These individual crustless pumpkin pie custards come together in under an hour and are miles easier to make than pie! Meaning, these babies can be in your belly tonight. (Don’t miss the VIDEO below!)
Individual crustless pumpkin pie custards
As you may know by now, pie is one of my favorite foods on the planet. While I love a good, buttery crust (ahem, THIS CRUST!) it’s also where most of the work happens—making the dough, resting the dough, rolling the dough, blind baking the dough… I’m therefore delighted to report that when it comes to these pumpkin custards, I don’t miss the crust at all. They have a luscious, creamy texture and elevated flavor. Even better, this is a dessert that I can whip up on a whim, in under an hour.
How do I make pumpkin custard?
The custard is made like a traditional pumpkin pie filling—everything gets mixed together in just one bowl (woot woot!). Using a stand mixer or hand beaters helps aerate the custard, resulting in a lighter texture.
Canned pumpkin puree is first whipped with sugar and spices. Freshly grated ginger is used in lieu of dried for a rounder flavor, and cinnamon, cloves and cardamon lend warmth. Eggs are then added, followed by half-and-half. Done!!! (Told you it was easy. 😉) The batter will look quite thin, but don’t worry, it will set up in the oven. Bake the custards until they’re set on top but wobble slightly in the center (be sure to watch the video below to see what I mean).
Individual pumpkin pies
These crustless pies are baked in individual ramekins, which cuts back on the cooking time and makes for an easy presentation (added bonus: my kids don’t fight over the serving size!). That said, you can also bake the custard in a 9-inch or similar sized baking dish (just make sure that the custard doesn’t exceed a depth of 2 inches). Increase the cooking time as needed (check it at 45 minutes, but it may need up to an hour or longer). If it’s pie you’re after, you can also bake the filling in a blind-baked pie crust!
What can I use instead of evaporated milk in pumpkin pie?
This recipe uses half and half instead of evaporated milk, which results in a better flavor and a slightly creamier texture. (Nutritionally speaking, half and half is similar to evaporated milk, but is slightly lower in carbs and higher in fat.)
How do you serve the custards?
I top these custards with a dollop of whipped cream and chopped maple pecans. The maple pecans are optional, but they provide a salty-sweet crunch that balances the creamy custard. The pecans are a cinch to make, and I’ve included a recipe for you below (I dare you not to eat a handful straight off the baking sheet!).
The crustless pies are one of my favorite cozy-night-in treats, and they’re perfect for the holidays (they can even be made a couple of days in advance!). I hope you’ll love them as much as we do.
Recipe tips:
- You will need six 8-ounce ramekins or similar-sized baking dishes (ceramic or glass) for this recipe. You can also bake the custard in a 9-inch or similar sized dish (just make sure that the custard doesn’t exceed a depth of 2 inches). Increase the cooking time as needed (check it at 45 minutes, but it may need up to an hour or longer). If it’s pie you’re after, you can also bake the filling in a blind-baked pie crust (again, check it at 45 minutes, but it may need an hour or more).
- The custard should cook until it’s just set but still wobbles slightly in the center. Be sure to watch the video below!
- Let the custards cool before serving. You can serve them slightly warm, at room temperature or cold. (I prefer them at room temperature or cold, after the flavors have had time to meld.)
- The tops of the custards will look a bit damp once cooled, but that’s normal.
- I love baking with vanilla paste, which has specks of real vanilla bean and a rich flavor (and it lasts forever!) but you could use vanilla extract instead.
Other pumpkin recipes to try:
- Pumpkin Pound Cake with Bourbon Cream Cheese Glaze
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Thanksgiving 101
For a ton of Thanksgiving inspiration, from side dishes to desserts, don’t miss this post!
Watch the video!
Get the recipe!
Individual Crustless Pumpkin Pie Custards (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or butter for ramekins
- 1 15- oz can pumpkin
- ½ cup natural cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger grated on microplane
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
For serving
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Candied Maple Pecans, chopped (see the recipe below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease six 8-oz ramekins or baking dishes with cooking spray or butter, and arrange them on a baking sheet.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or using a regular bowl and hand beaters) beat together the pumpkin, sugar, salt, grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and vanilla. Add the eggs, one and a time, and beat on medium-high until well blended. Slowly pour in the half-and-half while beating. Stir well with a rubber spatula to incorporate any bits on the bottom of the bowl (the mixture will be quite loose). Pour or ladle the custard into the prepared ramekins.
- Bake until the custard is set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 36-38 minutes. Let the custards cool before serving.
- Serve the custards slightly warm, at room temperature or cold with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of candied maple pecans.
Notes
- You will need six 8-ounce ramekins or similar-sized baking dishes (ceramic or glass) for this recipe. You can also bake the custard in a 9-inch or similar sized dish (just make sure that the custard doesn’t exceed a depth of 2 inches). Increase the cooking time as needed (check it at 45 minutes, but it may need up to an hour or longer). If it’s pie you’re after, you can also bake the filling in a blind-baked pie crust (again, check it at 45 minutes, but it may need an hour or more).
- The custard should cook until it’s just set but still wobbles slightly in the center. Be sure to watch the video above!
- Let the custards cool before serving. You can serve them slightly warm, at room temperature or cold. (I prefer them at room temperature or cold, after the flavors have had time to meld.)
- The tops of the custards will look a bit damp once cooled, but that’s normal.
- I love baking with vanilla paste, which has specks of real vanilla bean and a rich flavor (and it lasts forever!) but you could use vanilla extract instead.
Candied Maple Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the pecans onto the baking sheet and drizzle with the maple syrup. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and season with salt. Toss well. Bake until the nuts are a shade darker in color and aromatic (the maple syrup should be sticky and caramelized, not wet) about, 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle the pecans with a bit more salt, them let cool completely (they will harden as they cool).
Notes
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Do you have any recommendations regarding what would be best to substitute for the half-and-half if I wanted to make a non-dairy version?
These days, there are so many options; soy, oat, almond, hemp and numerous other “milks”.
That is a great question! I think I would go for an almond milk creamer such as Calfia Farms brand. That should give you a similar consistency. Otherwise, a rich cashew milk would work, or canned coconut milk (as long as you like the flavor of coconut). Let me know how it turns out!