Spiced Pumpkin Punch Recipe | Turn your Pumpkin into a Pumpkin Punch Bowl
Every Halloween the shops are filled with pumpkins of all different shapes and sizes, this alcoholic punch recipe is a great way to put those pumpkins to good use.
An easy and delicious way to use them leftover pumpkins is to make a spicy pumpkin punch. Let’s face it, we are spending a lot of time indoors recently. Meaning we have plenty of time to spare whipping up new and exciting cocktail recipes.
Sustainability and zero-waste
Mindful drinking is something that is at the forefront of home-bartenders and professional bartenders alike. The beauty of my pumpkin punch recipe is that it's zero waste so it fits the brief perfectly.
Sustainable cocktail making is more than just a trend; it's a conscious approach that reflects our commitment to the environment. From farm-to-glass sourcing to eco-friendly practices, sustainable cocktail making prioritizes the use of locally grown, organic ingredients, reducing carbon footprint and supporting local farmers. By reducing waste through creative garnishing techniques and repurposing leftover ingredients, bartenders strive to minimize environmental impact.
If that’s not enough to get you on board, think about it like this - every year pumpkins drop significantly in price the closer we get to Halloween and the more stores try to shift the stock. So utilising them as a main ingredient in your cooking and drink making, means you save money.
With this recipe we will utilize the entire pumpkin. From the guts which we will puree and drink, to the seeds which we will use to create a toasted pumpkin seed brittle to use for garnishing our drink and of course, eating.
All the way to the actual hollowed out pumpkin which we will use as a vessel for our pumpkin punch.
Side note: To learn more about sustainability and mindful drinking. Check out my full mindful drinking guide found here.
Waste free Halloween spiced pumpkin punch recipe
Below is a video on how you can make this pumpkin punch. If you need more information, or prefer to follow along with a detailed recipe then keep scrolling. I have explained everything in a step by step guide.
Pumpkin Punch Preparation
So, with all that being said, there are three parts of this pumpkin punch recipe we need to tackle; Firstly is the pumpkin seed brittle, secondly is the spiced pumpkin puree and lastly we need to make our punch! So let’s jump right in…
Toasted Pumpkin Seed Brittle Recipe
The first thing we will tackle is the garnish for this punch. Which is our toasted pumpkin seed brittle. It will need to cool completely before we use it so making this first is a no-brainer. To make this recipe as easy as possible I’ve broken it down into 6 steps for you to follow.
It’s good to note that the brittle will be our garnish. So if you don’t care for garnishing your pumpkin punch then skip these steps and jump to the pumpkin puree recipe.
Step One
Cut the lid of your pumpkin and scoop out the inside. After you have scooped your pumpkin guts out it’s time to painstakingly separate the pumpkin guts and seeds.
Step Two
Wash your pumpkin seeds. The easiest way to do this is to stick them in a strainer or sieve and run them under cold water. Next, you want to dump them into a frying pan on a medium heat and toast your pumpkin seeds for approximately 5 minutes.
The smell will tell you when you’re done. If you’re smelling nothing, they haven’t toasted enough, if you smell burning, you’ve overdone it.
Step Three
In a medium sized saucepan, add 100grams of unsalted butter, 50ml of Honey and 100Grams of white sugar. Turn the heat up to a medium/high. Don’t stir! Just let it sit and do its thing. The temptation to stir will be high, believe me. But just let it be.
Top tip: Add a tsp of cinnamon for a seasonal kick. Or, if you can get your hands on some cinnamon honey like I did, use that instead. Absolutely delicious.
Step Four
After around 6 minutes, your sugar should be completely dissolved, mixture bubbling and turned from a pale yellow colour to a medium amber colour. This means it's time to chuck in your toasted Pumpkin seeds.
If you have a candy thermometer this process is a lot easier. You want to make sure its around 250/280° F
Step Five
Now you have added your pumpkin seeds you can finally stir. Stir your pumpkin seeds through the mix and allow it to boil for another 3 minutes.
Once again, if you have a candy thermometer you want it to be around 270 - 300° F
It's important that your mix gets hot enough. If it doesn't, your brittle won't harden once cooled. It’ll just stay fluid. However, too hot and your mix will overly caramelize and burn. So keep a keen eye on the mix.
Step Six
Lay out a piece of parchment paper and pour your mixture onto it. Be careful not to touch it! It’ll be super hot. If you manage to get the temperature hot enough, then once it cools it’ll be rock solid. You will be able to smash it into smaller pieces.
Spiced Pumpkin Puree Recipe
Now your toasted pumpkin seed brittle is cooling, it's time to move onto the spiced pumpkin puree. Once again, I’ve broken this down into 2 easy steps for you to follow.
Step one
Roast your pumpkin guts in an oven at 200°/180 fan for 15 minutes.
Step Two
Add 500 grams of your roasted pumpkin guts to a blender and add in 1 tbsp of cinnamon, half 1tbsp of nutmeg, half a tbsp of ginger and 100 grams of white sugar.
Blend the mix whilst adding small splashes of water to loosen the puree. Do this till you have a smooth puree that can be poured.
Pumpkin Punch Bowl
Did I mention that we’re also going to use the pumpkin itself to serve this pumpkin punch? That’s right, we’re going fully sustainable and turning our pumpkin into a pumpkin punch bowl. It’s easy to do, just scoop out the pumpkin guts and you’re good to go. However, there are some tips to keep in mind for the perfect pumpkin punch bowl;
Make sure your pumpkin is wide enough to hold a good amount of liquid.
Don’t over scrape the inside walls of the pumpkin, or your pumpkin punch bowl will be too delicate.
Make sure your pumpkin has a flat bottom so it stands up properly. If it doesn’t, cut a thin layer from the bottom to help your pumpkin punch bowl stand up right.
The Pumpkin Punch Recipe
Now onto the fun bit. The Halloween, autumnal, spooky pumpkin punch recipe. The bit you have been waiting and preparing for.
Spiced Pumpkin Punch
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix all of the above ingredients straight into your hollowed out pumpkin. Stir well.
- Ladle into a rocks glass with ice (One large ice cube for slow dilution if you have any)
- Garnish with your toasted pumpkin seed brittle
Notes
With this punch, you can really get creative. Any base spirit will work great so just pick your favourite, I'd recommend mixing a small batch first to taste and adjust as you like.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
510.24Fat
0.66 gSat. Fat
0.27 gCarbs
30.12 gFiber
5.42 gNet carbs
24.7 gSugar
16.64 gProtein
2.21 gSodium
15.53 mgCholesterol
0 mgThe nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
So there you have it. That is my sustainable, waste free Halloween pumpkin punch recipe. If you have made any variation or have any sustainable seasonal drink recipes of your own. I would love to hear about them. Feel free to leave a comment here, email me or shoot me a DM over on my Instagram @the_cocktailcoach with your seasonal and sustainable recipes.