Classic Persimmon Pudding Recipe – Gluten Free or Traditional!
Craving an old-fashioned holiday dessert? You’ll love this classic persimmon pudding recipe, with gluten free and traditional options. Featuring Hachiya persimmons and cozy fall spices, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving and holiday gatherings!
Updated November 10, 2025
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This holiday season, I’m sharing my cherished family recipe for persimmon pudding, passed down from my Great-Aunt Sena. It brings back warm memories of Thanksgiving road trips. Our first meal was in Palm Desert. Aunt Sena made the best mashed potatoes (just a little bit chunky!), and the most delicious persimmon pudding topped off with homemade whipped cream. Divine!
After that, we’d head to Granada Hills to see my mom’s side of the family. I don’t remember much about the food, but the highlight was playing with my cousins. Then we’d drive back to San Diego, bellies full and contentedly stuffed.
These days, we celebrate Thanksgiving at my in-laws who live less than 5 miles away. There’s lots of delicious food and gluten-free pies, but persimmon pudding still holds a happy place in my memories. Which is why I created this recipe with a gluten-free option, so everyone can give it a try!
Why you’ll love this persimmon pudding recipe:
What is Persimmon Pudding?
Persimmon pudding is a traditional American dessert with a moist, dense texture similar to bread pudding. Made with sweet persimmon pulp and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, this comforting dessert is perfect for fall and winter holidays.
Persimmon Pudding Ingredients
- Fresh Persimmons. Use ripe Hachiya persimmons: These should be very soft, almost jelly-like inside. If they’re not ripe when you buy them, allow them to ripen at room temperature before using.
- Flour. Either gluten-free or all-purpose. I’ve made this with my 3-Ingredient All-Purpose Flour Blend (without xanthan gum) and King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour (with xanthan gum). The xanthan-free version is a little less firm, but both taste delicious!
- Milk. This recipe, as written, uses 2% cows milk. Try it with lactose-free milk for a low FODMAP option, or with plant-based milk for a dairy-free version.
- Eggs. Use 2 large eggs. I haven’t created an egg-free version, but you could try this recipe with chia or flax eggs as an alternative. If you do, please LMK how it turns out!
- Spices. Nutmeg and cinnamon add cozy, fall, and winter holiday flavor!
- Pantry Staples. Sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Optional. Serve with homemade or store-bought whipped cream. Ice cream would be delicious too!
Tips for Perfect Persimmon Pudding + Storage
- Use ripe Hachiya persimmons: These should be very soft, almost jelly-like inside. Unripe persimmons are highly astringent.
- Water bath is key: This creates gentle, even heat that prevents the edges from overcooking.
- Individual servings: You can make this in a baking dish and slice it into servings. Or, bake in oven-proof ramekins or pottery bowls (like these pretty East Fork Pottery bowls) for elegant individual portions.
- Storage & Meal Prep: It’s unlikely you’ll have any leftovers, but if you do, you can store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, make your persimmon pudding ahead of time and reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds or warm in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
Persimmon Pudding Recipe (Gluten Free and Traditional)
Ingredients
- 3 Hachiya persimmons, Skin & core removed
- 1 cup 2% cows milk, see notes for dairy free option.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend, See notes; or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, decrease to 1/2 tsp if using all-purpose flour.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Fresh or prepared whipped cream, Optional, for serving.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Prepare the persimmons. Remove the skin and core from the persimmons. If the flesh is very soft, use as is. If you want a smoother consistency, puree in a blender until smooth. You'll need 1 cup of (about 2 1/2 persimmons) pulp.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Mix the persimmon pulp with milk, beaten eggs, and melted butter in a bowl with a hand mixer.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Prepare the batter (two options). Lightly grease a 9 x 9 glass baking pan with avocado oil spray and add the batter. Or, lightly grease 6 oven save bowls, custard cups, or ramekins and divide the batter between them.
- Prepare the water bath. Place the baking dish OR the individual dishes in a larger pan filled about 1/2 way with water. Note: You may need two larger pans hold six individual servings.
- Bake. Place the water bath with baking pans in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness (it should be clean). Bake an additional 15 minutes (or more) if needed. Note: If you need to bake on two seperate oven racks, switch the pans midway. My individual bowls took 45 minutes to 1 hour to bake, depending on what oven rack they were on.
- Cool and serve while still warm. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Slice into six servings or serve in individual baking dishes. Top with optional whipped cream or ice crem if desired.
Notes
- Gluten-free flour. You can make this with my gluten-free flour blend (no xanthan gum) or your favorite gluten-free flour blend, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure.
- Low FODMAP option. Use lactose-free milk.
- Dairy-free option. Use plant-based milk.
- Baking soda note: Add 3/4 teaspoon when using gluten-free flour and 1/2 teaspoon when using all-purpose flour.
- Persimmons. Hachiya persimmons are ideal for this recipe. These acorn-shaped persimmons must be completely ripe (soft and squishy) before use. The Fuyu variety, which is firm and eaten like an apple, won’t work for this pudding recipe as it doesn’t have enough moisture.
- Storage & reheating. Store leftover persimmon pudding covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds or warm in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Let’s Chat! Have you ever made persimmon pudding before? Do you have a cherished family recipe that brings back childhood memories? I’d love to hear about your favorite holiday desserts and traditions in the comments below!
