A Pumpkin Pie Pudding Recipe with Sexy Spices
A great pudding is hard to pass up, and this is a particularly good one. If you’re wondering how pudding, a childhood staple, can possibly become a date-night dessert, this recipe offers a pretty convincing answer. It’s creamy and decadent, with pumpkin and a blend of warming spices that give this classic comfort food a more grown-up appeal. And, of course, it’s also just a darn good pudding recipe, so good you’re going to have a hard time putting down that spoon.
Tips for making great pudding at home
Puddings are great desserts because they’re so satisfying and so easy to make. The ingredients in this dessert are pretty straightforward. But you’ll notice that the recipe calls for individual spices instead of a pumpkin spice blend. There’s a good reason for that. With individual spices, you have better control over the proportions of nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon, giving you more control over the final flavor. So instead of buying pumpkin pie spice, stock your pantry with these delicious baking spices.
Making pudding is so simple. It just takes a lot of stirring and a little patience. You basically just whisk together all your ingredients in the pan and cook until they thicken. The trick is to just keep whisking, pretty much constantly, to ensure a smooth and deliciously creamy texture. (Note that in this pudding you do not add the vanilla extract until after the pudding is cooked and strained.) Then you just have to patiently wait the two hours until your cooled pudding is ready to eat. What could be easier?
Note that I like to make a batch of fresh whipped cream while the pudding is cooling. Nothing beats a dollop of whipped cream on top of a dish of homemade pudding!
Equipment
You only need a few basic pieces of equipment to make this holiday pudding recipe. First of all, you’ll need a good, medium-sized saucepan and a whisk. If you do a lot of cooking, you’ll already have these. But if you don’t, invest in something that will last you a lifetime. I recommend this pan from All-Clad. It’s what I use in my own kitchen. Whisks won’t last a lifetime but one with a grippy handle is useful.
You’re also going to need a fine mesh sieve and a ladle to separate out any pumpkin solids in the pumpkin puree from the creamy pudding. If you don’t own a sieve, you can use a fine mesh strainer.
When to serve this indulgent pumpkin dessert
You might be wondering if you can serve this pudding as an alternative to traditional pumpkin pie. YES! This dessert makes a great option for anyone burnt out on the traditional Thanksgiving dessert. But don’t think of this as just a dessert to serve only at this holiday meal.
About the sexy spices and serving pudding on date night
As I mentioned in the introduction, this just might be a recipe for romance. First of all, it might sound weird, but pumpkin is an aphrodisiac food. In addition, the spices featured in this pumpkin’s complex flavor are called the warming spices. This includes cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. All three have a long history as aphrodisiac foods.
Despite all the sexy ingredients, this pudding has a flavor and texture the whole family will love. So, serve the pumpkin pudding dessert to your lover as a midnight snack or make a big batch for a family reunion. Whenever you decide to make some puddin’ is the right time!
If you like this Pumpkin Pie Pudding recipe, get the whole book:
Pumpkin Pie Pudding
Equipment
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups half and half
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 15-oz can unsweetened, solid-pack pumpkin
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- whipped cream for serving** optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan vigorously whisk together all of the ingredients except for the vanilla.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, 10 minutes. (Once you can lift the whisk from the pudding and it leaves a faint shadow, it’s done.)
- Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing pudding through sieve with a ladle (using a ladle here really helps separate the pumpkin solids from the silky pudding ). Whisk in vanilla.
- Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, press a layer of plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding, and chill completely in refrigerator, 2 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe excerpted from PUDDIN’ by Clio Goodman. Copyright © 2013 by Clio Goodman. Excerpted by permission of Spiegel & Grau, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
This article was originally published in 2013 then republished in 2026 with a new introduction, updated equipment recommendations and recipe instruction clarification.Â
Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.
Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.
Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.
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