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This Pumpkin Budino with Salted Caramel is a labor of love, but SO worth it! Silky pumpkin custard is smothered with a homemade salted caramel and dusted with flaky sea salt. It’s the perfect combo of salty and sweet and such a showstopper!
For more delicious pumpkin desserts, check out this Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie, this Pumpkin Bread Pudding, and these Pumpkin and Chocolate Crepes.
Pumpkin Budino with Salted Caramel
It’s no secret that when I make a dessert, I sort of go all out. My desserts don’t typically include a lot of shortcuts, and sometimes there are several steps, but the end result is always worth it. Take for example this Banana Cream Pie or these Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars, which are both heavenly, but require a bit of dedication.
Today’s Pumpkin Budino is no exception. It’s a somewhat labor intensive recipe, with layers of silky-smooth, rich pumpkin custard, crushed pumpkin Joe Joe’s (From Trader Joe’s if you aren’t familiar), and homemade salted caramel. I promise, as you close your eyes while spooning in spoonful after spoonful, you’ll be thankful you took the time to make it from scratch. Plus, it’s something you can easily make ahead, and the recipe yields quite a bit, so it’s a sure-fire way to impressive a group full of people.
What is Pumpkin Budino?
When I posted some pre-processed photos of the end result in Instagram stories, I actually got quite a few questions on what a budino was.
And the real definition is kind of blurry because every cook has their own method and ingredients, but here’s the short story. It’s basically an Italian form of pudding. From my understanding, it’s a bit more solidified in texture than a classic pudding, and instead of using just whole milk, heavy cream is the star ingredient, facilitating a richer custard.
Basically, it’s a custard-lover’s dream, and my version, with the addition of smashed pumpkin Joe Joe’s and seriously delicious salted caramel, really takes it over the edge.
I’m not even suuuper into sweet desserts, but this is something I could every single day for the rest of my life and never tire of it. It’s THAT good. Sweet, but not cloyingly so. Silky-smooth, but there’s also plenty of texture from the crushed cookies. And that salty bite, balances out the sweetness perfectly.
How to make the Pumpkin Budino
- Whisk egg and egg yolks together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk remaining milk and cornstarch together in a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
- Whisk 1 1/2 cups milk, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt together in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Once the milk mixture is scalding, while whisking the eggs, slowly ladle in a little bit of the hot milk and cream mixture into the eggs, a little bit at a time. Once you’ve added about half of the milk mixture, slowly whisk the egg and milk back into the sauce pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Use a wooden spoon to constantly stir the mixture until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly whisk the milk and cornstarch mixture in with the milk, cream, and eggs in the saucepan.Continue to stir the mixture until it becomes very thick, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in pumpkin puree, bourbon and 2 tbsp butter. Pour about 1/4 to a 1/3 cup of custard into dessert bowls or ramekins. Top with one crushed Joe Joe. Pour 1/4 to a 1/3 cup more over the cookies.
- Before serving, drizzle with salted caramel and sprinkle with sea salt.
Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success
- Be sure to CONSTANTLY watch as the custard cooks. Because we’re warming eggs up, they can curdle. You always want the heat too low, instead of too high, because you can’t come back from curdled/scrambled eggs.
- I used this recipe this recipefor salted caramel, but you could also just buy it to reduce the amount of work you need to do.
- You can make these ahead of time, but the cookies will get soggy – they’re still be delicious though! Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to keep it from getting a film. Don’t add the salted caramel until just before serving.
- Serve room temperate or cold!
Pumpkin Budino with Salted Caramel
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 large pinch nutmeg and ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 8 crushed pumpkin Joe Joe's, crushed
- 1 batch salted caramel (see notes for recipe link)
- flaked maldon salt for garnish
Equipment
- Sauce pan
Instructions
- Whisk egg and egg yolks together in a small bowl. Whisk remaining milk and cornstarch together in a liquid measuring cup.
- Whisk 1 1/2 cups milk, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg,ginger and salt together in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Once the milk mixture is scalding, while whisking the eggs, slowly ladle in a little bit of the hot milk and cream mixture a little bit at a time. Once you've added about half of the milk mixture, slowly whisk the egg and milk back into the sauce pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Use a wooden spoon to constantly stir the mixture until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk the milk and cornstarch mixture in with the milk, cream, and eggs in the saucepan.
- Continue to stir the mixture until it becomes very thick, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in pumpkin puree, bourbon and 2 tbsp butter. Pour about 1/4 to a 1/3 cup of custard into dessert bowls or ramekins. Top with one crushed Joe Joe. Pour 1/4 to a 1/3 cup more over the cookies. Place in the fridge and let cool for 1 hour.
- Before serving, pour cooled salted caramel on top so that it covers the entire surface. Garnish with flaked sea salt.
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