasted Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

It's that time of year again where I start getting excited for the crunch of the falling leaves and the crisp air and all things cozy and involving cinnamon. This recipe for Toasted Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate is quick and easy to make, requires no fancy ingredients or equipment, and is much more affordable than going to the coffee shop. Be your own barista and make a batch for your family this Fall, it's a big hit with the little ladies in my house. Also, it's delicious mixed into a cup of coffee for a luxurious seasonal treat.

Simple ingredients.

Because the majority of the ingredients are pantry staples, it's likely you might have everything on hand to mix up a batch of this Toasted Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate at a moment's notice.

• Pumpkin puree- canned is perfectly fine, but of course if you've got homemade available, go for it! This is a great way to use up leftover pumpkin puree. As written, the recipe makes enough to serve 4, but you could easily halve or quarter it based on how much pumpkin you're trying to use up. Toasting the pumpkin is my favorite way to enhance the flavor of canned pumpkin and add a layer of flavor that really makes a difference. It's so simple to do in a saucepan and I love using this trick in all kinds of pumpkin recipes.
• Spices- Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg give the pumpkin that really cozy, pumpkin spice flavor, and the flavor is even better because the spices are toasted with the pumpkin puree. Don't forget to add a pinch or two of salt! It makes all the difference to balancing out the flavor and sweetness.
• White chocolate- I recommend chopping a white chocolate bar instead of using white chocolate chips for this recipe because the chips have added stabilizing ingredients intended to help them maintain their shape during baking, a totally unnecessary trait for this drink recipe. A white chocolate bar melts better and tastes better for this application, in my opinion. I typically use Ghirardelli or Lindt, but use whatever brand you have available to you.
• Milk- For a decadent coffee-shop style white hot chocolate, I recommend whole milk or 2%, but I also love using oat milk in my hot drinks at home, it's just not as rich, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
• Vanilla- Use a good quality pure vanilla extract if you can, otherwise you can omit the vanilla. I find the flavor of imitation vanilla in drinks to be offputting, so I don't recommend using it here. This recipe is great without the vanilla too!

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