Pumpkin Spice Mocha
Happy Halloween!! In honor of it FINALLY being one of my favorite holidays, I’m sharing a somewhat elevated take on the famous PSL – pumpkin spice latte. I’m not going to lie, pumpkin spice is one of my least favorite flavors. I actually think I might have only had one PSL in my life, and I’m pretty sure I threw it out after taking one sip. BUT one combination I do love is pumpkin and chocolate. So, if there’s any way to make pumpkin spice appetizing to me, it’s simply by adding lots and lots of chocolate. Like in this pumpkin spice mocha.
The weather in Fayetteville recently took a complete 180 - going from 80 degrees outside to the low 30s in literally a day - so this past week I’ve been making the most out of the chilly days by drinking an absurd, but necessary, amount of cozy drinks. I knew I had to come up with a festive drink of mine own to officially dive into the fall spirit before the weather made another 180 and hiked back up, like it tends to do here in Arkansas. That’s how this Pumpkin Spice Mocha came to be.
It’s creamy and decadent with the melted chocolate and oat milk (which I HIGHLY suggest using, but in the end, you can use any milk of your choice), and it has the perfect hint of spice and pumpkin seeping through, all thanks to the pink House Alchemy’s Pumpkin Butternut Spice Syrup. pink House Alchemy, or pH, is a local company to NWA, specializing in syrups, shrubs, and bitters. One of their recent creations was the Pumpkin Butternut Spice Syrup that is PERFECT for the fall and winter seasons - and also perfect for this mocha. You can get your own bottle of it here.
Let’s talk about the coffee part of the drink – it obviously couldn’t be a mocha without coffee. I don’t have an espresso machine with me in my sorority house, so I went with the next best option – Death Wish instant coffee. I’ve talked about Death Wish so many times here (still waiting on that sponsorship btw….. just kidding… kind of), but essentially it’s just my all-time favorite, insanely strong coffee brand.
If you know me at all, you know I am very anti-instant coffee. Nonetheless, Death Wish did what they always do and made an instant coffee that seriously tastes freaky close to espresso. And it is insanely strong. I swear they don’t have a product that I am not utterly obsessed with. Using the little individual packets makes this recipe even more dorm/college accessible than it already is, but if you don’t have the instant coffee, you can sub for 2 shots of espresso or 2 ounces of really strong black coffee.
You can make this mocha with milk chocolate, but I think white or dark chocolate works the best with the pumpkin flavors.
Anyway, this drink is the perfect October-November/Halloween drink, and you should make it ASAP. Here’s the recipe…
Pumpkin Spice Mocha
serves 1
- 1 Death Wish instant coffee pack (sub 2 shots of espresso, or 2 oz. of strong coffee)
- 1 oz. dark chocolate OR white chocolate - both are delish
- 1 cup oat milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 tbs. pure pumpkin puree
- 1-2 tbs. pink House Alchemy Pumpkin Butternut Spice Syrup ***
*** If you can’t get your hands on the pink House Alchemy Butternut Spice syrup, sup it for maple syrup and add 1/4 tsp cinnamon, scant 1/8 tsp. nutmeg and 1/8 tsp. ginger – or ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice. The Pumpkin Butternut Spice syrup brings all the pumpkin spice flavors you’ll want on its own.
In a small pot (or microwave – work with what ya got), heat the milk and your coffee of choice. If using the death wish coffee, heat until the grinds have completely dissolved. Bring to a low simmer and whisk over the heat to make the coffee frothy. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons pH syrup, depending on your sweetness liking (or sub the spices and maple syrup), chocolate, and pumpkin puree. Whisk over low heat until the chocolate has melted completely, and give it one more fast whisking to reserve the froth. Strain into a mug. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream - or leave it plain! I topped it with a few of these pumpkin spice marshmallows from Loblolly, pieces of a Markham & Fitz Harvest Party Chocolate Bar, and a white chocolate skull lollipop - all from my favorite local grocery store, Ozark Natural Foods, to really get into the Halloween spirit!
*** If using a microwave, put all ingredients in a mug and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and top with your desired toppings.
