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A Pumpkin Pie Mimosa is just the right way to start your Thanksgiving, or any brunch during the fall season! Fabulous glasses of pumpkin spice juice and champagne make this a simple cocktail that brings bubbly cheer to any occasion. Topped with whipped cream and pumpkin spice sugar, you’ll feel like you’re sipping on pumpkin pie (the classy way).
about this pumpkin pie mimosa
I have a secret to tell you… I don’t like pumpkin pie. GASP.
I KNOW. I used to like it. I used to look forward to it every Thanksgiving. But honestly, it’s not my cup of tea slice of pie (?). It’s just TOO much pumpkin and it tends to be too sweet.
Now I like my pumpkin spice. Not in the “OMG I’m going to line up outside Starbucks for the first PSL of the season!!” way, but in the “I love cinnamon, nutmeg and all the other flavors in pumpkin pie spice – sparingly”.
That is why I made this oh-so fabulous, fancy AF cocktail for the morning of Thanksgiving.
It’s my pumpkin pie fix without eating pumpkin pie!
This is such a simple, elegant cocktail to bust out on Thanksgiving morning, whether you are hosting your family all day or it’s just you and your boo, snuggling up for a late morning before the onslaught of family socializing.
It has a lovely burst of pumpkin in every sip, but the bubbly brut champagne makes it so the cocktail itself isn’t really sweet. Instead it’s bubbly, perfectly spiced and just fantastic.
The little dollop of whipped cream and the pumpkin spice rimming sugar provide just the touch of sweetness to balance out the crisp champagne and the rich pumpkin spice flavors.
You’ll find yourself definitely wanting to indulge in more than one! So feel free to double or triple the recipe below to meet your needs!
Heck, with all that family and booze in one room, you know that you’ll be needing one extra drink to make it through the day without going insane 😉
Pssssst, this is also a great one to bust out the day after Thanksgiving with leftovers!
everyday seasonal: fall
With seasonal fall recipes, a comprehensive produce guide, and more, this is the cookbook to help you celebrate the season.
ingredients
pumpkin puree. Be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree! Do not use pumpkin pie filling for this recipe.
pumpkin pie spice. Pumpkin pie spice is made with a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger typically. You can either purchase this at the store, or make your own!
sugar. I use granulated sugar for this recipe.
champagne. Pick the champagne you love to drink! I recommend a drier champagne like a brut so that the mixture isn’t too sweet.
this recipe’s must-haves
To make the pumpkin juice mixture, you will need your favorite saucepan to bring it all together. You’ll also need a fine mesh sieve to strain everything through.
I really love these champagne flutes, which are the flutes that you see used here!
I like to use a traditional rimmer set that you would usually use for margaritas for the rims. It makes it super easy to rim the champagne flutes with the cinnamon sugar mixture for the pumpkin pie mimosa.
here’s how to make a pumpkin pie mimosa
make pumpkin juice
Add pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until it’s cooked down a bit. The mixture should still be a puree – don’t cook it down too far so it becomes a paste!
strain
Remove mixture from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard remaining puree and cool the juice completely before using in the cocktail.
make rimming sugar
In a small bowl, stir together sugar and pumpkin pie spice for the rimming mixture.
Wet the rims of the champagne glasses and rim with the sugar mixture.
assemble
Add 1 1/2 oz of pumpkin juice to each champagne glass. Fill each glass with champagne!
Top with whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick. I like to sprinkle a little extra rimming sugar on top of the whipped cream too!
tips for success
use 100% pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, use 100% canned pumpkin puree (or homemade if you prefer!).
champagne, not prosecco. I recommend a brut champagne to balance out the sweetness of the pumpkin juice used in this cocktail. Using prosecco will make the drink way too sweet.
can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, you can! I recommend making the pumpkin juice to prep this cocktail ahead of time. Store the pumpkin juice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days! Be sure to shake the mixture well before using in the recipe as the spice can sink to the bottom as it sits. Assemble just before serving!
More tasty pumpkin cocktails to try: Pumpkin Bourbon Sidecar | Pumpkin Pie Martini | Pumpkin Spice Bourbon Old Fashioned | Pumpkin Bourbon Hot Chocolate
what to serve with pumpkin pie mimosas
When I serve pumpkin pie mimosas, I’m serving BRUNCH. So let’s talk about some of my favorite fall brunch recipes to whip out:
If you want to keep the pumpkin theme going with something sweet, try pumpkin coffee cake or pumpkin cream cheese muffins.
For a savory option, a hearty southwestern ham hash is a delicious and easy option for fall. Also, breakfast croissant sandwiches work ANYTIME of year!
