Pumpkin Pudding

I’ve been on a real pudding kick lately. And in honor of fall, I decided it was time to make my homemade pumpkin pudding.

This stuff is the epitome of fall comfort in a bowl.

It combines the rich flavors of pumpkin with warm spices and brown sugar for a creamy, indulgent dessert. 

Easy to make yet impressively delicious, it’s an excellent way to celebrate autumn – and satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings!

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Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Pudding

Seasonal Spices In Every Bite: Pumpkin pudding captures the essence of autumn in a creamy, lightly spiced dessert that’ll have you liking the bowl clean. It’s perfect for cozy gatherings and holiday festivities. 

Versatile Treat: Serve it chilled for a refreshing finale to a hearty meal. Or warm it slightly for a comforting cool-weather indulgence. This pudding adapts to any occasion.

Rich & Creamy: The pudding’s smooth texture and indulgent creaminess make it a satisfying treat. It delights the senses with every spoonful.

Ingredients

• Pumpkin Puree: The star ingredient that gives the pudding its rich, autumnal flavor. It also contributes to its creamy texture. 

• Pumpkin Pie Spice: A blend of warm spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. It infuses the pudding with the quintessential taste of fall. 

• Whole Milk: The pudding’s creamy base. 

• Granulated & Brown Sugar: To help dial up the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. A little sweet for all the spice. 

• Cornstarch: For thickening and a smooth, velvety consistency. 

• Egg Yolks: For a rich, custard-like texture. They also act as the binding agent for the recipe. 

• Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation, for the best flavor. 

• Salted Butter: Adds a touch of indulgence and a small amount of salt to offset the sweetness. 

How to Make Pumpkin Pudding

What I love about this pudding is how it captures the essence of the season without being overly sweet or heavy.

And it’s a cinch to make. Here are the steps:

1. WARM: Heat the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and 2 cups of whole milk in a medium saucepan until it’s smooth and just beginning to bubble.

2. MIX: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugars, cornstarch, remaining milk, and egg yolks until smooth.

3. TEMPER: Gradually ladle the hot pumpkin mix into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling.

4. COMBINE: Pour the egg and pumpkin mixture back into the saucepan, whisking to incorporate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbling, about 3-4 minutes.

5. FINISH: Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract and salted butter until fully melted. Pass the pudding through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

6. CHILL: Transfer to serving dishes, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Pudding

Here are some of my best tips for this recipe and pudding recipes in general: 

• Whisk continuously. It’s the only way to ensure your pumpkin pudding is silky smooth and lump-free. It also keeps the pudding from scorching. 

• Add spice to suit your tastes. If 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice is too much, add less. Or, if you’re a huge pumpkin spice addict, add as much as you like! 

• Remember to temper. Don’t just add the eggs into the hot mixture. It can cause them to scramble. Instead, stream some of the milky pumpkin into the yolk mix to temper them.

• Strain it. You don’t have to, but it will give you the smoothest finish!

• Chill overnight. The recipe says to chill for at least 2 hours. And that’s fine if you’re in a hurry. However, pudding tastes best when it chills overnight and gives the flavors time to meld. 

• Use plastic wrap. Be sure to press the plastic wrap right onto the surface of the pudding. If you don’t, it will develop a skin. 

• Add toppings. Whipped cream is always a nice touch, and an extra sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon also works well. Other options include crushed gingersnaps, chopped nuts, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. 

How to Store

Pudding tastes best chilled, so storing it is as easy as pumpkin pie. 😉

To Store: Cover the pudding tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface. Then, place in an airtight container if desired. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Do not freeze. 

More Pumpkin Desserts You Have to Try

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Pumpkin Mousse

Pumpkin Pudding

Course: DessertCuisine: American

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

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minutes

Calories

361

kcal

This homemade pumpkin pudding is rich, velvety, and bursting with warm spices. Featuring real pumpkin and brown sugar, every bite is a fall dream.

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can 100% pumpkin puree

• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• 3 cups whole milk, divided

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 4 large egg yolks

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons salted butter

• whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, whisk the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and 2 cups of whole milk until smooth. Warm over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally, until it begins to bubble.
• While the pumpkin mix warms, whisk the sugars and cornstarch in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the remaining milk and whisk until completely smooth. Then, whisk in the egg yolks until well combined.
• Using a ladle, carefully add the hot pumpkin to the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. Keep adding the pumpkin until about half is in the egg mixture.
• Once combined, pour the egg and pumpkin mixture into the saucepan, whisking to incorporate.
• Continue to cook over medium heat. Stir constantly until the pudding thickens and starts to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. Once thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salted butter until the butter has melted completely.
• Strain the pudding through a fine mesh sieve (optional) into a clean bowl. Then, transfer to individual serving dishes. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until chilled, approximately 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
• Serve the pudding topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

• Whisk continuously to prevent lumps and scorching.
• Adjust the spice amount to suit your tastes. 
• Chill overnight, with plastic pressed onto the surface, for the best flavor.

NaTaya Hastings

NaTaya Hastings is a food and recipe writer for Insanely Good Recipes. She’s an educator, boy mom, dog mom, and whatever-stray-enters-the-yard mom. As a result, she's constantly cooking for both humans and animals.

Luckily, she enjoys it!

Though born, raised, and still living in Alabama, her specialty is NOT down-home Southern cooking. Instead, she loves to experiment with Asian, Mexican, Italian, and other ethnic cuisines. She has two mottos when it comes to cooking. “The more spice, the better!” and “There’s no such thing as too much garlic!”

She’s also pretty good with desserts. Especially the easy, no-bake ones.

Her favorite things are cuddling with her four giant dogs, traveling, reading, writing, and hanging out in nature. She’s also pretty excellent at Dominoes.

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