Easy Pumpkin Pudding Recipe {With Vegan + Keto Options}

This easy pumpkin pudding recipe is quick to make and delicious for autumn! It’s packed with pumpkin, warming spices and topped with whipped cream and crunchy pecans. This silky fall pudding is a wonderful make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert – with just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes prep!

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Easy Pumpkin Pudding Recipe – Delicious Dessert for Fall & Thanksgiving

This easy pumpkin pudding recipe is the perfect make-ahead dessert for fall. Just imagine: velvety, richly flavoured pumpkin pudding topped with creamy frosting. Mmmmm.

Now imagine that it needs just 5 ingredients and can be made ahead of time. It really is comfort food in pudding form.

Garnished with crushed nuts and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, this stovetop pudding makes a lovely Thanksgiving dessert! It looks fancy, but your guest will never believe just how easy this dessert recipe actually is.

Since this dessert is very customisable, I also share simple ingredient substitutions so you can make sugar-free keto pumpkin pudding and dairy-free, vegan pumpkin pudding. Just scroll down to find these options!

Pumpkin pudding ingredients

This easy pumpkin dessert has a simple list of just five ingredients that blend together perfectly to make a decadent fall dessert.

The following ingredients are all you need to make this fabulous pumpkin pudding recipe:

• sugar: Brown sugar, coconut sugar, and maple sugar provide a rich caramel note, but even regular white sugar will work. We talk about low carb keto sweetener options below.
• heavy cream: Heavy cream is your best choices for this fall pudding. You can find dairy-free options below.
• pumpkin puree: Pumpkin puree creates a delicious fall aroma. I usually use homemade pumpkin puree, but canned pumpkin is a good alternative. If using canned, note that you only need one cup, not the whole can!
• butter: Butter gives this homemade pudding recipe its silky texture. Again, vegan options are listed below.
• pumpkin pie spice: Pumpkin pie spice rounds out the other flavours and provides depth. I always add my homemade spice mix, but a store-bought blend will also do. If you don’t have pumpkin spice, simply use cinnamon.

How to make pumpkin pudding

How do you make pumpkin pudding from scratch? I’m about to show just how simple it is to make this pumpkin pudding dessert!

The recipe is made in two steps. First, you’ll cook the cream, sugar, and spices into a rich butterscotch sauce. Then you’ll stir in the pumpkin puree and butter. How easy is that?

Cook the butterscotch sauce

Add the sugar or sweetener, cream, and pumpkin pie spice into a heavy bottom saucepan. Heat over high heat until the mixture begins to cook. Stir constantly with a wooden cooking spoon to avoid burning.

Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved completely and the sauce is thick and creamy. The sauce is ready when it covers back of a spoon.

Melted sugar gets extremely hot. So, be cautious while cooking the sauce and wear an oven mitt/glove to protect your hands from splashes of hot sauce.

Add the pumpkin puree and butter

Take the butterscotch sauce off the heat. Add the pumpkin puree and butter. Whisk until the butter has melted and all ingredients are well incorporated.

Chill the homemade pumpkin pudding

Pour the pumpkin pudding mixture into 4 to 6 dessert bowls or jars. Let the pudding set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Garnish and serve

Optionally, whip additional cream until soft peaks form. Add a dollop of cream on every pudding pot. Sprinkle with crushed pecans and serve chilled.

And voila! You have made a delicious stovetop pumpkin pudding.

Tips for decorating pumpkin pudding

Decorating is always fun, and you have lots of options to choose from! Here are some easy ideas to give your pumpkin dessert an extra touch of something special, especially when you plan to serve it for Thanksgiving.

• Whipped cream puffs: Use a piping bag with a large star nozzle and pipe on swirls of whipped cream.
• Extra toppings: Make your pumpkin dessert even more fun by topping it with chopped nuts, roasted pepitas, or pumpkin candies.
• Garnish with pumpkin pie spice: The pudding looks so pretty with a dusting of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.
• Butterscotch sauce: Add a drizzle of butterscotch or caramel sauce.

How many servings does the recipe yield?

The recipe makes 2 cups pudding. I divided the pudding between 4 half-cup jars. If you use smaller jars or dessert bowls, you can even get 6 servings out of this recipe.

Keto pumpkin pudding recipe

This pumpkin pudding can easily turned into a healthy keto dessert. Cream and butter are a good source of fat, and pumpkin is healthy low carb vegetable. All that’s left to do is replacing the sugar with a low carb sweetener.

My favourite is this powdered monk fruit allulose blend. This sweetener behaves very similar to sugar and can even brown.

You can also use Sukrin Gold or Lakanto Monfruit Sweetener Golden. For the best texture, powder granular sweeteners in a blender first.

Dairy-free vegan pumpkin pudding

If you need a dairy-free and vegan pumpkin pudding recipe, make the following substitutions:

• Cream: Pumpkin pudding with coconut milk or cream is a great alternative to dairy.
• Butter: Use vegan butter or coconut oil instead of butter. I recommend buying deodorised coconut oil so that your pumpkin dessert doesn’t taste like coconut.

Storage instructions

How do you store pumpkin pudding?

Store this pumpkin pudding recipe in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Can pumpkin pudding be made ahead?

Yes! In fact, you should make this easy fall dessert ahead so that it has time to set. The pudding needs to chill for a few hours, but you can make it up to 4 days in advance.

Can pumpkin pudding be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze this pumpkin pudding for later use. While the pudding freezes well, let it cool first. Make sure to cover and seal the containers tightly, so that no part is exposed to air. I also recommend freezing the pudding without a topping.

Frozen pudding can be stored for up to a month.

Making pumpkin pudding popsicles is another great way to freeze this yummy fall dessert! Simply fill the pudding into popsicle moulds, insert a stick, and freeze.

How to thaw frozen pumpkin pudding

Put the frozen pudding in the fridge and let it thaw overnight.

Tools

Tab or click the links below to shop the products I used to make this classic fall dessert:

• heavy bottom saucepan – For this easy pudding recipe, you need a heavy-bottom saucepan to cook the butterscotch sauce.
• cooking spoon – A cooking spoon is essential for cooking the butterscotch. I used the wooden turner from this set of 6. The flat end helps to prevent sugar burning to the bottom of the pan.
• whisk – A whisk comes in handy when mixing the butterscotch sauce, pumpkin puree, and butter.
• dessert pots – These porcelain ramekins are the perfect size to serve the make-ahead pumpkin dessert.

More pumpkin dessert recipe

If you like easy pumpkin recipes with few ingredients, you might also like some of these other healthy canned pumpkin recipes:

• soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting
• pumpkin pie spice syrup
• healthy pumpkin muffins
• fluffy pumpkin pancakes
• vegan pumpkin latte

Over to you!

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