Looking for another festive fall-themed brunch cocktail? Try an apple cider mimosa!
Finally, if you make these pumpkin pie mimosas, please be sure to give this recipe a rating or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment. Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!
Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make the recipe! Love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!
everyday seasonal cookbook
With seasonal produce guides, recipes, and more, this cookbook is filled with seasonal food for every occasion.
Pumpkin Pie Mimosa
Make this Thanksgiving more festive with a riff on pumpkin pie, for brunch! This fancy mimosa has just the right amount of sugar, spice and everything nice.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Juice
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 2 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Rimming Sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/4 cup sugar
Cocktail
- Champagne
- Garnish: whipped cream, cinnamon stick, rimming sugar (recipe below)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, sugar, and water. Cook the mixture down slightly, stirring constantly, for approximately a few minutes. The mixture should still be a puree, so don't cook it down too far!
- Remove mixture from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard remaining puree. Cool completely before using in the refrigerator.
- When you are ready to make the drinks, in a small bowl, stir together ingredients for the rimming sugar. Wet the rims of 4 champagne glasses and rim them with the pumpkin spice sugar. Set aside.
- Add 1 1/2 oz of the strained pumpkin juice to the champagne glasses and give the mixture a stir.
- Fill each glass to the top with champagne.
- Top each with whipped cream, a cinnamon stick and a sprinkle of the remaining rimming sugar.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Troubleshooting:
- The mixture for the pumpkin juice should be pretty loose to start with, like a smooth sauce. If it's thick, add more water until it's thinned out some.
- Be sure to not let the mixture thicken up on the stove. It should stay loose - the cooking is to solidify the flavors only! If it thickens on the stove, you've cooked it for too long or the heat was too high.
- Do not use pumpkin pie filling, only 100% pumpkin puree.
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Jen says
Thanks for the recipe! I just tried making the pumpkin juice ahead of time and ended up with a thick pumpkin paste. Are the ingredients correct for the juice? Should there be more water perhaps? I cooked and stirred, but it never thinned out. I doubt anything would have made its way thru the sieve. (I ended up just using this puree for my Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake, so no harm, no foul.)
Meghan B. says
Hi Jen! Thanks for trying the recipe out! It sounds like the puree may have reduced a little too much if it formed a thick paste. It should be more of a puree still after you cook it and then when you let it strain through the sieve, you end up with a thicker juice (it’s not watery, but it’s not thick like a puree or smoothie). I would try stirring in some more water to get it back to a puree and then push the juice through the sieve!
Karen says
Yea I tried this. Ended up with purée in the pot and in know way did this work in the champagne. Tried watering it down to get liquid and it lost all the flavor. No go pumpkin mimosas this thanksgiving.
Meghan Y. says
I’m sorry to hear that! Did you run it through a sieve to get the juice? The mixture shouldn’t have been added to the champagne directly from the pot. If it didn’t yield juice after straining, it was like cooked down too much.
Jen says
Is there supposed to be water in with the pumpkin? The directions never say to add the water. I read the other comments and just watched someone try this on Instagram as well and everybody is getting a thick paste instead of a purée. I would love to see you do this as a video to see how yours was done.
Meghan Y. says
Hi there! Yes, the water should be added in the first step – sorry for the typo in the recipe! If it is turning into a thick paste, the mixture is likely being overcooked and the moisture evaporated. Try cooking for less time if you run into issues!
Sherry Montgomery says
Just tried this. And like everyone else had the same outcome. I had it on medium and stirred often, only to have it pretty much stay a thick puree with nothing that would remotely be juice…tried adding pear nectar to it and no go
Meghan Y. says
Some purees can be thicker than others so it sounds like you probably ran into that. It should be pretty loose to start with! I suggest adding more water so that it’s smooth and sauce-like before you start cooking it.
Blaine Butler says
Hello potential Pumpkin Pie Mimosa makers!
This recipe worked well for me with the following modifications:
I added a full cup of water to the pumpkin puree (which is always very thick out of can) in the saucepan, then quadrupled the sugar and pumpkin spice to make up for the extra water.
I simmered it for approximately a few minutes before running the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to extract the juice. I think this is a critical step some of the other reviewers missed because if you don’t strain it to get the juice, your just left with a thick puree which would not be good in a drink like this. You MUST strain the puree to get the juice. Don’t worry about the thickness of the puree, if you strain it through a sieve you will get juice.
This mimosa went over very well with our crowd! I skipped the sugar rim and whipped cream because that’s not really my thing.
I would highly recommend this recipe! Very unique.