
If you love pumpkin pie, but don’t always want to go through the process of baking a pie, make pumpkin pie pudding cups! They have the creamy deliciousness of pumpkin pie, but take just a few minutes to assemble.

These pumpkin pie pudding cups are also gluten-free and refined-sugar-free!
I made this pudding recipe to be creamy without adding any egg yolks, so you don’t need to worry about tempering anything either. So easy!
I actually intended for this recipe to be maple ginger pudding! On a whim, I added pumpkin and loved it so much. I ended up going back, making it again and added way more pumpkin for a true pumpkin pie experience.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Pudding Cups
You’ll need:
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbs cornstarch
- 2 cups of milk (I use organic whole milk)
- 1 cup of canned pumpkin (Make your own puree!)
- 1 tsp dried ginger (this makes it a little spicy; feel free to reduce to 1/2 tsp)
- 1 tsp dried cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Read: Why You Need to Keep a Well-Stocked Pantry (and a free download!)
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Pudding Cups
In a medium-sized saucepan off the heat, add your maple syrup and cornstarch to a pan. Whisk. It may look clumpy right now and that’s okay (left side of picture below).

Turn on the pan to medium heat and whisk a few times until the clumps disintegrate (right side of picture above). This should happen pretty quickly once the syrup heats up!
Add your pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, and salt to the pan. Whisk until it is incorporated and you can see a little steam. You just want to heat up the mix a bit at this point. It should only take a few minutes.

Whisk in the milk. The mixture will look really wet at this time and you may feel like it won’t come together. It will; don’t worry!

Run a spatula along the inside edge of the pan to make sure you don’t get big clumps of pudding. Do this occasionally throughout the process.
Let the pudding mix heat up. Whisk occasionally. It will start to thicken up gradually.
I recommend tasting the pudding at this time. If you like desserts a little sweeter, consider adding another tablespoon of maple syrup. The flavors will mellow and come together as it rests, too.
Once you have big thick bubbles, remove the pudding from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream, butter, and vanilla. Whisk smooth and pour into your containers.


From this recipe, I was able to make 6 servings. I filled 4 standard ramekins to the inside lip and added a full ladle to some half-pint jars.
Allow the pudding cups to chill for 2 hours or so. They’re great warm, but I like a cold pudding!
Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers or maple granola.

Dealing with pudding skin
You know that skin that forms on top of pudding? Some people don’t like it so they add plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent it. I hear you can also add a little butter on top of your still-hot pudding and let it create a barrier.
Want to know what I do with pudding skin?
Eat it.
It tastes like pudding and I like pudding.

I also don’t like using plastic wrap in my house, so we don’t have any. If you also don’t have plastic wrap but don’t want to eat the skin, you can peel it off and throw it away.
When to Serve Pumpkin Pie Pudding Cups
The convenience of this recipe makes it a natural fit for a special occasion!
You can prepare a batch ahead of time, let it cool, and it’ll be a just-right treat for after dinner.
You can even pop them in the freezer for a bit for an extra cold and creamy treat. Have you ever tried frozen pudding??

These are truly a crowd pleaser and they’re simple enough the kids can help you make them!
Pumpkin pie pudding cups are perfect for any fall occasion including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday parties.
Want some more fall flavor in your life? Check out these 70 Cozy Fall Desserts to Make From Scratch!

Pumpkin Pie Pudding Cups
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Ramekins, jars, or mugs
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbs cornstarch
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- t tsp ginger Feel free to reduce to 1/2 tsp if you don't like spice.
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbs butter
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan off the heat, add your maple syrup and cornstarch to a pan. Whisk. It may look clumpy right now and that's okay.
- Turn on the pan to medium heat and whisk a few times until the clumps disintegrate. This should happen pretty quickly once the syrup heats up!
- Add your pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, and salt to the pan. Whisk until it is incorporated and you can see a little steam. You just want to heat up the mix a bit at this point. It should only take a few minutes.
- Whisk in the milk. The mixture will look really wet at this time and you may feel like it won't come together. It will; don't worry!
- Run a spatula along the inside edge of the pan to make sure you don't get big clumps of pudding. Do this occasionally throughout the process.
- Let the pudding mix heat up. Whisk occasionally. It will start to thicken up gradually.
- I recommend tasting the pudding at this time. If you like desserts a little sweeter, consider adding another tablespoon of maple syrup. The flavors will mellow and come together as it rests, too.
- Once you have big thick bubbles, remove the pudding from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream, butter, and vanilla. Whisk smooth and pour into your containers.
- Allow the pudding cups to chill for 2 hours or so. They're great warm, but I like a cold pudding!
- Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers or maple granola.
Notes
Nutrition

Let us know what you think about this recipe in the comments!
If you love fall flavors, check out these recipes:
This looks delicious, Rachael! Saw your post on The Homestead Blog Hop!
Both sounds wonderful…pumpkin and maple.
Thanks so much! We really like it with maple!
Oh goodness, I have never heard of pumpkin pudding but this looks absolutely delicious!! The flavors in the ingredients just scream FALL!
Yes, Elena! It’s really tasty and because there’s so much pumpkin, it’s lower calorie than if you made pudding just with milk. Really simple and tasty. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Rachael, I love this recipe! Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing at the TFT party! I’m featuring you this week at the party! Pinnedand shared! Happy Thursday!
Theresa
Amazing! Thank you so much! 🙂
Oh my gracious, this sounds amazing! I’m printing this out so I remember to make it. Thanks for sharing it with us at the Homestead Blog Hop, please come back again soon!
Thanks so much for visiting! We really love these pudding cups and hope you enjoy them, too. We’ll be sure to keep coming back!
Absolutely delicious – the perfect dessert for fall!
Thank you so much, Alexandra! I’m glad you liked it!
These are so cute, what a great fall treat.
Looks delicious!
These look perfect for the pumpkin lovers – I can’t wait to make these for my daughter!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Pumpkin pie without baking….. my kinda dessert!
Fabulous recipe, 1/2 tsp ginger was just right for me!
i love that these are individual sized desserts. makes it perfect for gatherings or portion control! 😉
Yes! And since there’s so much pumpkin in them, they’re really not as high calorie as other homemade puddings!
What a delicious pudding! I am always looking for ways to use pumpkin and this pudding is a definite keeper!
It looks delicious. I wish this were in front of me right now.
Just in time for the October pumpkin spice celebrations! Thank you for bringing them to Fiesta Friday.
Absolutely! Thanks for visiting!
Such a festive recipe! I love the enthusiasm throughout the directions. Really makes me exicted as I go along.
Tyanne, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Those pumpkin pie pudding cups turned out perfectly! My family loved it! Thank you!
Nora, I’m so glad you liked these! Thanks for trying them!