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It’s safe to say that Autumn is by far my favourite season. It’s my birthday in autumn, I feel at home with the colours of autumn and I get to layer up, wear comfy clothes and snuggle in blankets when I’m at home. Along with that is the seasonal food of autumn – dinners with gravy, hearty puddings with custard and pumpkin flavours everywhere.
Autumn wouldn’t be autumn for us without hot chocolate. It’s like a big hug in a mug, warm, comforting and sweet. We have it after a morning out in the fresh air, after school or in the evening when we’re all wrapped up on the sofa watching a movie together.
This autumn I’ve teamed up with Studio to start making slow cooker hot chocolate for the whole family to enjoy. It takes just a couple of hours to melt and thicken so we can go for a walk or play some games knowing that it will be ready when we are.
I used to always just use the slow cooker for savoury crock pot recipes but recently we’ve been using it for sweet treats like fudge and now hot chocolate too. It’s also great for making mulled wine over the festive season.
The children love having a special mug for their hot chocolate and they have nice new mugs this year which are the perfect size for their little hands. With a fox and owl design they are great for autumn too although I’m sure they’ll be using them throughout the year. You could also use mason jars for a rustic touch to your drinks.
Their favourite hot chocolate is always topped with loads of whipped cream and marshmallows – the only way it should be served really! This year I’ve made our hot chocolate a little bit more seasonal too with the addition of pumpkin spice syrup, making it have all the flavours of autumn in a mug.
Can’t I just use chocolate powder?
Instead of simply using cocoa powder for this recipe we use real chocolate to give a really rich and indulgent flavour. This delicious hot chocolate is one of our favourite autumn slow cooker recipes and one that we enjoy all the way through to Christmas Eve and beyond.
Pumpkin is one of my favourite flavours at this time of year and it makes me almost wish I drank coffee for a Pumpkin Latte but our hot chocolate is a pretty great alternative. Especially when enjoying a nice big mug of it whilst wearing my favourite rainbow jumper. It really is the simple things in life.
We like to take hot chocolate out with us if we’re going out for the day – something we learnt from Colette on one of our National Trust days out. We fill up a flask, grab a blanket and head off on our adventures, cracking the hot chocolate open as a little pit stop during the day. LP and Little Man love this and have now come to expect hot chocolate whenever we put our wellies and coats on!
If you’re looking for other autumnal recipes to try why not give our homemade pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie tarts, slow cooker pumpkin fudge or pumpkin brownies a try? You can see all our recipes to date here – with lots of dessert recipes and peanut butter and chocolate recipes too!
So here’s our Home Made Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate recipe:
Ingredients
- 750ml whole milk
- 150ml double cream – or you could use sweetened condensed milk if you wanted!
- 150g dark chocolate chips or chunks
- 100g milk chocolate chips or chunks
- 30ml pumpkin spice syrup
To serve:
- marshmallows
- whipped cream – we use a fresh heavy whipping cream and whip it just before serving
Recipe
- Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker pot and cook on low for two hours, stirring after half an hour to make sure the chocolate has melted.
- Remove the lid, stir and cook for another fifteen minutes before serving.
- Top with heavy cream and mini marshmallows and enjoy.
This keeps well if left on the keep warm setting until you’re ready to drink it.
If you’d like to pin or print this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Hot Chocolate recipe for later you can do so below. Happy baking!
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 750 ml whole milk
- 150 ml double cream
- 150 g dark chocolate
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 30 ml pumpkin spice syrup
To serve:
- marshmallows
- whipped cream
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker pot and cook on low for two hours, stirring after half an hour to make sure the chocolate has melted.
- Remove the lid, stir and cook for another fifteen minutes before serving.
- Top with cream and marshmallows and enjoy.
- If you’d like to pin or print this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Hot Chocolate recipe for later you can do so below. Happy baking!
*Note: Nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published.
Fiona Naughton says
Oh how lovely Donna! I must make this for my eldest, he always asks for a ‘hot choccie’ before bed this time of year and this would be lovely. I love those mugs!
Becky Freeman says
This looks amazing Donna! I need to track down some pumpkin spice syrup pronto. Love the flask and mugs, these would be perfect for taking to Freddie’s football and to Sasha’s riding lessons
Sarah says
Oh my gosh, I NEED to try this. I’ve never tried make anything fun like this in my slow cooker, and I do love hot chocolate! I might give the fudge a go too, yum!