Paleo Pumpkin Sweet Potato Custard was the finishing touch to our Thanksgiving holiday meal, and it’s incredibly easy to make.
This was my husband’s first Thanksgiving in the US — he’s from Scotland — so I wanted to make a simple but delicious feast for us, including something a bit sweet for dessert.
I don’t bake, though, so whatever I made had to be crustless and be mindful of his histamine intolerance; that meant avoiding eggs.
So, while this isn’t a true custard which contains milk or a dairy-free milk substitute plus eggs, it’s the closest thing I could replicate.
How To Thicken Custard Without Eggs
The texture is creamy and soft like a custard, plus it’s got a boost of gut-healing gelatin.
This is the gelatin I like: Vital Proteins Gelatin.
There are certainly other ways to thicken something like this Paleo Pumpkin Sweet Potato Custard recipe other than gelatin, so if you’re game to experiment, feel free.
Can You Use Chia Seeds To Thicken Custard?
I’ve used chia seeds successfully before, though it does change the texture.
The rest of our Thanksgiving meal included a brined and herbed ghee-slathered turkey, Beet and Brussels Sprout Salad, whipped sweet potatoes with sage browned ghee, cranberry orange walnut relish, and Nom Nom Paleo’s Easy Paleo Herb Gravy.
I served the Paleo Pumpkin Sweet Potato Custard with some coconut cream whipped with a pinch of cardamom.
How To Make Coconut Whipped Cream
To make a simple coconut whipped cream, follow these simple instructions:
- Refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk for 24 hours.
- Carefully open the can, scoop the hardened cream into a mixing bowl and pour off the water. (You can save the water or toss it… up to you).
- If you want, add a dash of vanilla extract.
- Then use an electric mixer to beat the hardened cream until it’s airy and light.
- Store any extra in the refrigerator for a day or so.
Why mix pumpkin and sweet potato in this custard? The pumpkin on its own can be a bit flat in flavor, and the sweet potato adds some extra natural sweetness.
But… if that combo doesn’t sound like your jam, feel free to do all pumpkin or all sweet potato.
Besides being delicious, pumpkin is a great source of fiber, potassium, and Vitamins A and C.
Paleo Pumpkin Sweet Potato Custard Recipe (Dairy-Free & Egg-Free)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup canned sweet potato puree
- 1 tbsp raw honey optional
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp ginger
- 1/2 cup coconut milk full-fat
- 1 tbsp gelatin grass-fed
Instructions
- Gather five small jelly jars or ramekins, about ¼ cup in capacity. You can make these as large or small as you’d like, so use what you have on hand.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, sweet potato, honey (optional if you’re limiting sugar, though this recipe isn’t very sweet), cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger until they’re well combined. Set aside.
- In a small pot, heat the coconut milk on medium-high heat until it’s warmed through but not boiling. Turn off the heat. Slowly add the gelatin while whisking constantly. Make sure it’s dissolved and there are no lumps.
- Now, slowly whisk the coconut milk / gelatin into the pumpkin and sweet potato mixture until well combined. Pour the mixture into the jelly jars or ramekins.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm. Store covered. Top with coconut whipped cream if you’re feeling sassy!
Recipe Notes
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29 Responses
Looks great! I’m able to eat eggs, could I substitute the gelatin for one egg?
Hi there…you’d probably be okay with an egg yes, but I haven’t tested it yet. I’d probably switch the method to one of making a traditional custard since you don’t want the eggs to curdle.
How do you make the coconut whip cream??
Hi Brittany…there are lots of recipes online (I don’t have one on my site), but here is one I know works: http://www.paleocupboard.com/fresh-berries-with-whipped-coconut-cream.html
Looks like we have the same taste 😉
This custard sounds really wonderful. I’ve been looking for a way to change up my snacks (I don’t do dessert with meals) and this sounds like it would work wonderfully for what I want. I do not follow the paleo diet, but I’m finding that I really like the way a lot of the paleo recipes are structured.
oh, that picture with kitty is the best :-)))
Sounds really delicious, some of those pictures up near the top had me drooling. No wonder your cat was so intrigued.
Any suggestion on how to skip the gelatin so this could be made vegan? Can I use Agar Agar?
Hi Renea,
I’m not super familiar with the proportions / methods to use for something like agar agar but I think it’d work!
this looks yummy! Any thoughts on a substitution for the gelatin? I don’t have any and want to make ASAP.
You could try agar agar but I don’t know how much you’d sub in. The back of the package would tell you how much agar agar to use to firm up a specific volume of liquid.
Can you use coconut sap instead of honey or is that too sweet, just started experimenting with it
If you’d like!
Is there an alternative to the gelatin? We have beef allergies so gelatin is a no-no.
You can use pork-based gelatin (Great Lakes orange canister) or perhaps some sort of agar agar.
Is the coconut milk the kind in the can and you just use the thick stuff at the top??
Yes, I used the kind in the can and no, I didn’t just use the thick stuff at the top. I shook the can and used the milk that way.
What kind of gelatin do you use/where do you get it? I couldn’t seem to find what I thought I was looking for at Sprouts just now =)
Hi Jessika! I usually get mine from Amazon and order either Great Lakes gelatin or Vital Proteins. You can use something like Knox from Sprouts and it’s usually in the baking aisle 🙂
Hi there, I’m planning to make this for or Tday meal this weekend but don’t know about sweet potato purée. I have some good organic pumpkin purée but could I make th sweet potato purée by boiling and mashing sweet potatoes?
You sure can!
love the recipes
Hi! This looks amazing!!! I make coconut custard with cornstarch. Never gelatin. Do you think this recipe would work with cornstarch as thickener instead of pork gelatin?
Hi there…I’m sorry but I really don’t know because I never use cornstarch in my cooking. You could give it a try and see what happens!
I’ve made this several times, it’s so easy to make and is the best quick breakfast. I’ve added butternut squash & turmeric, and usually top it with some warmed apple, quinoa & nuts. So good!!
Sweet!! Super glad to hear that, Sarah!
Could this be served warm or room temp? I love pumpkin pie warm with the whipped cream on top (thanksgiving staple) I think this would be a great substitute. It looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it!
If you serve it warm, the custard won’t be set. But what I’d do is take it out of the fridge once it’s set and let it come back to room temp. If you warm it once it’s set, the gelatin will basically melt.