Are you a fan of persimmons?
I am.
Until this year’s persimmon season, I probably wouldn’t have counted myself such an ardent fan. Mostly because I only remember eating persimmons twice in my adult life…
But that’s really because persimmon season is pretty short—only October-January each year.
Vegan Persimmon Pudding Inspiration
A kind neighbor gave my mom a whole bunch of persimmons this year, and she kindly gave some to me (thanks Mom!) with a request: invent a persimmon pudding.
An eggless persimmon pudding.
I decided that if my persimmon pudding was going to be eggless, I should just go all out, and make it vegan. And that’s how my Vegan Persimmon Pudding came about.
Experimenting with Vegan Persmimmon Pudding
Creating my first recipe with persimmons was fascinating. Not only is this fruit gorgeous , when you bake with ripe persimmons, the texture of the baked goods that result is reminiscent of the texture you get from baking with bananas or puréed pumpkin.
Also similar to baking with bananas or puréed pumpkin, persimmons can act as a binder in baked goods. Which is why my persimmon pudding can be eggless and vegan.
It’s also why this vegan persimmon pudding is so addictingly moist.
The Perfect Combo: Chocolate, Warm Spices, & Persimmons
Like pumpkin, persimmons pair well with warm spices and chocolate.
So my recipe calls for all spice, cinnamon, and chocolate chunks. Make my persimmon pudding with or without the chocolate chunks–it’s delicious either way–but I definitely prefer the addition of chocolate.
(Without chocolate, this persimmon pudding is more of a classic English-style pudding.)
Make Vegan Persimmon Pudding!
Make my Vegan Persimmon Pudding this persimmon season! It’s the perfect treat for your holiday table, or any time you can find persimmons.
How to Mash and Freeze Persimmons
As we discussed, persimmon season is short. But there’s a way you can enjoy this Vegan Persimmon Pudding almost anytime of the year: freeze your mashed persimmons for later use.
To mash persimmons for baking, first wait for them to ripen completely. That means that they’ll get kind of mushy, think like an overly ripe tomato (refer to my photos above of not ripe vs. ripe persimmons).
Then peel off the skin, which, if the persimmons are ripe, will quite literally just fall off.
Next, remove the fruit from the sepal/calyx (that’s the brown leafy-stem thing at the base of the persimmon).
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Now mash the persimmon fruit up with your hands or a fork, and freeze the persimmon in an air-tight container.
Side note: I like the texture that comes from mashing persimmons with my hands, rather than puréeing them to a completely smooth consistency.
Thaw the mashed persimmon overnight in the refrigerator, or on the counter at room temperature for about an hour before you plan to make my Vegan Persimmon Pudding.
And that’s it! I’ve kept mashed persimmon in the freezer fresh for up to a year. So freezing mashed persimmons is truly the perfect way to enjoy this fruit in baked goods year round.
A Few Things!
Use Ceylon Cinnamon
Did you know there are two types of cinnamon? Well, technically there are even more than that.
But the two main cinnamon groups are cassia and Ceylon. Cassia is what’s commonly found in the grocery store. Ceylon is more of a specialty spice, but I usually prefer it, and I certainly prefer it in this recipe. Ceylon cinnamon is a little sweeter, and less bitter than cassia cinnamon. As such, Ceylon cinnamon particularly complements the persimmon in this recipe.
Feel free to use whatever cinnamon you have on hand, but you can find my favorite Ceylon cinnamon here on Amazon [aff. link].
The Ramekins!
I developed this recipe for baking in 8 ounce ramekins. Use any 8 ounce ramekins you’ve got, but here are my favorites [aff. link]. I use them whenever I make my Audrey Hepburn Chocolate Mini Cakes, or any time I make personal-sized treats.
Vegan Persimmon Pudding
Ingredients
For the wet ingredients:
- ¾ cup mashed persimmon, about two persimmons
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup almond milk
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup flour
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp all spice
- ½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon
- ¾ cup chocolate chunks, optional, freshly chopped
Instructions
Prepare the persimmons
- If you haven’t already, peel and mash the persimmons. You know the persimmon is ripe and ready to peel if it looks and feels a little mushy—like an overripe tomato.
- If it the persimmon is ripe, it will be easy to peel the skin off with your hands. Then just take the persimmon fruit off of the sepal/calyx, place the fruit in a bowl, and mash with a fork and/or your hands.
- Measure out ¾ cup of mashed persimmon to use in this recipe. If you have any extra persimmon, freeze it. (See my tips for freezing mashed persimmon in the notes below, and my photo tutorial in the article above.)
Prepare the wet ingredients
- To a large mixing bowl, add the mashed persimmon, brown sugar, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until incorporated. Now add the almond milk, and stir until the almond milk is incorporated as well.
