Lightly sweetened and full of autumn flavor, these chai-spiced Dairy Free Pumpkin Custards make a dreamy, creamy treat perfect for the fall season.
Made with coconut milk instead of dairy milk, these custards are dairy free and gluten free!
Quick Look: Dairy Free Pumpkin Custards
⏲️Ready In: 1 Hour, 5 Minutes
🍽Servings: 6
🥗Nutrition: 246 Calories
🥘Main Ingredients: Pumpkin puree, Coconut milk, Eggs, Maple syrup, Chai spices
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free
⭐Why You'll Love It: Simple dairy free custards with lovely spiced fall flavors - these are surprisingly easy and wonderfully cozy!
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Not feeling pumpkin pie for the holidays (although I've got you with Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie if you're looking)? These little dairy free pumpkin custards make a fantastic single-serve alternative!
These dairy free custards are lightly sweetened - they're more rich and creamy than overloaded with sweeteners.
Ready for all things custard? I've got Dairy Free Banana Custard and Creamy Coffee Chocolate Custard as well!
This post was last updated 11/4/25.
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Ingredients of note
PUMPKIN PUREE: You can use fresh or canned pumpkin puree, but your custards will likely set better with canned since it tends to be thicker. Don't use canned pumpkin pie mix!
SPICES: We'll use the classic chai spices here! Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and clove.
COCONUT MILK: For best results, use full-fat canned coconut milk!
MAPLE SYRUP: Be sure to use real maple syrup, not maple-flavored syrup.
EGGS: Necessary to make a baked custard that sets nicely. Currently, I don't have a substitute for eggs!
WALNUTS + PUMPKIN SEEDS: To make the toasted nut topping, I used a combination of walnuts and pumpkin seeds. You can use pecans if you'd like, or add oats to make more of a granola topping.
How to Make Dairy Free Pumpkin Custard
If you've never made your own custard before, it can be a little intimidating. But don't worry! It's very similar to making a Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie, which is just a custard filling in a pie crust!
- Prep the ramekins - This recipe makes 6 individual servings. Place the ramekins in a casserole dish or cake pan.
- Combine all custard ingredients - Whisk all the custard ingredients together until smooth. Pour into ramekins.
- Make water bath - Pour water into the casserole dish/cake pan to make a water bath for the ramekins. The water should reach about ¾ up the sides of the ramekins. This helps ensure even cooking!
- Bake custard - Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Make topping - Mix the streusel ingredients together and spread out on a baking sheet. Once custards are done, pop the streusel into the oven for about 10 minutes.
- Top and serve - Sprinkle the streusel over the custards and serve immediately!
Serving suggestions
I love the crunchy, toasted nut streusel as a topping for these custards! However, feel free to top the custards however you choose.
A few topping ideas:
- Coconut whipped cream
- Dusting of cinnamon
- Sprinkle of brown sugar or coconut sugar
- An oat-based streusel
- Simple toasted nuts
Feel free to customize the topping to fit your tastes!
I recommend serving these custards warm, but they are great served cold as well.
FAQs
Baking the custards in a water bath (ramekins placed in a dish that's filled with water) helps to ensure the custard bake evenly, so the outer edges of the custard doesn't set long before the middle.
Give the ramekin a little nudge - if the center jiggles slightly but isn't soupy, it's good to go!
It'll continue to cook and set after you take it out of the oven.
Absolutely! I love the crunchy spiced nut topping included, but you can use dairy free whipped cream or a simple cinnamon sugar dusting, just to name a few ideas.
Top tips from Chelsea
Mix the custard well. Whisk vigorously to make sure the custard mixture is completely smooth. If the custard is lumpy before it's baked, it'll be lumpy after it's baked.
The water bath does wonders. Don't skip the water bath! It helps ensure the custards cook evenly, so the outer edges don't get done long before the center.
More dairy free desserts
Looking for more dairy free dessert recipes? Try Gluten Free Apple Bundt Cake with Walnuts or Paleo Pumpkin Banana Bread.
Did you try this Dairy Free Pumpkin Custard recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
Print📖 Recipe
Chai-Spiced Dairy Free Pumpkin Custards
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Lightly sweetened and full of autumn flavor, these chai-spiced Dairy Free Pumpkin Custards make a dreamy, creamy treat perfect for the fall season.
Ingredients
For the Custard:
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 large eggs
For the Streusel Topping:
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, finely chopped
- ¼ cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ghee or butter, melted
- 1 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare 6 medium 4oz ramekins or 8 smaller ramekins by placing them in a cake pan or casserole dish. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, coconut milk, maple syrup, and egg, mixing well.
- Spoon (or pour using a spouted measuring cup) custard mixture into each ramekin, filling about ¾ full. Pour hot water into the baking pan (not into the ramekins!) until it ¾ the height of the ramekin. The hot water bath helps the custard to bake evenly, so you don't end up with uneven custard.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until filling is set. To know if the custard is set, gently shake the pan. If the outsides of each custard does not move but the middles jiggle slightly, it is ready to come out!
- Combine topping ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well to combine. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until dry.
- Sprinkle the tops of each custard liberally with streusel. Can serve warm or cold. The prepared custards will keep up to a week in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 medium ramekin
Anne says
I can’t seem to find the nutritional values. Are they available for recipes? Would love to make the above.
Chelsea says
Hi Anne! I typically don't calculate nutritional values for a recipe. There are many free services online where you can plug in a recipe and have it calculate for you - I believe myfitnesspal has one!