Pumpkin just projects a cheerful attitude, don't you think? It's hard to be cranky when you've got something pumpkin on your plate. Whether you associate it with the cozy vibes of fall celebrations or just look forward to it as a little seasonal pick me up, pumpkin is there to ease our transition into winter. I have a lot of favorite ways to eat pumpkin this time of year, as I'm sure you do too. Loaf cakes and pies, soups and pastas, it's all good.

This little recipe gets a friendly pumpkin custard to your table with very little mess or prep time. Consider it a quick pie fix without the need for the crust routine. I originally worked it up for a gluten free friend who was coming for dessert and found it's a treat everyone enjoys. We've even been eating it with breakfast which does bring some cheer to a suddenly dark morning.

You know I'm a fan of roasting your own pumpkin and freezing it for many uses. If I haven't converted you yet, my brief how to is below (though you can also sub in canned pumpkin here.)

Makes 4 custards
This easily doubles and can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a couple days.

3/4 c. roasted pumpkin or canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 c. milk (or almond milk)
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. light brown sugar + more for the tops

  1. Set a teapot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. In a blender on low, blend all the ingredients until smooth.
  3. Set four ramekins into a metal baking pan. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the ramekins, dividing it evenly.
  4. Carefully add hot water into the metal pan around the ramekins until it's about halfway up the sides.
  5. Bake for 50 minutes.
  6. Immediately remove the ramekins from the water bath and place on a rack to cool.
  7. When cool and ready to serve, brulee the tops for a little crunch. Add an even sprinkling of brown sugar to the top of each custard. With a torch, melt the sugar until it's just brown.

Is it breakfast? variation: Sub in 1/4 cup maple syrup for the brown sugar. No need to brulee the tops. Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of granola, if you like.

My favorite way to prep a fresh pumpkin:
Snap off the stem and split your pumpkin in half, top to bottom. Scrape all the seeds out with a big spoon and discard or save for a roasted snack. Place the pumpkin, flesh side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast at 350F for 1 hour. Flip over to cool. Portion and freeze what you don't need in a labeled freezer bag.