Add the dry ingredients
- Now add the flour, almond flour, baking soda, all spice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until just incorporated.
- Now add the chocolate chunks, if using.
Bake the pudding
- Oil 5 or 6, 8 ounce ramekins. (If you use chocolate chunks, you’ll use 6 ramekins; if you don’t use chocolate chunks, you’ll use 5 ramekins.)
- Fill each ramekin with an even amount of batter. (The ramekins will be about ¾ of the way full.)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the top of each pudding is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Note if you don’t use chocolate chunks, the pudding will finish baking closer to 30 minutes; if you use chocolate chunks, the pudding will finish baking closer to 35 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
- The persimmon pudding will reach its final texture after cooling completely. Let cool for at least one hour before serving.
- Serve the pudding alone, with vanilla ice cream, or a glass of almond milk.
26 Responses
Wow. These sound amazing! I haven’t had a persimmon in years, and I only ate them as is. I can just imagine them cooked like little muffins. Really nice.
Thanks so much Mimi! Yes, this was my first time baking with persimmons and now I’m OBSESSED haha 😄. My new favorite dessert right here!!
I have never even eaten a persimmon! I have been seeing these beauties all over the blogs and I feel like I’m missing out. These gorgeous puddings look and sound absolutely delightful, Shannon – I would definitely love the chocolate version!
Thanks so much Katerina! I am such a fan of persimmons now, you definitely need to try them! Got to take advantage of their short season! 😋♥️😋
Yum this looks so good. Would be perfect with my cup of coffee.
Thanks Rahul! Oh I bet that would be an excellent combo! 😋
Your recipe looks really good but I must admit that I have never tasted a persimmon. Not that I haven’t had the opportunity. My husband loves them and often brings them home when he can find them. I just never tried. one.I’ll have to keep your persimmon tips and this recipe on hand to make for him.
Thanks Judee! Hope your husband enjoys this pudding! Persimmons are a recent discovery for me, and now I find myself looking forward to persimmon season each year. 😋
Interesting! I have to admit that I’ve never baked with persimmons. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a persimmon! Since we’re heading into the right season, I’ll have to keep an eye out to see if I can find some in the store. And I love all the warming baking spices in there, Shannon!!
Thanks David! Haha I so relate, Persimmons are a new addition to my favorite fruits to bake with. If you see any persimmons this year, definitely give them a try!
I always love when I stumble onto persimmons in the market around the holidays. They’re such a treat. Usually, I just eat them out of hand, but I’ll bet they’re fantastic in a pudding like this! I never considered pairing them with chocolate. Sounds great!
Thanks Jeff! Chocolate and persimmons are such a great combo. 😋
Great recipe! I can’t believe it doesn’t have eggs! Five persimmons made 1 1/2 cups of persimmons. I doubled this recipe and used three loaf pans since I didn’t have ramekins. They were so moist and delicious. My family scarfed them down. Next time I’ll wrap some slices and try freezing some to enjoy later.
Thanks for commenting! I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit with your family, and that the loaf pans were a successful substitute.
I made these almost exactly as written and they turned out great!
– I worried they’d be dense, so I added a half teaspoon of baking powder. Pretty sure it was unnecessary — they’re puffy as hell!
– I made half the batch as mini-muffins; they needed about 18 minutes at 350.
– I subbed extra creamy oat milk for the almond milk; no ill effects as far as I can tell.
Thanks for commenting Jennifer! So happy to hear the vegan persimmon pudding turned out. Great idea using a mini muffin tin!
Sounds great! Can you freeze baked muffins and then thaw and reheat?
Great question! I’ve never tried it myself, but these should freeze, thaw, and reheat well. After thawing, I’d reheat the persimmon pudding in a 200-250 degree oven for 7-15 minutes. Thanks for your question, hope you enjoy the recipe!
Could this yummy looking pudding be made gluten free? Maybe by subbing gluten free flour?
Hello, thanks for your interest in this recipe! That’s an excellent question. I’ve never made this pudding with gluten-free flour before, but I’d imagine that subbing the flour with a gluten-free blend, like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking 1:1, would work. The bake time could change slightly as a result, so be prepared to take the puddings out a little earlier, or a few minutes later. I’ll try using gluten free flour this persimmon season and make a note on the recipe card about the results!
So good! I followed the recipe as written, came out perfectly. No leftovers. Will be making again many times before persimmon season is over.
That’s great to hear, thanks Nel!
They are delicious! This recipe is a keeper! We have a tree that produces a lot of fruit every year. I’m always looking for recipes! Thank you!
Thanks for your kind words Rita! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe. How amazing to have a persimmon tree, I envy you!
Excellent recipe! I make it every year during persimmon season, and a few times the rest of the year with the persimmons I freeze.
That’s great to hear Ellen, thanks for commenting!