Can alcohol be added to this drink to make it a true cocktail?

Sure! Vodka or spiced rum with pair perfectly with this beverage if you want alcoholic drinks. Pumpkin spice cocktails are great for the adults.

Can I use pumpkin that I roast from scratch?

Yes, but you may need to adjust the recipe as homemade pumpkin puree tends to be less thick than canned pumpkin puree.

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In a medium saucepan, combine the pumpkin puree, apple cider, pumpkin spice, and brown sugar.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the pumpkin mixture cool down to room temperature.
Fill a glass half full with the crushed ice, then pour the pumpkin mixture over until the glass is about three-quarters full.
Top the glass off with the ginger ale, stirring gently to combine.
Repeat with the remaining glasses.
Serve immediately and enjoy.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled depending on how many servings you want to make.
If you are prepping the mocktails for a party, make the mixture up to step three. Store the pumpkin and apple cider mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Then, mix in the ginger ale and serve over ice.