This pumpkin juice is the ultimate Halloween treat. It's spooky, sweet, and easy to make, with warm spices, real pumpkin, and no added sugar at all. And it's vegan friendly too!
This recipe comes from The Ghoulish Gourmet: A Bewitching Collection of Vegan Halloween Recipes by Kathy Hester © 2016. Reprinted with permission.
There's more to pumpkin juice than just breaking into a haunted pumpkin patch, fending off the zombies, and juicing a pumpkin. This Harry Potter-inspired version simmers spices, fresh ginger and vanilla bean with apple juice to infuse it. Then it's blended with soaked dried apricots, pumpkin purée and a little nutmeg. It's sweetened only with dried apricots!
The result is a thick, golden, lightly spiced drink that tastes like a cross between apple cider and pumpkin pie. It's a fun, kid-friendly centerpiece for a Halloween party or a Harry Potter movie night, and it's naturally gluten-free and free of refined sugar.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Dried apricots. These are the only sweetener in the recipe, and they also give the juice its body and bright orange color. Look for soft, plump dried apricots. Unsulfured apricots are darker and a little more caramel-like, which works well here. Pitted dates or dried peaches can stand in, though dates will make the juice browner.
- Apple juice. Unsweetened apple juice or fresh apple cider both work. Cider gives a slightly deeper, tangier flavor. White grape juice is a milder substitute.
- Whole spices. A cinnamon stick and whole allspice berries infuse the juice without making it gritty, since they're strained out later. If you only have ground spices, use about ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground allspice, and add them to the blender instead of the saucepan.
- Fresh ginger. Thin slices of ginger add gentle warmth. Use a little more if you like a spicy kick, or leave it out for very young kids.
- Vanilla bean. Half a split vanilla bean gives the juice a rounded, bakery-like aroma. Half a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract is an easy swap; stir it in with the pumpkin.
- Pumpkin purée. Use plain canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. Homemade roasted pumpkin or butternut squash purée works too.
- Ground nutmeg. Just a pinch goes into the blender, with a little more sprinkled on top before serving.
Helpful Tips
Plan ahead for soaking. The apricots need at least 4 hours in the water, so start them in the morning or the night before. Soaking softens them enough to blend completely smooth, and the soaking water carries a lot of their sweetness, so it goes into the blender too.
Keep the simmer gentle. Bring the apple juice just to the edge of a boil, then turn it down to low. A hard boil can make the juice taste cooked and a little bitter, while a gentle 10-minute simmer pulls the flavor out of the spices and ginger.
Let the juice cool before blending. Hot liquid expands in a sealed blender and can push the lid off. Let the spiced juice cool for 10 to 15 minutes, and if it's still warm, vent the lid and cover it with a folded towel while you blend.
Use a fine-mesh strainer for the final pour. A fine-mesh strainer gives you a thick, smooth juice that still has some body. Stir the pulp gently with a spoon to help it along, but don't press too hard or the juice turns cloudy and grainy. For an even silkier juice, line the strainer with cheesecloth or use a nut milk bag.
Taste and adjust at the end. Pumpkin and apricots vary in sweetness. If your juice tastes flat, a squeeze of lemon brightens it; if it's not sweet enough, blend in one or two more soaked apricots or a teaspoon of maple syrup.
Variations
- Sparkling pumpkin juice. Fill glasses halfway with the juice and top with chilled sparkling water or ginger ale for a fizzy party punch.
- Warm pumpkin cider. Heat the finished juice gently in a saucepan and serve it in mugs on a chilly night, garnished with a cinnamon stick.
- Pumpkin smoothie. Skip the straining step and blend the juice with a frozen banana and a splash of plant milk for a thick breakfast smoothie.
- Extra-spiced. Add 2 or 3 whole cloves and a star anise pod to the simmering apple juice for a more mulled flavor.
- Citrus twist. Replace half a cup of the apple juice with fresh orange juice for a brighter, tangier drink.
Serving Ideas
Serve the pumpkin juice chilled or over ice in small glass bottles or mason jars with striped paper straws. A few Halloween stickers or a paper label turns it into a party favor that kids love. For a Harry Potter night, pour it into goblets and set out a pitcher so everyone can refill their own.
It pairs nicely with other fall treats. Set it out alongside vegan Halloween cupcakes and a bowl of candied pumpkin seeds, or serve small glasses with vegan pumpkin mousse for dessert. If you want a warm drink on the table too, a homemade vegan pumpkin spice latte for the grown-ups or a pot of vegan Mexican hot cocoa rounds out the spread.
Storing & Freezing
Store the pumpkin juice in a covered pitcher or sealed bottles in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It will separate as it sits, which is completely normal; just shake or stir it well before serving. You can make it a day ahead of a party, which also gives the flavors time to settle.
The juice freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze it in freezer-safe jars with at least an inch of headspace, or in ice cube trays for smoothies. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and shake well, since the texture can be a little thinner after freezing. Frozen cubes of pumpkin juice are also handy for chilling glasses of fresh juice without watering it down.
More Halloween and Pumpkin Recipes
If you loved this pumpkin juice, here are a few more Halloween and pumpkin recipes you might enjoy:
- Vegan Halloween Treats That Are So Good, It's Scary
- Best Vegan Halloween Candy Brands
- Tasty Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Recipe
Pumpkin Juice
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 10 dried apricots
- 1½ cups water
- 2 cups apple juice unsweetened, or apple cider
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 7 whole allspice berries
- 2 (2-inch) pieces fresh ginger thinly sliced
- ½ vanilla bean split (or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
- Place the dried apricots in a bowl, cover with the water, and soak in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Add the apple juice, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, ginger slices and split vanilla bean to a saucepan. Bring almost to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the apricots and their soaking water to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Add the pumpkin purée and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg and blend again. (If using vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, add it now.)
- Pour the spiced apple juice through a strainer into the blender, discarding the cinnamon stick, allspice, ginger and vanilla bean. Blend until smooth.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher and pour in the blended mixture. Stir gently with a spoon so the thick juice drips through into the pitcher, and discard the pulp left in the strainer.
- Serve chilled or over ice, sprinkled with a little more ground nutmeg.
Nicole @ VegKitchen says
Made this with my son - so easy and tastes good too.