Easy Healthy Pumpkin Custard (Dairy-Free and Low-Carb)
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This healthy and delicious keto pumpkin custard recipe is like a crustless pumpkin pie, but so much easier! This sugar-free pumpkin pie custard is so simple to make, you can enjoy it any day, but it's fancy enough for special occasions.
Pumpkin Pie Flavor Anytime
My boys love pumpkin pie so much that every Thanksgiving and Christmas I literally make four healthy pumpkin pies, but this custard makes it easier to make them happy any time of year.
Years ago, I saw a recipe for pumpkin custard and was thrilled that it meets our family’s special diet needs.
It was dairy and egg-free so our son with those life-threatening food allergies could have it. I just knew I needed to make it, so I did. And made it better, if I may say so.
In fact, the family loved this Paleo Pumpkin Custard so much that I made 4 batches and watched in completely disappear in 2 days.
It seriously tastes like a pumpkin pie and is great for special diets including for those watching their carbs.
Ingredients
Here's what you will need to make this delish and healthy custard.
- Pumpkin: The star of the show.
- Gelatin – Creates that custard texture for your pumpkin. If you're vegan, agar agar will work well too. I like Great Lakes or Perfect Supplements. Get 10% off at Perfect Supplements with code WNM.
- Coconut Milk: Adds the dairy-free creaminess to this pumpkin custard. I recommend full-fat for the best texture. You can also use any other dairy-free milk (like my Easiest Almond Milk) or regular milk. Coconut and cashew milk will give the creamiest results.
- Stevia: Use whatever sweeteners you like; any should work. See Recipe Notes for more information.
- Salt : Balances out the sweetness and brings out the flavor of the custard.
- Vanilla: Enhances the flavor of the custard.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: The components in this spice blend could be used as well.
Special Diet Substitutions
- Vegan Option: If you'd like a vegan pumpkin custard, use the same amount of agar powder instead of gelatin.
- THM: This recipe is an “S” if you're on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
- AIP: Use coconut sugar, maple syrup or raw honey instead of stevia and the low-carb sweeteners for an AIP option.
Where to Buy the Jars In This Post
Several readers have asked about them, so here's a link to the super cute jars pictured in this post. You can of course use traditional ramekins or any other small (or large) container for serving this custard.
Recipe Notes
- Plastic Wrap for Chilling: Sometimes when making custard, it's recommended to chill the custard with plastic wrap on top in order to prevent “custard skin”. I don't do this because I kind of like the “custard skin”, and I don’t like plastic wrap. It's your call if you want to use it or not.
- Time-Saving Tip: The smaller dish you use, the faster your custard will firm up. So if your kiddos (or you) are hankering for a treat asap, then use very small ramekins, like these.
- Sweetener Types: When using sugar alternatives, using more than one can help with the flavor. One great option is a monk/erythritol blend. Erythritol can work also but you'll need about 30% more. Xylitol works but it does increase the carb count some and is lethal to dogs.
- Sweetener Amounts: If using honey or maple syrup as your sweetener, decrease the amount by about 25% since they're about that much sweeter than sugar. For the “other sweetener” part, if using honey or maple syrup, you'll use 3 tablespoons. If substituting for the stevia, use 9/16 cup.
- Stevia Tips: Pure Stevia Extract is up to 300 times as sweet as sugar, so be very careful when measuring it. This post talks about how to use stevia. If using another sweetener, substitute about 4 tablespoons for every 1/16 teaspoon of stevia.
Storage
You can store this custard in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
Topping Options
Pumpkin custard tastes fabulous on its own but tastes extra special with
- dairy-free ice cream
- dairy-free whipped cream substitute
- crushed Pumpkin Snickerdoodles or Pumpkin Cookies
- chocolate shavings
- chocolate chips
- candied cranberries
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
If you love pumpkin (like we do!), then be sure to check out these other healthy pumpkin recipes:
- Sugar-free Pumpkin Roll – This Pumpkin Roll is Easy, Gluten-free and Dairy-free and has both vegan and keto options. And it's yummy too, of course!
