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

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.

vegan persimmon pudding

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.

Some gorgeous persimmons that are not yet ripe for baking.
Ripe persimmons ready for baking. Note how the skin on these persimmons that are ready for baking is less taute than the skin on the unripe persimmons in the previous photo.

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.

vegan persimmon pudding

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.)

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vegan persimmon 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.

vegan persimmon pudding

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.

vegan persimmon pudding

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.

vegan persimmon pudding

Next, remove the fruit from the sepal/calyx (that’s the brown leafy-stem thing at the base of the persimmon).

vegan persimmon pudding

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.

vegan persimmon pudding

A Few Things!

Use Ceylon Cinnamon

Did you know there are two types of cinnamon?  Well, technically there are even more than that.

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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].

vegan persimmon pudding


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
4.86 from 14 votes

Vegan Persimmon Pudding

Studded with chocolate chunks and full of warm spices, my Vegan Persimmon Pudding is the perfect treat for persimmon season.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 5
Print Recipe

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.

Notes

This persimmon pudding is vegan and vegetarian.
You can freeze persimmons.  Simply peel your ripe persimmons, and mash the fruit with your hands and/or a fork.  Store mashed persimmon in an air-tight container in the freezer until ready to use. 
Mashed persimmon will stay good in the freezer for up to a year! (Perhaps even longer, I’ve just never tried it.)
When you’re ready to use frozen mashed persimmon in this recipe, simply thaw it overnight in the fridge, or on the countertop about an hour before you plan to use it.