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Pumpkin Apple Punch

Nothing says fall quite like pumpkins and apples so I combined the two, with a little holiday spirit, into my Pumpkin Apple Punch. It’s so delicious I call it The Great Pumpkin!

two glasses of punch

Pumpkin Apple Punch

An adult beverage that ties together the flavors of fall, a choice of spirit depending on your taste buds, and the best Halloween Show of all time, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” 

What else can possibly make it better? Chocolate! And who doesn’t love a fun way to serve it? A homemade caramel chocolate sauce around the rim gives it a spooky look and extra flavor.

Another fun Halloween drink I love to make is my Flying Monkeys and these Pumpkin Pie Shots. So fun and looks like a melted witch. Perfect for your holiday celebration.

close up of caramel sauce on the rim of a wine glass

Ingredients Needed

Pumpkin – Use canned pumpkin puree, not the pumpkin pie mix for best results.

Apple cider – Use your favorite or make it from scratch.

Holiday spirit – I love bourbon in this! Substitute whiskey or a dark rum if you prefer.

Chocolate caramel sauce – Buy some or make it homemade (recipe below) with heavy cream, sugar, butter, and cocoa powder.

For more insider tips & tricks, and a candid behind the scenes look follow me on social media! Check use out on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter (yes, people still use Twitter, LOL!)

Look how chocolatey and creamy this chocolate caramel sauce is.

How to Make Chocolate Caramel Sauce

First: Add sugar and water to a heavy bottomed pot. Cook until sugar dissolves completely. After the sugar has fully dissolved, stop stirring.

Second: Turn up the heat to medium-high and let the sugar continue to cook until it changes color to an golden amber color, while only swirling the pot occasionally.

Third: Once the dissolved sugar mixture reaches a medium copper color, turn off the heat, add the butter and chocolate heavy cream, constantly whisking.

Fourth: Continue whisking until the mixture becomes together and all clumps dissolve. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes.

Fifth: Pour the caramel sauce into a storage container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

The chocolate caramel sauce only takes a few minutes to whisk up and goes great with brownies and ice cream too!

Rim the glasses for your Pumpkin Apple Punch with Chocolate Caramel Sauce

How to Make Pumpkin Apple Punch

First: Pour a few tablespoons of the Chocolate Caramel Sauce onto a small plate.

Second: In a cocktail shaker combine the pumpkin puree, bourbon, and apple cider. Shake or stir to combine.

Third: Dip the rims of your glasses into the chocolate caramel sauce. Add ice to your glasses.

Fourth: Pour the punch into the glasses. Enjoy!

For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

two glasses of halloween punch

How long does it last?

Mix the punch together and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also make the chocolate sauce and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Just keep them in an airtight container. Then pull out when ready to put them together.

Can this be make a large batch?

Sure can. Just multiply everything by 5 for 10 servings and save the chocolate caramel sauce on the side.

Halloween Treat

To make your Halloween or Fall party even more festive, serve it along with this pumpkin cheese ball, this fluffy pumpkin dip, and these easy apple nachos. Or make a caramel apple bar!

A simple mixture of pumpkin puree, apple cider, and bourbon is all you need for my Pumpkin Apple Punch.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

pumpkin apple cocktail with chocolate sauce on the rim

I know my Pumpkin Apple Punch recipe will be your new fall cocktail and you will fall head over heels for the chocolate caramel sauce too. You can even call it the “The Great Pumpkin” like I do as you are waiting in the pumpkin patch for the big arrival. Just be sure to hide some Halloween candy for later after all the kids are in bed!

apple cider pumpkin drink

Pumpkin Apple Punch – The Great Pumpkin Cocktail

Nothing says fall quite like pumpkins and apples. I combined the two, with a little holiday spirit, to make a Pumpkin Apple Punch that I call The Great Pumpkin.
4.58 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Drinks and Cocktails
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 cocktails
Calories: 1g
Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

Chocolate Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons butter unsalted, cubed

Pumpkin Apple Punch

  • 2 tablespoons Chocolate Caramel Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
  • 8 ounces Apple cider
  • 3 ounces bourbon or white rum

Instructions

Make the chocolate caramel sauce

  • Add the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed pot.*
  • In a separate container mix the cocoa powder in the heavy cream and whisk to combine.
  • Set the butter and the chocolate heavy cream close to where you will be working on the stove, along with a whisk.
  • Cook the sugar and water over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves completely.*
  • After the sugar has fully dissolved, stop stirring.
  • Turn up the heat to medium-high and let the sugar continue to cook until it changes color to an amber color, while only swirling the pot occasionally.*
  • Once the dissolved sugar mixture reaches a medium copper color, turn off the heat, add the butter and chocolate heavy cream, constantly whisking.* 
  • Continue whisking until the mixture becomes homogeneous and all clumps dissolve.
  • Whisk continually until all the ingredients are mixed in and all the clumps are smoothed out.
  • Let the sauce cool for a few minutes.
  • Pour the caramel sauce into a storage container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To make the Pumpkin Apple Punch

  • Pour a few tablespoons of the Chocolate Caramel Sauce onto a small plate.
  • In a cocktail shaker combine the pumpkin puree, bourbon, and apple cider.
  • Shake or stir to combine.
  • Dip the rims of your glasses into the chocolate caramel sauce.
  • Add ice to your glasses.
  • Pour the Pumpkin Apple Punch into the glasses.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • I made the chocolate caramel sauce the day before so it would have time to cool and thicken. If you don’t have time to make it you can use store-bought caramel sauce and add a touch of chocolate syrup before rimming the glasses.
  • If sugar crystals form up the sides of the pot, use a pastry brush wet with water to brush the crystals away.
  • Do not walk away from the sugar mixture as the color changes very quickly and you can burn it!
  • I remove my pan from the burner while adding the butter and cream and started whisking. Then will occasionally put it back on the warm burner to help it blend better.
  • The chocolate caramel sauce will drip down the side of your glass. I think it looks cool but it can get sticky. Drizzle it down the insides of the glasses before adding the ice if you prefer. I am not a fan of this as much because I can’t really taste it until I reach the bottom of the glass.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3520IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

I adapted the recipe for the Chocolate Caramel Sauce from GoodieGodmother.com.

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