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice – great for all your pumpkin recipes
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Creamer – a dairy-free version that's healthier and tastes better than store-bought.
- Healthy Pumpkin Recipes – a collection of delicious pumpkin recipes that you can feel good about eating anytime!
- Pumpkin Chia Pudding – a paleo, vegan, and low-carb pumpkin version of chia pudding.
Easy Pumpkin Custard – paleo, low carb, vegan option
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon gelatin (or agar powder for vegan option–See Recipe Notes)
- 1 14 ounce can canned pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups – fresh will work too)
- 1 14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk (about 1 3/4 cups. Or other dairy-free or regular milk as desired. See notes.)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/8 teaspoon pure stevia extract (or 3/4 cup sugar equivalent of another sweetener. See alternatives in Recipe Notes)
- 1/8 cup additional other sweetener (low-carb preferred) (optional–see Recipe Notes)
- 1 3/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice; here is an AIP option)
Instructions
- Sprinkle the gelatin over water and stir thoroughly to avoid clumping. Let it sit until it gels up.
- While it's gelling, combine pumpkin, coconut milk, spices, and sweeteners in a pot until quite warm but not simmering.
- Remove pan from heat.
- Once the gelatin is somewhat solidified, whisk it throughly into the heated pumpkin mixture.
- Pour the blended pumpkin mixture into desired serving dish.
- If you would prefer to avoid "custard skin" on the top of your custard, put plastic wrap on top so that it directly touches the custard.
- Refrigerate until firm and enjoy.
Notes
-
- Plastic Wrap for Chilling: Sometimes when making custard, it's recommended to chill the custard with plastic wrap on top in order to prevent “custard skin”. I don't do this because I kind of like the “custard skin”, and I don’t like plastic wrap. It's your call if you want to use it or not.
- Time-Saving Tip: The smaller dish you use, the faster your custard will firm up. So if your kiddos (or you) are hankering for a treat asap, then use very small ramekins, like these.
- Sweetener Types: When using sugar alternatives, using more than one can help with the flavor. An erythritol/monk blend works well. Erythritol can work also but you'll need about 30% more. Xylitol works but adds some carbs.
- Sweetener Amounts: If using honey or maple syrup as your sweetener, decrease the amount by about 25% since they're about that much sweeter than sugar. For the “other sweetener” part, if using honey / maple syrup, you'll use 3 tablespoons. If substituting for the stevia, use 9/16 cup.
- Stevia Tips: Pure Stevia Extract is up to 300 times as sweet as sugar, so be very careful when measuring it. This post talks about how to use stevia. If using another sweetener, substitute about 4 tablespoons for every 1/16 teaspoon of stevia.
- Vegan Option: If you'd like a vegan pumpkin custard, use the same amount of agar powder instead of gelatin.
- THM: This recipe is an “S” if you're on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
- AIP: Use coconut sugar, maple syrup or raw honey instead of stevia and the low-carb sweeteners for an AIP option.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Enjoy the easy pumpkin pie goodness anytime!
Would love to hear what you think about it!
This is an amazing recipe!! I have made it 2 times now!! Once w acorn squash and then w pumpkin!! I changed up the spices just a bit. Great texture no skin on top. I used glass ramekins w lids!! Flawless!!!!
Hi Rene! So glad you like it!
I must be overlooking it, but I have read the post several times and cannot see how much maple syrup or raw honey I would add instead of 3/4 cup coconut sugar, in order to be compliant with AIP. This looks so delicious! I’m going to make two recipes now with very in amounts of maple syrup in one and raw honey in the other, but I hope you can respond for my future efforts. Thank you so much for all you do! I just love your recipes so I am giving this five stars in advance!
Hi there, Hungry, LOL. Love your name. I just updated the post to put that information in there. Are you avoiding stevia as well? I appreciate the kind words. I hope that all of the recipes you try work out. I have some I really need to update and don’t want to disappoint! I did the math for you as well :).
