Persimmon Pudding is a traditional American dessert that is as old as America itself. This rich, decadent dessert is great to enjoy around the Fall and Winter holiday seasons. If you have not tried this Old-Fashioned Persimmon Pudding Recipe before, you are in for a real treat!
Although I am not quite sure if Persimmon Pudding originated from the South, it is often enjoyed here and folks have been making it since before the 1900s. Fall is the time that the Native American Persimmon Trees’ fruit ripens, and with that comes many persimmons desserts. Out of all the Persimmon desserts, this one may be my favorite.
What Is Persimmon Pudding?
Persimmon pudding is an old classic American Dessert. It combines the fresh pulp from persimmons, ( You can use any type of persimmon, but I prefer to use the Wild American Persimmons) egg, milk, and flour mixture.
It has cinnamon and butter that make a gooey delicious dessert that is truly a one-of-a-kind hit.
The texture will remind you of fudgy brownies where the edges are chewy and the inside is soft and gooey. It is lightly spiced and has hits of caramel.
It is one of those vintage recipes that not many people you know will have tried or had before. One bite though, and it will be a big hit.
It is typically served warm, with vanilla ice cream on top, whipped cream, Caramel sauce, or Hard Sauce.
Where Did Persimmon Pudding Originate?
Persimmon Pudding is an American dessert. It has its roots in Native American cuisine which used native fruits to make loaves of bread. Although this pudding is similar to English breakfast puddings such as English Toffee Pudding, Fig pudding, or Quince pudding, this one originated here in the US.
I am not for certain what part of the country this originated in, but I do know that the American Persimmon is native to the Southern US and we have always had the trees on our property growing up.
It is quite possible that the dessert was adapted from the Native American Indians and spread to the North and South. Either way, it is a delicious dessert that is quickly becoming my favorite recipe.
There are even festivals that are dedicated to the often unheard-of but interesting fruit. Two, in particular, are in North Carolina and as well in as in Mitchell, Indiana.
The First and Most Important Step
The first and most important step before we make this old-fashioned persimmon pudding recipe is to make sure you have ripe persimmons. I have a whole post dedicated to just this topic.
The main reason this is important is you do not want to eat an unripe persimmon. American Persimmons are Astringent as opposed to some of the Asian varieties like the Fuyu Persimmon, which is non-astringent.
Both types of persimmons can be used, but I prefer to use the American Classic for this traditional dessert.
If you don’t have access to American Persimmons though, just use ripe Hachiya persimmons or Fuyu Persimmons that you can often find in your local grocery stores.
Check out this post on Asian versus American Persimmons for more information about the two and their differences.
The Next Step is How To Make Persimmon Pulp
After you have made sure that you have ripe persimmons, the next step, no matter which variety you are using, is to make the persimmon pulp. I have a whole post dedicated to that process as well.
Once you have extracted your persimmon pulp, you will need 2 cups of pulp for this particular recipe. You can divide up the rest of your persimmon pulp, put it in plastic freezer-safe bags or plastic freezer-safe containers, and freeze it. It will last for up to a year like that.
How To Make Old-Fashioned Persimmon Pudding
First, let’s start with the ingredients you will need
Ingredients:
Fresh Persimmons
As mentioned earlier, I use native American Persimmons for my persimmon pudding recipe but you can use the Asian varieties if you prefer. You will need 2 cups of puréed pulp.
In my opinion, I would pick up (harvest) enough Persimmons to make more pulp than you need. That way when you go through the effort of processing the pulp you will have pulp that you can freeze for more recipes. A 1/4 of a 5-gallon bucket will produce about 8 cups of pulp.
Flour
You will need 2 cups of all-purpose flour.
Sugar
I normally use white sugar for this recipe but some people will use brown sugar. Brown sugar has more caramel notes and may change the texture slightly. Either way, you will need 2 1/2 cups of sugar.
Eggs
You will need 2 large eggs.
Milk
You will need 2 1/4 cups of whole milk.
Butter
You will need 4 tablespoons of melted butter.
Baking Soda
You will need 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda.
Baking Powder
You will need 2 teaspoons of Baking Powder.
Ground Cinnamon
You will need 1/2 teaspoon of ground Cinnamon.
Nutmeg
You will need 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
Vanilla Extract
I prefer to use Vanilla extract versus Vanilla flavoring. You will need 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Salt
I prefer to use Sea Salt or Kosher salt. If you use table salt it can impart an off flavor in recipes when cooking with it. You will need 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Directions
Before we begin the recipe, you will need to preheat the oven. Set the oven to 325 degrees F
In a Large Bowl or large mixing bowl, mix the persimmon pulp, sugar, eggs, and baking soda. I use a hand mixer on low speed for this.
Next, add the dry ingredients. (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt)
Then add in the reaming wet ingredients. (vanilla, milk, and melted butter).
Again, I use the hand mixer for this step. You can use a stand mixer as well.
If you do not have either one, you can just use a large spoon. The batter should be a little thinner than the cake batter, similar to the consistency of Pumpkin Pie Filling.
Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
Pro Tip: If you want to elevate this dish, try adding in some chopped pecans and some orange zest.
FAQ’s
How Can I Store Leftover Persimmon Pudding?
Store the leftover Persimmon Pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can You Freeze Leftover Persimmon Pudding?
Yes, you can freeze leftover Persimmon Pudding by cutting it into squares and wrapping each square in plastic wrap. Then place the wrapped squares in a freezer bag or plastic freezer container.
Next time you are looking for that perfect dessert during the holiday season that not many people may have had before, give this Old-Fashioned Persimmon Pudding a try. If you liked this recipe or have a question, leave us a comment below.
-Ronnie- Let’s get food junked
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