Pumpkin Pudding

This luxurious stopover pumpkin pudding is quick to make but extra silky: a spiced pumpkin pastry cream made the French pastry-shop way, served in cups with clouds of vanilla Chantilly cream and crunchy toasted pecans.

It comes together on the stovetop in under 5 minutes of active cooking, but it is no ordinary quick pudding. It is a true pumpkin crème pâtissière: rich with egg yolks, finished with butter, and so smooth it melts in your mouth.

Perfect for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or any fall dinner party you can make the pudding up to two days ahead, which makes it ideal for the holidays.

How to make the pumpkin pudding

First, make sure to use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced and will throw off the balance. Canned pumpkin purée works perfectly, or you can make my homemade pumpkin puree, which combines pumpkin with butternut squash for a fuller flavor.

Next, make the yolk base. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar by hand for a minute or two until pale and slightly thickened, then whisk in the cornstarch and flour until no dry pockets remain.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin pie spice. Warm it over medium heat, whisking, just until small bubbles appear around the edge.

Set the bowl of yolks on a damp kitchen towel so it stays put, then pour in the hot pumpkin milk in a thin stream while whisking hard with your other hand. Going slowly raises the temperature of the yolks gently, so they thicken the pudding instead of scrambling.

Pour everything back into the saucepan and whisk constantly over medium heat, reaching into the corners where pudding likes to stick. It will look thin, then thicken quite suddenly, and it may turn lumpy for a moment. Keep whisking and it will smooth out. Once large bubbles break the surface, keep whisking for one more full minute. That minute cooks out any starchy taste and makes sure the pudding sets.

Take the pan off the heat and strain the pudding through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. While it is still warm, stir in the soft butter in three additions with a rubber spatula; it turns glossy and silky as the butter melts in.

Fill your glasses, ramekins, or cups while the pudding is warm. Glass shows off the pudding against the white cream beautifully. A jug or a piping bag makes this neat, and wiping the rims with a damp paper towel keeps them clean for serving.

Press plastic wrap directly onto each surface and refrigerate until completely cold and set, about 3 hours.

How to serve the Pumpkin Pudding Cups

For decoration, toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and a shade darker. Let them cool completely, then chop them roughly. Toasting brings out their buttery, nutty flavor and keeps them crunchy against the creamy pudding.

Then, make the Chantilly cream, also called whipped cream. Whip very cold heavy cream with sifted powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer, starting on medium speed, until it holds soft to medium peaks. You want it smooth and pipeable, not too stiff. Find all my tips in my Chantilly Cream recipe.

Just before serving, remove the plastic wrap. Pipe or spoon a generous swirl of Chantilly cream on top, then scatter over the toasted pecans.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store the pudding cups with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. Add the Chantilly cream and pecans only just before serving, so the cream stays fluffy and the pecans stay crunchy.

I do not recommend freezing pumpkin pudding. Like all pastry cream, it turns grainy and watery after thawing.

Flavor Variations

For a pumpkin spice latte pudding, replace 50 g of the milk with freshly brewed espresso.

For a chai-spiced version, steep a chai tea bag in the warm milk and cream for 10 minutes, then remove it before adding the pumpkin. The cardamom and black pepper notes pair wonderfully with pumpkin.

I also love a bright, citrusy pumpkin pudding; infuse the milk and cream with the finely grated zest of an orange while it heats, then strain it out before tempering the yolks.

You can also make this pudding into a deeper, more caramel-like flavor by swapping the granulated sugar for light brown sugar.

For a chocolate pumpkin pudding, stir finely chopped dark chocolate into the hot pudding together with the butter until it melts. For a richer chocolate base, see my chocolate pastry cream.

Or, if you prefer a boozy version, stir a splash of bourbon or dark rum into the pudding off the heat.

Ingredient Substitutions

To make it gluten-free, replace the flour with an equal weight of cornstarch.

No pumpkin pie spice? Mix your own from ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, and a pinch of cloves. Check my homemade pumpkin pie spice for exact ratios.

I do not recommend making this pudding without egg yolks. They give it its richness, color, and custard character.

Want to mix up the flavor entirely? The recipe works with other similar-texture fruit or vegetable puree, e.g., sweet potato puree or banana puree.

Expert Tips to Make Pumpkin Pudding

1. If lumps appear while the pudding cooks, don't panic or take it off the heat. Keep whisking firmly; the lumps smooth out as the starch thickens.
2. The pumpkin makes the mixture thicker than plain milk, so it catches on the bottom of the pan easily. Keep whisking.
3. Add a pinch of salt to the pudding. It brings out the pumpkin and the spices and balances the sweetness.
4. Portion the pudding into cups while it is still warm. It sets with a smooth, even surface and chills much faster in small cups than in one large bowl.
5. Chill the bowl and whisk for the Chantilly cream in the fridge for 30 minutes before whipping. Cold equipment helps the cream whip up quickly and stay stable.

What Equipment to Use

Measure all ingredients using a digital scale for the most accurate results.

A hand whisk and a medium saucepan with good heat distribution are needed for the pudding, plus a fine mesh sieve for straining. An electric hand mixer whips the Chantilly cream, a rubber spatula helps mix in the butter, and a piping bag gives you neat swirls of cream.

How to Use Pumpkin Pudding in Other Desserts

This pumpkin pudding is a reliable, silky pumpkin spice flavor pastry cream, so you can use it anywhere you would use my pastry cream.

Cream Pie — fill a baked pie crust with pumpkin pudding and top with Chantilly cream for a pumpkin cream pie.

Pumpkin Tiramisu — layer it with coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cream for a two-tone fall tiramisu.

Crème Diplomat — fold in whipped cream for a lighter, airier pumpkin cream.

Cream Puffs, Profiteroles, and Éclairs — pipe it into baked choux shells for a festive fall pastry platter.

Cream Puff Cake — spread it over the choux base in place of the vanilla filling.

Cake Filling — spread it between sponge layers for a fall layer cake.

Try Some of My Other Fall Desserts

If you loved this pumpkin pudding, here are more fall desserts to try next:

• Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
• Puff Pastry Pumpkin Turnovers
• No-bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Apple Crumble Cheesecake
• Apple Pie

Also, check out my roundup of 45+ pumpkin desserts for more fall baking inspiration.

Have you tried this recipe?

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