Pumpkin pudding has long held a place at the Rice family Thanksgiving table. The pie may take center stage, but tucked behind it are little ramekins of tawny, spice-scented custard—my mom’s clever way of keeping the pumpkin pie magic going through the weekend. Everyone wants leftovers, but turning out extra pies amid holiday chaos can push even the most accomplished cooks to the brink of sanity. Her solution was simple: double—or let’s be honest, triple—the filling, skip the extra crust, and bake the surplus custard in a dish. No extra rolling, shaping, or sequencing required. It’s an equally brilliant move for anyone short on kitchen real estate or bandwidth to take on a full-fledged pastry project—or anyone who simply wants the pumpkin without the pie. The filling is the best part anyway—and without the crust, it really has a chance to shine. The recipe’s written for a stand mixer, but a whisk and a little elbow grease will get the job done just as well. You could bake it in a water bath, but I find a long, low bake at 325°F yields the same silky, unctuous texture without the added fuss. If you’d like to follow my mom’s lead, start with my pumpkin pie recipe, scale up the filling, then circle back here to bake the pudding. Or, if you’d rather skip the pie entirely and let the custard take center stage, read on. Either way, you’re on the path to holiday enlightenment.
Active time: 20 min • Total time: 3 hr 15 min
1 Pudding → 1 qt of filling (1.5 lb)
4 oz
8
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment • Kitchen scale • 1½-quart baking dish (or 9-inch pie plate, or eight 4-oz Ramekins)
Ingredients
- 210 g granulated sugar
- 20 g unsulphered molasses (see Substitution Tips)
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg, whole
- 425 g canned pumpkin purée (1 standard, 15-ounce can)
- 8 g gluten-free vanilla extract (1½ tsp)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice
- Light pinch ground clove (roughly half of ¹⁄₁₆ tsp)
- Scant ¹⁄₁₆ tsp cayenne chile powder (a generous pinch; optional, for subtle warmth)
- 2 g kosher salt (½ tsp Diamond Crystal; reduce to ¼ tsp if using Morton)
- 210 g full‑fat coconut milk (¾ cup + 1 tbsp)
- Coconut oil or neutral cooking spray, to grease baking dish
Substitution Tips:
Dark brown sugar can be substituted for unsulphured molasses: To make the switch, replace the combined quantity of granulated sugar and molasses with an equal weight of dark brown sugar. This will approximate, but slightly reduce, the quantity of molasses in the filling, nudging the finish a bit brighter and more spice-forward. For a 1× recipe, 210 g granulated sugar + 20 g molasses → 230 g dark brown sugar.
Instructions
- Make the pumpkin custard base:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar, molasses, whole egg, and egg yolks on medium‑high until pale yellow‑brown and increased in volume—about 2 minutes.
- Add pumpkin purée, vanilla, spices, and salt. Mix on medium to combine.
- With the mixer running on medium, steadily stream in coconut milk. Continue mixing until smooth and uniform in color. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Whisk before using to recombine.
- Bake the pudding:
- Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate, 1½-quart baking dish, or eight 4-oz ramekins with coconut oil or neutral cooking spray.
- Pour the custard into your prepared baking dish.
- Bake at 325°F until the edges are set and the center wobbles slightly when shaken. Bake times will vary considerably by dish size and depth—monitor progress using the following for general guidance:
- Individual 4-oz ramekins: ~20–35 minutes
- 9‑inch pie plate or shallow 1½-quart baking dish: ~55–70 minutes
- Deep 1½-quart baking dish: ~1 hour 40–55 minutes
- Cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours, allowing the custard to fully set before serving.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
- To serve: Spoon into bowls or serve straight from the dish at room temperature.
- Pairs well with: As with pumpkin pie, a dollop of whipped cream—or for a little zing, lightly sweetened full-fat coconut milk yogurt—makes a nice finishing touch.
- Storage / Best by: The pudding can be made up to 2 days ahead—fully cooled, wrapped, and refrigerated. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for an additional 3 days.
- Make-ahead optionality for unbaked pumpkin custard:
- Up to 24 hours: Refrigerate in an airtight container.
- Up to 1 month: Freeze in an airtight container. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using.
- Options for putting the 4 leftover egg whites to good use:
- Whisk into a breakfast casserole or frittata. In recipes calling for 8 or more whole eggs, 4 extra whites will have little effect on flavor or texture. For smaller batches, substitute as follows: 2 whole eggs = 4 egg whites + 3 tbsp full-fat dairy or dairy alternative.
- Shake into a round of festive cocktails — fizzes, sours, or flips generally call for 1 egg white per drink.
- Freeze for later use in an airtight container or portioned individually in an ice cube tray.
Did you make this?
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