Homemade Pumpkin Pudding

A simple dessert of homemade pudding is a classic and reminds me so much of growing up in the 80s! This Homemade Pumpkin Pudding comes together in just fifteen minutes. Spoon the cooked pudding mixture into your favourite serving vessels and chill until ready to enjoy!

When I was a boy, one of my favourite snacks was a pudding cup. I don’t think we called them pudding cups like kids do now, we just called them pudding. And, they were not in those cute little plastic cups with the peel-away lid either. Nope, our pudding cups were actually in cans with a peel-back metal lid. Is there anyone in their 50s like me that can remember this? The brand was Hunt’s. I think they’re long gone because I have not seen those canned puddings since the 1980s.

Needless to say, butterscotch was my favourite and was closely followed by tapioca and then chocolate. Had there been a pumpkin flavoured pudding, however, I’m sure that one would have been my favourite because I can never get enough pumpkin flavour! And, that, Dear Reader, is why this Homemade Pumpkin Pudding is one of my favourite easy desserts!

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my first holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Pumpkin Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Brown Sugar
• Cornstarch
• Pumpkin Spice – This is a blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.  Depending on the brand, allspice is sometimes absent, but I think the flavour is better with it. I have a homemade version that I use for everything. You can find it here.
• Salt
• Milk – I always use whole milk unless otherwise stated.
• Cream – Most often referred to as heavy cream or whipping cream.
• Pumpkin Puree – Most of us buy this in a can, but you can make it yourself.  It is peeled and cooked pumpkin that has been pureed without the addition of any other ingredients.
• Vanilla Extract 
• Butter – Unsalted butter is best here.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PUDDING

Measure the brown sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin spice seasoning blend and salt into a large saucepan and whisk to combine. Measure in the milk, heavy cream, and pumpkin puree and whisk to combine with the dry ingredients. Over medium heat, while continuing to whisk slowly, bring the pudding mixture to a low boil. The pudding with thicken quite quickly when fully heated through and the bubbles will be quite gelatinous. Continue to cook and whisk for two more minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. If you want to be sure there are no lumps in the pudding, you can strain it through a wire-mesh stainer. Otherwise, transfer the pudding to your favourite serving vessels. Cover each vessel with plastic wrap and refridgerate for a minimum of two hours before serving.

To serve, dollop a bit of whipped cream on top and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and a dusting of pumpkin spice. A drizzle of caramel sauce is also quite nice! Enjoy!

HEAVY CREAM VS WHIPPING CREAM

Confession time – I use them both interchangeably, depending on what is available at the store, or whatever is on sale! Both of these can be quite costly. If memory serves me correctly, a 250mL carton, or one cup, here in Canada, will run just short of $5! There is a difference between the two, but not enough to concern yourself with when it comes to Homemade Pumpkin Pudding.

Just in case you’re interested, the most basic difference is the amount of fat contained in both. Whipping cream has 35% fat. It can be whipped into peaks and it’s also rich enough that it won’t curdle when heated in soups and sauces. It’s nearly identical to heavy cream so if a recipe calls for heavy cream and you can only find whipping cream, feel free to use that instead. In contrast, heavy cream, which is sometimes called heavy whipping cream, contains about 38% fat. Either of those would work well in this recipe. I used 35% whipping cream.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A PUMPKIN SPICE BLEND

If you do not have a jar of store-bought or pre-made pumpkin spice seasoning blend on hand, you can make your own quite easily. Most of us have a spice rack or cabinet with the following ingredients in it. You can find the exact amound needed right here!

• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a spice created from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree.   The bark is dried until it curls into a roll known as a cinnamon stick.  These are ground into powder.  Commonly found in baked goods, cinnamon is aromatic with a warming flavour.
• Ginger – Ground ginger is fresh ginger that has been peeled and dried before being ground into a powder.  It has a pale yellow in colour and a pungent, spicy smell.  It adds a warming, spicy flavour to recipes.
• Nutmeg – Nutmeg is a seed that comes in whole or ground form.  It is a key ingredient in many baked goods and is essential to anything eggnog related.  I often use it in fall dishes, especially in mashed potatoes!
• Allspice – Contrary to what its name suggests, allspice isn’t a blend of other spices.  Allspice comes from a dried brown berry from a tree.  It is a warm-tasting spice and is very aromatic.
• Cloves – Ground cloves come from whole cloves which have been finely ground.  They are a flower bud that comes from the clove tree.  Whole dried cloves look like small nails.  The name clove comes from the Latin word for nail.  They are extremely fragrant and commonly found in spiced cakes and confections.

STORING

These can certainly be made ahead of time. Once assembled, cover them well with plastic wrap and keep them refrigerated. You can keep them for 2 days. As you can see, I’m using cocktail glasses. Any cocktail or drinking glass will do just fine. A mason jar works very nicely too! Alternatively, this recipe can be prepared in a 9×13-inch baking pan and scooped out into dessert bowls when ready to serve.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!