This Pumpkin Pie Moonshine is one of my favorite fall cocktails!
Two of the most popular recipes on my site are my Apple Pie Moonshine and my Peach Moonshine. It’s no wonder, they are both incredible cocktails. I can’t even count how many times I’ve given away bottles of the stuff. As soon as people try these, they are hooked!
Recently, my mom made a batch of this Pumpkin Pie Moonshine. The flavors are warm and comforting and perfect for the cool days of fall.
This moonshine goes down really easy so you have to enjoy this drink slowly. It’s strong and extremely potent.
It’s made with 190 proof grain alcohol and vodka. Drink it slowly because it will sneak up on you.
This Pumpkin Pie Moonshine is very easy to make. Here’s the equipment I used to make it:
Just be sure to factor in that you need to let it sit for about a month before you drink it. If you try it too early, it’s like drinking rocket fuel (not that I’ve ever had rocket fuel, but you get what I mean).
The ‘shine needs time to mellow and come into its own. It’s definitely worth the wait.
I have quite the collection of flavored moonshine recipes. You can get them all in my eBook, How to Make Flavored Moonshine. You’ll get 16 moonshine recipes with step-by-step instructions and photos and 34 cocktail recipes you can make with the flavored moonshines. You can find out more about my ebook here.
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If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it in the comment section below.
Pumpkin Pie Moonshine
Ingredients
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 1 29 oz can pumpkin puree
- 2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar - packed
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups 190 proof grain alcohol
- 2 cups whipped cream vodka
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the grain alcohol and vodka.
- Simmer until all ingredients combine, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Add grain alcohol and vodka to cooled mixture.
- Line a funnel with several layers of cheese cloth.
- Ladle moonshine through the funnel into clean mason jars, leaving a 1/2 inch head. You want to filter out any remaining solids. (Cheese cloth may need to be changed after 1-2 jars)
- Place lids on jars and allow to sit in refrigerator for 1 month before enjoying.
- Please enjoy responsibly.
Nutrition
- Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust!
- When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
- I always use a meat thermometor to test for doneness when cooking meat. This one is my favorite.
- When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
- The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate. Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.
Greg says
Mine turned out with lots of sediment in the bottom and seems very thick. The cheese cloth just seems to get clogged every time I try to filter it in a Mason jar. Any thoughts?
Christina Hitchcock says
Unfortunately, that’s the best way I’ve found to strain it. I just change my cheese cloth after every few ladles full. It is a very thick mixture.
Kyle says
Can I just use 4 teaspoons of mccormick’s pumpkin pie spice instead of doing the cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger and all separately? Just curious. Thanks!!
Christina Hitchcock says
Sure. That would taste good too.
Jonesacca says
I’m sorry to say that, although very potent, we found this to be just way too sweet. Admittedly, we only had 8 days to let it sit before we started trying to strain it, but I don’t see how sitting longer would affect the sweetness of this. It was as also very hard to strain. I don’t think I’ll be using this recipe again, but people did like it.
Christina Hitchcock says
Thanks for the feedback. You can very easily cut back the sugar in the recipe to suit your personal tastes.
Randy says
The recipe says 2 cups of each liquor but the paragraph says a full bottle of each. Which one is it? I used 1 gallon of cider
Christina Hitchcock says
2 cups. The blog post was a typo. The recipe is correct.
Todd says
Is this better served warm or straight frome the fridge? My month is up on Christmas Eve…
Christina Hitchcock says
I like it cold but some of my family like it warmed…it’s all personal preference 🙂 Enjoy!
Beverly says
How long after the month will I be able to keep this?
Christina Hitchcock says
It last quite a long time. It has a very high alcohol content which helps preserve it.
Lina says
Wondering about the apple cider. What I find are jugs that have an expiration date. The expiration date is only about 20 days. How do use use this when is has to set for at least a month?
Christina Hitchcock says
That is fine to use. The alcohol content in the Everclear is very strong and it will help preserve the cider portion.
Aislinn says
Hi. The expiration date on apple cider is because it will begin to ferment due to natural yeast on the apples when it was made. Since alcohol kills off yeast the Everclear will stop that fermentation process and you will be able to keep the finished cordial for however long it takes you to drink it. 🙂
Christina Hitchcock says
Thank you for your insight! 🙂 It was very helpful!
Karen says
Where do u find the grain alcohol and vodka whipped cream?
Christina Hitchcock says
I was able to find it at a military PX. I know some states don’t carry it (PA is one of them). There is a variety of Everclear available at my local liquor store that is not as strong. That will also work in this recipe. You could also substitute vodka for the grain alcohol. I believe Pinnacle makes the Whipped Cream Vodka.
Karen says
PA does carry Everclear, I just bought a huge bottle of it and made lemon drop, strawberry, and peach cobbler moonshine just today. 6-24-17. I will be making this moonshine come fall, the recipe looks awesome!
Christina Hitchcock says
They do, but it’s not as strong as the 191 proof that I use. You have to go out of state for that one 🙂
Karen says
Yup, just picked up some 190 proof Everclear in South Carolina, in PA we can only get the 151 proof, which works just fine. Will be making this recipe with the 190 proof, cant wait to try this.
Chris says
I have made several variations of pie in the past. I have never stored mine in the fridge due to separation in the past. Are you recommending it the fridge simply due to the pumpkin? How do you think think it would hold up on a shelf in a cool room?
Christina Hitchcock says
Yes, I keep it in the fridge because of the pumpkin. I have never tried to keep it in a cool cellar. If you do, please let me know how you make out 🙂
Danielle says
Is the 29oz of pumpkin puree the Libby’s pumpkin pie mix or the Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin?
Christina Hitchcock says
Pure pumpkin 🙂
Delores Dickstein says
I made this about 3 weeks ago, and it still has the same amount of sediment in the bottom as it did when I first made it. Am I supposed to be shaking the jars? Or, is it just always going to need to be shaken first? I kinda thought everything would dissolve before the month was up.. I’m dieing to crack one open, but I followed the recipe up to now, so what’s one more week..
Christina Hitchcock says
I was thinking the same thing about mine. There is a lot of “sediment”. I think it needs to be strained through cheese cloth. The original recipe didn’t call for it but I’m going to adjust mine. I hope this helps you 🙂
Maggie says
I make lemoncello on occasion and in order to prevent the separation I have to boil everything together…. Not sure the same principle applies here…
Aislinn says
Hello, I am a homebrewer. What I do when I have sediment is called racking off. Let the brew sit until all the sediment settles to the bottom. You then use a siphon hose to remove the clear liquid on top leaving most of the sediment behind. It may not be perfectly clear but you can then filter through cheesecloth or if clear enough even a coffee filter. It takes time but will produce a much clearer liqueur or cordial. Any sediment left will not hurt your drinking experience.
Shelby says
Oh…I’m definitely giving this a try as well as your other moonshine recipes!