A Simple and Delicious Thanksgiving Dessert
Do you love pumpkin pie, but can’t do dairy? Do you have gluten-free guests coming for Thanksgiving? Does the thought of making homemade pie dough give you anxiety? Make these simple dairy-free and gluten-free pumpkin custards. It’s basically the pie filling without the crust. Spicy, creamy pumpkin custard is baked into a ramekin. You get all the tasty indulgence of pumpkin pie without the extra carbs, gluten and butter.
The ingredients for this simple dessert get stirred together in one bowl and poured into ramekins and baked off. It’s about as easy as it gets! You can follow this same recipe and use half-and-half or whipping cream if you don’t need to keep things dairy-free. Regular granulated sugar or organic cane sugar works just as well as the coconut sugar. And if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, make your own!
Can I Make This Ahead?
YES! Bake these off 2-3 days in advance and store covered in their serving containers in the refrigerator. I use 4-ounce ramekins, but you can also use small oven-proof bowls. Dust with a little cinnamon and nutmeg just before serving. I prefer the flavor of the custard when it’s slightly chilled, so don’t worry about serving them straight from the refrigerator.
Can I Freeze Pumpkin Custard?
YES! I froze a batch (after they had baked and cooled) to save for food photography. And guess what? The pumpkin custard tasted great once it had thawed overnight in the refrigerator. I’m guessing you could freeze the filled unbaked custard and bake it off directly from the freezer, but I haven’t tested it yet.
Is Pumpkin Keto?
YES! Pumpkin and coconut are keto, but technically sugar is not. And whether you’re using coconut sugar or refined white sugar, it’s still not technically good for you. Everything in moderation, as they say, and Thanksgiving is definitely a day to indulge.
Baked Pumpkin Custard
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 cup coconut milk full-fat
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth.
- Divide the pumpkin mixture into ramekins or bakers and then place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges of the custard are set but the center is still slightly loose.
- Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature or chilled.
Can I make this in one large baking dish? If so, would there be any temperature and/or time adjustments?
I haven’t tested it so I’m not positive about cooking time, but you can definitely make this in one serving dish. It would be great! Cook at the same temperature until mostly set. You may need to add a couple minutes. Chill before serving for best flavor.