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Pawpaw Pudding
A silky, custard-like baked pudding that showcases the pawpaw's tropical-banana-mango flavor. This is Appalachian comfort food at its finest — rich, warming, and deeply satisfying. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups ripe pawpaw pulp, seeds and skins removed
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ tsp salt
Contains: cereals gluten, eggs, milk.
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish.About 5 min
- Scoop pawpaw pulp into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Measure out 2 cups.About 5 min
- In a large bowl, whisk together pawpaw pulp, milk, cream, eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.About 3 min
- Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together, then fold into the wet mixture until just combined.About 3 min
- Pour batter into prepared dish and bake for 45 minutes until set in the center — a knife inserted near the center should come out clean. The top will be lightly browned.About 45 min
- Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm, scooped into bowls with whipped cream or ice cream.About 2 min
Tips
- Pawpaws ripen quickly — use them within 2–3 days of picking or buying.
- Fully ripe pawpaws have deeply aromatic, custard-yellow flesh with an almost custardy texture when raw.
- Don't eat pawpaw seeds — they contain acetogenins and should be discarded.
Ring the changes
- Add ½ cup crushed gingersnaps to the batter for spiced ginger notes.
- Swirl 3 tbsp bourbon into the batter for an adults-only Appalachian version.
Keeping it
Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days. Can be served cold or reheated at 300°F for 10 minutes.
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