Oh, the smell of sweetly spiced goodness from the oven in fall time is so comforting to me. I can’t seem to stay out of the kitchen once the weather turn cool and pumpkins are in season. I usually make lots of small, individual treats because I love cute little ramekins and mini goodies, but some occasions just call for shared dishes. Fall time is the perfect time to sit down with family and friends to enjoy a dish of Family-Style Baked Pumpkin Custard.
Every month, I get together with my blogger friends and share awesome recipes about seasonal vegetables. And since it’s October, what better veggie to celebrate than the almighty pumpkin. Here is my ode to the grand pumpkin.
What I love about REAL food baking is that the foods that I create are not only tasty and delicious, they are nutritious and healing as well. I can feel good about serving fresh, seasonal, nutrient-dense foods to my family. What my family sees as treats and dessert, I see as local pastured eggs, wholesome organic home-grown pumpkins, and good quality fats. Real food to feed and sustain.
One of the most important and cherished things in my life is sharing food with the ones that I love. Taking time to slow down and to connect while nourishing our bodies is healing in so many ways. Life seems to be moving faster as I get older, so I treasure the times I get to really drop in with my peeps. And that’s where this family-style dish comes in. We sit, we gather, we share. We eat from the same dish and just enjoy each other.
So gather ’round and belly up to the table on those cold days and serve up some of this lightly spiced pumpkin delight. Custard is traditionally eaten cold, but I actually prefer to serve this warm with a savory meat dish and LOTS of vegetable.
Bon appétit. Buen Provecho. Guten appetit. Hyvää ruokahalua. Dig in. Enjoy your meal. Chow down.
Before you check out my recipe, take a quick look at what my friends came up with as well:
- Trisha from Eat Your Beets: Grain Free Stuffed Pumpkin
- Elaina from The Rising Spoon: Maple Spice Pumpkin Butter
- Laura from Storybook Reality: Pumpkin Chocolate Chipotle Chili
Family-Style Baked Pumpkin Custard (dairy free)
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked pumpkin puree (freshly baked is best)
- 8 egg yolks (preferably pastured)
- 5 TBS RAW honey (like this)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (where to buy BPA and additive free coconut milk)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder (I use this one)
- pinch of clove
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (like this)
- 2 pinches of celtic sea salt (I use this one)
- Optional:
- coconut whipped cream, whipped cream, or plain yogurt to serve on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350’F. Fill a large baking dish 1/3 with water and place into oven to warm up.
- Combine egg yolks, pumpkin puree, honey, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
- In a sauce pan, gently heat coconut milk , all spices and sea salt until edges barely start to bubble. DO NOT BOIL.
- Slowly whisk HALF of coconut milk mixture into egg mixture (to prevent eggs from cooking)
- Return the mixture to saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon over LOW heat until thickens (about 5 minutes)
- Pour into baking dish (I use an 11 x 7 inch oval.)
- Place smaller baking dish into prepared larger baking dish in oven (to make a water bath for even cooking) and bake for 45-50 minutes, until set and toothpick comes out clean in center.
- Serve and enjoy this comforting dish family-style. Store leftovers in fridge (if there are any.)
Notes
I like to bake custards in a hot water bath for more even cooking. This step is not absolutely necessary but does make for a better end result. And if you don’t have all the spices listed above, a pumpkin spice will work just fine.
What is your favorite family-style dish to share?
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This looks so lovely, Katja! My kids LOVE pumpkin custard. 🙂
Oh this looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to try it!! 🙂 Beautiful pic, by the way!!
Would this work in a crust? I’m thinking of making a gluten-free pretzel crust and looking for a pumpkin filling for it. This looked great, but I wanted to know your thoughts as to whether or not it would work in a crust.
Yes, this would be great with a crust. It’s a bit lighter than when I make pumpkin pie but should be delish! Would love to here if you make it. 🙂
At what point do you add in the second HALF of the coconut milk mixture? Step 4 has you whisk in the first half, but there is nothing about the second half.
Hi, Bob! You mix in half of the mixture into the eggs to warm them slowly. The other half is still in the pan. You then add the warmed egg mixture back into pan with the rest of the coconut milk mixture. Sorry if that was unclear.
Have you ever made this recipe with individual ramekins?
Yes, I have. It worked great. 🙂
Could I use low fat coconut milk?
I haven’t tried it. It may be too watery. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Yes! Half the coconut milk and replace other half with part of a vegan butter stick sliced thinly so it melts. (Earth balance baking buttery sticks are what I use)
We always make pumpkin custard, ( I add maple instead of honey) all that pumpkin-y goodness with out a crust! Then while it’s still warm, I pop a meringue topping on it, slide it back in the oven to brown. Because the custard is not too sweet, the meringue is a great enhancement.
Yum! What a great idea.