Thank you, Adrienne, for your fast response. I’m glad you chuckled over my “name.” I did make two recipes and I actually only put 1/4 cup raw honey in one recipe and 1/4 cup pure maple syrup in the other recipe… And they both turned out great! we thought that was sweet enough, but others might want perhaps 1/3 cup instead. This is definitely one of our favorite recipes, so we send kudos to you! We will be watching for more of your recipes, to be sure!
So glad to hear! I’m so happy you liked it. Feel free to reach out anytime and ask me if a recipe is good or not. It’s hard to get everything done that I need to do but I hope to get to all of the recipes that aren’t as good eventually!
PS. Yes, I am trying to avoid Stevia on the AIP program. My son can taste the bitterness, so I avoid it when I can. And some AIP lists exclude the use of Stevia. Thank you for always giving us alternative sweetener ideas to use!
Yes I’m familiar with the stevia issues regarding taste and the AIP issue. I have some information here about the taste problem that perhaps will help: https://wholenewmom.com/how-to-like-stevia/.
This is excellent information regarding Stevia, and I will try these tips that are new to me. Thank you so much for all your time and effort, and most of all for your wonderful recipes! Bless you!
I agree it’s so interesting! Thank you for the kind words! I hope to do a post about it. It’s fascinating.
I don’t remember if I ever told you how many times I’ve made the pumpkin custard. It is so delicious. I kind of go in spurts with it. I need to make more it is such a treat. I love pumpkin. Thank you for all you do and then sharing your hard work.
Awww Amber you made my day! What a sweet comment and I’m so glad you like it! I hope to have another pumpkin recipe up today or tomorrow. There’s a “bug” in our house so we’ll see but hopefully! Again, so appreciate the encouragement. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Mmm good I make this alot it’s just right for desert now they make Coco whip by so delicious for the top and some crumbled Vegan gingerbread double Mmm Thanks Marianne
So glad you like it – perfect toppings for sure! And you can totally make your own “Coco Whip” using this recipe: https://wholenewmom.com/how-to-make-coconut-whipped-cream/ I don’t have vegan gingerbread yet but good idea!
Can you make this with sugar instead of stevia? And how much sugar would you use per recipe? I have a family member with allergies and this would work great for Thanksgiving.
Hi there! I just updated the post for you – that should help! Let me know if you have any other questions and hope you like this! I have a great allergy free pie coming – what are the allergies?
I haven’t made this yet, but it sounds delicious and easy to make. I live alone, so I’m cooking for one. How long will these last in the refrigerator? Thanks ?
Hi there – sorry for the delay. I think about 3-4 days in the fridge. Let’s plan on 3. I’ll update the post – hope you like it!
For me, the flavor profile ends up being too much of the pumpkin spice and coconut milk and not enough of the pumpkin flavor itself. Maybe I did something wrong, but I was hoping for something close to pumpkin pie, and to me it’s not. Not speaking on the quality as far as recipes go, especially for dietary restrictions. ( I can’t eat gluten or egg whites due to allergy – so this checked those boxes. I just got wisdom teeth pulled so I wanted something soft to eat, pumpkin-y, to meet my dietary needs.)
Hi Savanah. First of all, so sorry for the late reply. Your comment got lost under a pile of them (plus other work, etc.). I’m so sorry about your wisdom tooth pain, and sorry that you didn’t think this was great. You mentioned possibly doing something wrong. Do you have any idea what that might have been? I’m glad it was an option for you with your dietary restrictions. I know how that goes because of our family’s situation and I try to make almost all of my recipes work for multiple food allergies.
If you remember, do let me know. I remembered your review now because another person just left a 5 star review so I wanted to see if I could help. Take care.
Although I have tried and tried to like stevia, I just CAN’T!. I have been type 2 diabetic for about 7 years, now, and although stevia is the one replacement they all say is best, I just can’t. I have tried erythritol; (sugar alcohols just aren’t good for you); swerve [The main ingredient used in Swerve utilizes glucose from Non-GMO corn for the fermentation process that ultimately yields erythritol. The oligosaccharides in Swerve are sourced from starchy root vegetables.] also not great, monkfruit (just the same as stevia IMHO)
But I recently found Bocha Sweet. YAY! Bakes, cooks and tastes just like sugar. It is kabocha extract, low heat temperature extraction. Use 1:1 ratio to sugar.
