This creamy pumpkin custard is heart-warming, soul-satisfying fall time comfort food. Rich, creamy, and sweet, it’s the ultimate pumpkin dessert.
Confession: I’m not a pie girl. Pie is not my jam. I’ve always preferred to eat the delicious filling out of pie, leaving the dry crust on the plate.
And the same goes with pumpkin pie. I LOVE LOVE the decadent, creamy, rich pumpkin pie filling, Lightly spiced and so cozy. And I could care less about the crust.
So when it’s pumpkin pie season, I like to make my extra creamy, super dreamy pumpkin custard.
Pumpkin custard is hearty, nutrient-dense, and perfectly spiced. It’s what creamy, velvety dreams are made of. A humble little dessert that’s pretty much impossible not to love. It’s also gluten free, dairy, free, and refined sugar free. Made with just 7 simple, real food ingredients.
Here’s the recipe deets:
❤️pumpkin… I prefer to roast my own pumpkin for this recipe as fresh, homemade pumpkin puree gives the BEST flavor. Canned pumpkin will work as well.
❤️egg yolks… are the secret to a smooth and rich custard. I know some custard recipes call for whole eggs, but after many recipe tests, I prefer using only egg yolks in my custard.
❤️coconut milk… is so thick and creamy and is the best dairy free alternative for custard. It pairs so nicely with the earthy flavors of the pumpkin and the spices.
❤️pumpkin pie spice… cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and clove come together to elevate this dessert to the next level. This is everything I love about Fall.
❤️maple syrup… rounds out the flavors and gives a slightly caramelised taste. Feel free to use honey if that’s what you prefer.
❤️vanilla… for some added sweetness and aroma.
❤️salt… just a pinch. Because balance is always good.
Sharing this recipe with you all this year is extra special. Some of you may remember that we built our new home last year and finally moved in last December. We’ve spent the last year settling in and working on the landscaping. We’ve planted about 15 fruit trees, several herbs and flowers, and some roses and climbers. We didn’t plant a vegetable garden this year, but we did grow some pumpkins.
We ended up with 3 large pumpkins and about 18 sugar pie pumpkins. This was such a fun project with Little One. Now we have lots of pumpkins to make pumpkin soup, pumpkin energy balls, pumpkin bars, and pumpkin custard. We may even carve a few. ?
So if you’re like me, and you love pumpkin pie, you are going to LOVE this dessert. I like to make it in individual ramekins, but it can also be made in one large baking dish. It’s meant to be a dessert but is certainly healthy enough to eat for breakfast. It’s the perfect holiday dessert and is a fun idea for a gathering.
I do hope that this comforting and velvety dessert makes it to your table this fall or winter season.
MY 3 tips for the creamiest custard:
❤️egg yolk… I already mentioned this above, but trust me on this one. Egg yolks make the best custard.
❤️let it thicken… I take an extra 5 minutes to cook\thicken my custard before I bake it – just enough so it coats the back of a wooden spoon. This little step elevates the texture so much.
❤️hot water bath… hot water evenly distributes heat around the custard, ensuring that the eggs don’t curdle. It also prevents the top from drying out and splitting before the inside is fully cooked. Without it, you may end up with a rubbery and cracked dessert.
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Creamy Pumpkin Custard (dairy free)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
The CREAMIEST pumpkin custard EVER. It’s nutrient-dense, sweet, and perfectly spiced. The perfect fall time dessert. Gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk (I use THIS brand)
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (my fav brand)
- pinch of salt
- 6 eggs yolks
- 1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- hot water for hot water bath
- OPTIONAL: whipped coconut cream for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350’F. Line large baking dish with a small towel – this prevents ramekins from sliding around. Set aside.
- In a medium pot, heat coconut milk, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until steamy and hot but not boiling. Turn off heat.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla. When coconut milk is HOT, very slowly whisk HALF of coconut milk mixture into egg mixture (go slow to prevent eggs from cooking.)
- Pour the warm pumpkin mixture into saucepan with the remaining coconut milk and stir with a wooden spoon over LOW heat until thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon – about 5 minutes.
- Pour custard mixture into small ramekins and place into prepared baking dish. Pour boiling water into the large baking dish until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. Carefully transfer into pre-heated oven.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean but center is still slightly jiggly. Allow to cool completely on wire rack then cover and transfer to fridge to chill for a few hours. Can be eaten warm, but best flavor comes from eating it chilled. Top with optional whipped coconut cream if desired.
Notes
I like Primal Palate Pumpkin Pie Spice or you can make your own: 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon all spice, and 1/8 teaspoon clove powder.
This recipe makes 6-8 servings, depending on the size of ramekins you use: 6 oz. ramekins = 6 servings and 4 oz. ramekins = 8 servings.
You may need to use 2 large baking dishes for hot water baths if using 8 ramekins.
Plastic free tip: skip the plastic wrap when covering your custard. Simply place ramekins on top shelf of your fridge and place a metal cookie sheet over the top of all of them. No plastic waste necessary. ??♻️
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i took some major shortcuts and just combined all the ingredients in the blender upfront then stove cooked for 10.minutes instead of 5. then baked 60 minutes instead of 30. Also used 3 whole eggs instead of 6 yolks. added extra quantity of spices as i used fresh pumpkin, and a dash of stevia. it baked to a soft custard texture and was super tasty. i may tweak it again for next time and add a bit of starch and extra egg.