Looking for a Fall and Winter dessert cocktail? This recipe for Pumpkin Pie on the Rocks delivers! Not too sweet, plus creamy, spiced, and a bit warming, even over ice.

As you could maybe tell from the title, I’ve finally come up with a sequel/sister beverage to my Apple Pie on the Rocks recipe! And, as most sibling relationships go, the Pumpkin Pie version has some big shoes to fill. APOTR is the most popular recipe on my site BY FAR. Pretty wild, huh?

And while both could be considering dessert cocktails, this one is a bit richer; almost as rich as egg nog but not quite. I was inspired by an admittedly fancier cocktail in the same vein that I had at Downtown Cocktail Room a year or so ago. (Actually, it looks like they’ve added it back to the menu for the season! “Oh My Gourd” is the drink)

I went a sliiiightly different way with the booze choices to add more oomph to the spice-factor, with some spiced dark rum. Not only that, I give you a recipe for a pumpkin drink base, which if you don’t drink alcohol, is great in coffee, hot cocoa, or whatever you want!

Ingredient Tips + Suggestions

• Pumpkin puree – butternut squash or even sweet potato puree could work here if you can’t find pumpkin anywhere!
• Light brown sugar – I prefer this to dark brown because the flavor is not as strong. Turbinado sugar will also work similarly.
• Pumpkin pie spice – while you can find this spice blend in pretty much any store, it’s also easy to make it at home in case you run out. This recipe for pumpkin pie spice from Betty Crocker gives you the ratio.
• Salt – the amount listed may seem a bit high, but I LOVE the “buttery” effect it has on the drink.
• Unsweetened non-dairy milk – now, you can tailor this to your preferences. Use light coconut milk for a more nog-y drink, or some regular ND milk for a lighter version. You could also use unsweetened vanilla milk if you want to add more vanilla flavor.
• Vodka – both vanilla vodka and unflavored vodka work great here, so no worries if you don’t have vanilla! If you need this drink to be gluten-free, make sure that your vodka has been made with potatoes.
• Dark spiced rum – this really brings a great flavor and aroma to the drink. If you don’t have dark and have a lighter spiced rum like Sailor Jerry’s that will also work – it will be a lil’ different.
• Agave nectar – since this is just to adhere the crackers to the rim maple syrup will also work.
• Graham cracker crumbs – I made my own with gluten-free graham cracker crumbs with a food processor – super easy!

Honestly, given the circumstances around Thanksgiving this year, I feel like it’ll be easier to enjoy a beverage like this for dessert instead of making a bunch of dessert that you’ll have left over! Other cocktails I recommend are my Iced Cinnamon Whiskey Chai and Mocha Mezcal Dessert Cocktail.

Last couple of things, make sure to check if your booze is vegan! Barnivore is my go-to tool for this. Also, I LOVE these glasses, but I got them at a thrift store and can’t find them online so I have no idea where you should get them if you also like them. Sorry!