pumpkin spice hot cocoa (#choctoberfest 2017)

October 16, 2017

This post is sponsored by Rodelle. All opinions are my own! xo

Before I get carried away and forget to say what I need to say, I want to quickly introduce y’all to my new fav food blog event of the year… #Choctoberfest! Whoop whoop! It’s officially the third celebration of all things chocolate, and I couldn’t be more excited to join the Choctoberfest gang for the very first time this year.

It’s crazy that over 70 bloggers are participating and will be posting 200+ chocolate recipes over the next week. If you want more of them, make sure to check out the other blogs below (there’s a lot, but they’re all amazing and lurking their blogs is definitely worth it ;)). You can also explore the #Choctoberfest hashtag on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and check out the #Choctoberfest Pinterest board, where we post chocolate recipes all year long.

None of this would have been made possible with our gold and silver sponsors: Imperial Sugar and Barlean’s. We appreciate them so much for making Choctoberfest possible!

Oh yeah, and did I mention there is a massive giveaway at the end? Yeah, there’s a massive giveaway at the end.

Recipe video: check back soon :)

Ok. Here we go.

One of the things I love most about fall is the general feeling of… warmth. You know? The cooler weather calls for necessities like fuzzy socks, thick sweaters, and bundling up by the fire. And this year, you know what I’ll be doing? Making a whole lot of this bomb cashew pumpkin hot cocoa.

I was completely inspired by Lindsay’s cashew coffee she posted a while back, and the consistency the cashews gave the drink! It was honestly kind of a miracle, so naturally I had to hot-cocoa-ify it. However, instead of blending the cashews in with the cocoa, I blended the cashews into a “cream,” that I then blended in with the cocoa to create a creamy, foamy drink. That way, you can control how pumpkin-y/foam-y your drink is!

The cashews give the cocoa a whole faux whipped cream feel, but way creamier and almost latte-esque. And obviously, that cream has pumpkin and pumpkin spice in it, because I’m addicted to pumpkin… enough said.

 

I was so so excited when Rodelle sent me their gourmet, Dutch-processed cocoa. Ohmygoodness it is so rich! I wouldn’t be raving about them if I didn’t truly love everything this cocoa has to offer, because let me tell you… this stuff is legit. 11/10 recommend!

Here’s the massive giveaway I was talking about at the beginning of the post. Thank to our amazing sponsors who are contributing the following items!

This prize pack is valued at over $450! To enter, simply follow participating sponsors and bloggers using the below giveaway widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stay tuned to see the delicious chocolate-themed recipes my fellow bloggers are posting! Thank you also to our to Davis Chocolate, and Rodelle for being shoutout sponsors!

Here is a complete list of all the bloggers participating in #Choctoberfest 2017, so you can keep up with the various recipes they’re posting throughout the week:

The PinterTest KitchenFix Me a Little LunchSavory MomentsCrumbs in my MustachioHouse of Nash EatsBake It With LoveThat RecipeHardly A GoddessCooking With CarleeA Kitchen Hoor’s AdventuresBody RebootedCindy’s Recipes and WritingsThe Redhead BakerFaith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered AccompliceSweet CoraliceSeduction in The KitchenCooks&Books&RecipesEveryday Eileen

Under My Apple TreeFamily Around The TableBottom Left of the MittenThe Spiffy CookieFairyburgerJoin Us, Pull up a ChairJonesin’ For TasteJane’s Adventures in DinnerTake Two TapasJennifer BakesThe Unlikely BakerHostess At HeartKaren’s Kitchen StoriesKate’s Recipe BoxKelly Lynns Sweets and TreatsWildflour’s Cottage KitchenChocolate SlopesLittle House Big Alaska

Makes, Bakes and Decor2 Cookin MamasThat Skinny Chick Can BakeBooks n’ CooksMildly MeanderingLiving IdeasRestless ChipotleGet the Good Stuff!The Weekday GourmetAn Affair from the HeartWest Via MidwestCookie Dough and Oven MittThe Bitter Side of SweetCookaholic WifeDaily Dish RecipesFor the Love of FoodThe Saucy SouthernerCook’s Hideout

By the PoundsTramplingrose: Cooking, Baking & Ranting in Small-Town South DakotaSarah Cooks the BooksChef Sarah ElizabethFantastical Sharing of RecipesSarah’s Bake StudioThe Pajama ChefFrankly EntertainingLong Distance BakingPalatable PastimeThe Freshman CookThe Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine ♥ A Day in the Life on the FarmWendy PolisiTampa Cake GirlCanning and Cooking at HomeFull Belly SistersSuperSizeGuy.comOur Good Life

Oof… that was a lot, but they’re all my faves and ALL worth checking out :)

You can check out all of today’s #choctoberfest recipes down here:



Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: about 2-3 servings
Ingredients
Cashew "Cream"
  • 1 cup cashews, unsalted
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin puree (more or less, depending on how much you like pumpkin)
  • ½ tsp pumpkin spice
Cocoa
  • 3 cups milk (I used non-dairy)
  • 2-3 tbsp cocoa
  • 2 tbsp honey (agave or regular sugar works fine)
  • ⅓ cup cashew cream
Instructions
  1. In a high-speed blender, add cashews, water, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice. Blend for about 30 seconds, or until completely smooth.
  2. Meanwhile, heat milk over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once the milk has just reached a low simmer, add cocoa and honey. Whisk until there are no lumps of cocoa left and the mixture is completely uniform.
  3. Pour the cocoa into the same blender, along with the ⅓ cup of cashew cream. Blend for a few seconds until the cashew mixture "separates" to the top (that's a good thing!). Serve in a mug and enjoy!

Thank you to Rodelle for sponsoring this post!xx, Ashley

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11 Comments

  • Reply P~ October 16, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    Sounds incredible, Ashley! Great first #Chocotoberfest post! P~

  • Reply Wendy Klik October 16, 2017 at 7:12 pm

    Way to add some protein there with the cashews….yum

    • Reply Ashley Z October 16, 2017 at 8:42 pm

      Cashews are the best!

  • Reply Liz October 16, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    What a dreamy, creamy hot chocolate! It was chilly this morning and this would have hit the spot!!

  • Reply Cori @ Sweet Coralice October 16, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    Ooh I like the idea of cashews in this! I’ll be making this for sure soon 💕

    • Reply Ashley Z October 17, 2017 at 9:29 pm

      That’s great to hear, Cori!

  • Reply Karen October 17, 2017 at 1:28 am

    What a great recipe for leftover pumpkin puree, and I love the cashews in there!

    • Reply Ashley Z October 17, 2017 at 9:29 pm

      I’m glad you liked it, Karen!

  • Reply Farrah October 22, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    I’m definitely loving the sound of this! *-* I love that you put in cashews + pumpkin!!

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