It has no insulin reactions, meaning it can be taken by T2 diabetics.
Also, won’t cause tooth decay!
I’m SOOOOOO Glad I found this. I don’t mind going without sugar, and actually have learned to cook without it in most recipes, but sometimes I have a recipe I’d like to try that requires sugar.
If you can’t do sugar, or are T2D, you might want to look into this.
PS:, yes, I’ve TRIED so many versions of stevia, The pure herb, ground up, and have lots of the flavored/unflavored drops from different brands; powders, etc. I even made my own extract, thinking THAT would work….but no. Still very bitter. Even just a few tiny particles left on my fingers is too much.
I’ve been wanting to try that – thanks for the reminder!
Adrienne, I also just found a product called ‘Wondrose’. It, too is 0 glycemic index. It is a combination of erythritol, non GMO soluble corn fiber, inulin and monkfruit. I probably won’t use it as much as I do the Bocha Sweet, but it is out there.
Thanks for sharing! How are you liking it? That corn fiber is interesting…I see some companies using it in their products.
Very yummy! Doesn’t take a lot time. It’s nice to have my pumpkin without all the things I shouldn’t have. I used Vital Proteins for my thickener and it worked fine. So glad I found this recipe. Thank you Adrienne for all your recipes! You are such a wonderful resource for eating healthy and for different health issues.
Awww thank you, Amber! I’m sooo glad it worked out for you. Your kind words mean SOOO much to me. You literally made my day. What a joy. It means more than you know. Working on more recipes right now–hope to have more good ones for you soon!
Just a 4 but only because I think I misread. I tried making the pumpkin custard. Unfortunately I added the water to the pumpkin mixture because i read about pumpkin first. Also I only had low fat coconut milk. I’m thinking that caused it to taste watery. I’ll try again. I highlighted about the collagen. I think i was too tired. Thanks
Hi again, Amber! Oops sorry I saw your other comment first. OK I hope your next try works out!
I must have a different set of taste buds than everyone else. I felt the coconut flavor overpowered the pumpkin – almost neutralizing it. My husband agreed. Also, it was not sweet enough.
The recipe is very easy to make, so I may give it another try. I will definitely add more sweetener and increase the pumpkin pie spice.
Do you think I can substitute almond milk for the coconut milk?
Hi Jane, so sorry you had that experience. I did just add some notes to the recipe about other options and yes you can do that. Almond milk isn’t as creamy but you might prefer it. Also, what coconut mlk did you use? I have been testing out various coconut milks for this coconut whipped cream, and the end result is so different depending on the brand. There was one that I really didn’t even want to eat since it was so coconutty! Hope that helps–did you happen to try it again? Sorry for the delay in responding.
Can I use Stevita drops? How much do you think? Also what about doing a little palm sugar with stevia? Does that lower acridity? Or pointless?
I think you’d want 1 7/8 tsp. Using liquid stevia conversion charts can be tough so not sure! Yes, you could do that w/ the palm. What are you concerned about exactly? Acridity? Thanks and sorry for the delay!
Hi – w Stevita and cutting it with palm or v coconut sugar I was worried about the bitterness and something I read about : I think called caloric disregulation.
Actually blending sweeteners is a great thing to do with low carb sweeteners. Really depends on the dish and the sweeteners. I talk about it in this post and in this one.
Regarding caloric disregulation, that is a good thing to wonder about. I have seen varying thoughts on it — this article talks about the mixed thoughts / results of studies. Of course with a dish, there are calories, and note that the article talks mainly about sugar-free sodas, which have no other nutrition in them at all. Perhaps that’s they key. As long as some calories are going in, it’s not a problem.
Getting a good stevia is key. I’m trying some more out right now. One that I do like is Omica – you can get 10% off using code wholenewmom.
Hope that helps!