This hot process pumpkin pie soap recipe is made using the crockpot method and is made using frozen coconut milk cubes and canned pumpkin. It’s a sure hit for fall and beyond for anyone who is a fan of pumpkin pie!

Created by Beth Walker of Soap Mage, an online shop dedicated to bringing you handmade artisan soaps, Beth used the hot process soapmaking method to lend this homemade pumpkin pie soap a more rustic, true handmade look. Typically Beth loves using goat milk in her handmade soaps, however at the request of a loyal customer she crafted this hot process pumpkin pie soap recipe with coconut milk instead with her in mind. The result was a handmade soap that turned out to be one of Beth’s favorite milk soaps. As Beth is a self-defined foodie and lover of all things autumn, she also wanted to make this with hot process pumpkin pie soap recipe with real pumpkin so she chose to use actual canned pumpkin in addition to the coconut milk. And she was even more pleased that the pumpkin scent she chose also survived the saponification process and the fragrance shined through in the finished soap bars.

Following you’ll find Beth’s own hot process pumpkin pie soap recipe along with her directions for making your own handmade pumpkin pie soap. And, if you don’t have the time to make your own, you can always purchase Beth’s handmade soaps in her online shop. For those of you who are still getting the hang of things or aren’t entirely sure about using lye calculators yet, I’ve include the actual amount of each ingredient you’ll need to make a batch that fits into one of my DIY wooden soap molds.

Hot Process Pumpkin Pie Soap Recipe

© Beth Walker, owner of Soap Mage

Ingredients:

14.4 oz. olive oil (40%)
7.2 oz. sustainable palm oil (20%)
7.92 oz. 76° melt point coconut oil (22%)
3.6 oz. avocado oil (10%)
2.88 oz. almond oil (8%)

4.98 oz. lye/sodium hydroxide (6% superfat)
12.78 oz. coconut milk, frozen into cubes (35.5% water discount)

2.34 oz. canned pumpkin (approx. 6.5% of oil weight)
1.8 oz. pumpkin fragrance oil, of choice (5%)
1.33 oz. of 60% solution liquid sodium lactate (3.37%)

Instructions:

If you prefer to make this pumpkin pie soap recipe using the cold process soapmaking method, then you will need to follow my cold process soapmaking instructions here. Otherwise follow Beth’s instructions for making this pumpkin pie soap using the hot process soapmaking method below using your crockpot. And don’t forget to take all proper safety precautions when working with lye.

“Turn your crockpot on low while weighing out the oils. Then using a digital scale weigh out each of your soapmaking oils and then add the oils to the crockpot allowing any hard oils to melt down. While the oils are warming you should prepare your lye solution using the frozen, cubed coconut milk. (One of the great things about hot process soapmaking is that you don’t have to be too concerned about temperatures!) Create your lye solution by adding the lye to the coconut milk and mixing together until it has fully dissolved. Now add the sodium lactate to the lye solution and stir to combine. You’re now ready to add your lye solution to the oils! Slowly add the lye-coconut milk solution to the crockpot of soapmaking oils and blend with a spatula.

Next, use a stick blender to mix the lye solution and soapmaking oils until the soap reaches a light trace. Once the soap batter has reached a light trace add the canned pumpkin. Then use a stick blender to bring your soap to a thick trace.

Now put the lid on your crock pot and set the timer for about 15 minutes. Check your soap once the timer goes off. You should start to see the first stage. (For a pictorial on hot process soapmaking go here.) Continue checking the soap about every 15 minutes until your soap looks like mashed potatoes. You can zap test your soap if you like by sticking a wooden chopstick in the soap, allowing it to cool for a minute, then sticking it on your tongue. If there’s no zap then your soap is ready. If you feel a zap then this means the lye is still active and has not fully gelled. In this case it will feel a little like sticking your tongue to a 9V battery – which doesn’t hurt – but does tingle. Some soapers prefer to use pH strips, so if you have them handy, feel free to use them instead.

Once your soap has reached the “mashed potato” stage and there’s no zap, turn off your crockpot and use a thermometer to check the temperature of the soap. You don’t want to add any fragrance or essential oils while the soap is still fairly hot. Add your scent (if desired) and any colorants you’ve chosen to use at this time. For this particular hot process pumpkin pie soap recipe, I added a half teaspoon of orange mica to give the light orange color of the pumpkin pie soap a little more pop.

Now plop a layer of the soap into your prepared mold making sure to tap the mold on the table to get rid of any trapped air, especially since hot process soap is “fluffy.” If desired, you can add a light pencil line with some cocoa powder or a darker colored mica at this time. Next, add the remaining soap to the mold and tap the mold on the table again. You can help your soap cool down faster by placing your soap in the freezer as it’s likely still hot from cooking as well as from using milk in the recipe. Once your soap has cooled completely, you can remove it from the mold.

Although your soap is technically safe to use right away, hot process soap still needs to be fully cured just like cold process soap to allow the water to evaporate out. This not only makes for a harder bar but also a less harsh bar with a better lather. If I’m making soaps for myself and I’m impatient, I cure typically cure my hot process soaps for about 2 weeks before use. However, If I’m selling my soaps I’m always sure to give them a full four week cure.”

Your final soaps will yield the following properties (via SoapCalc.) This of course does not take into account the extra conditioning properties the fat from the coconut milk and the pumpkin lend to this soap.

Want to learn more about the woman behind Soap Mage?

Beth refers to herself as a soap alchemist. She loves everything to do with the middle ages including alchemy, ancient soapmaking (which she thinks of as alchemy!) and the artwork and architecture of the time. She’s also a hardcore RPG (role playing game) gamer, and is influenced heavily by gaming, Medieval history, science fiction, fantasy, and horror in her soapmaking. She’s currently working hard on branding her product line which is aimed more at the younger adult crowd as well as goths, gamers, and the like. Her desire is to set herself apart from other soapmakers which has allowed her to find her niche. Her inner geek loves to come out when she’s designing her handmade soaps in what she likes to call her soap alchemy lab.

While Beth has moved into creating handmade soaps with a more gothic look, she still loves to create the handmade soaps that got her started on her soapmaking journey prior to her branding her handmade soap line. This includes the more “familiar” homemade soap recipes like homemade coffee soaps and goat milk soaps, as well as foodie inspired homemade soaps like the her hot process pumpkin pie soap recipe featured here.

Moving forward Beth will be giving the pretty mica swirls she used in this pumpkin pie soap recipe a rest for a bit as she’s planning on making more handmade soaps with essential oils and natural colorants rather than synthetic ingredients to add to her growing product line. But don’t fret, because you can bet that all of Beth’s handmade soaps will still have some reference to alchemy since that her brand is becoming known for.

If you’re interested in seeing more of Beth’s handmade soaps or purchasing her products, you can visit her shop, Soap Mage, here. You can also keep up with all of her new soapy creations and news by following her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest as well as by visiting her blog.

For more homemade soap recipes be sure to follow Soap Deli News blog via Blog Lovin’, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, G+ and Instagram.