Pumpkin Pie Custard Cups are the perfect delicious & EASY treat when you crave pumpkin pie but don't want the hassle of making one! 

I'm not sure that I've ever made an easier dessert! I love pumpkin pie, but I don't love making pumpkin pie. These Pumpkin Pie Custard Cups are the PERFECT shortcut! 

You can whip them up in no time at all, and then let the Ninja Foodi pressure cooker do the rest for you. Don't you love set-it-and-forget-it kind of desserts? I sure do and I have to say, this recipe has become my favorite!

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If you haven't had custard before, be sure to try this recipe and I bet you'll be a fan just like I am! 

Want more Fall themed recipes like this one? Grab your copy of my new cookbook; Flavors of Fall ~ Ninja Foodi Cookbook by The Salted Pepper 

What is Custard? 

Custard is one of those things that, although made with mostly the same ingredients, can really vary in texture and thickness. Sometimes custard is thickened with flour or cornstarch, but in order to be considered a true custard, it also must be thickened with eggs. 

Some desserts that use custard are, Boston Creme Pie, Eclairs, Creme Brûlée, Flan and, of course, Pumpkin Pie Custard. 

Custard is very easy to make and this Pumpkin Pie Custard is probably the easiest of all, but there are some tips for getting the perfect custard every time. 

Tips for Making Pumpkin Pie Custard

Keep your ingredients cold

You want to get your ingredients out of the fridge just before making this custard. The reason is because, if your ingredients are warm, it can lead to the custard overcooking during the 7 minute pressure cooking time and that can cause the custard to curdle. 

Making custard is a delicate balance of cooking the eggs just right and not with too high of a heat for too long or it changes their structure and you end up with a grainy texture instead of a smooth texture. 

Use plain tap water as the thin liquid

When testing this recipe, I used plain old tap water right from the faucet. Not hot and not super cold. This makes a difference, believe it or not. Now, you can use bottled water if you prefer, just make sure it is right around room temp. 

Don't preheat your water for this recipe

I know many people start off with hot water to speed up the time to pressure. In most recipes, this does not make enough of a difference to matter. In this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Custard, it could. The time to pressure is cook time and is figured into the total pressure cook time.

So, if I use plain tap water and it takes about 7-8 minutes for my pot to come to pressure and you use hot water and it takes 4-5 minutes to come to pressure, your custard may not be cooked enough because you shaved off a few minutes of total cook time. 

Don't let the custard sit in the Ninja Foodi on keep warm longer than 7 minutes

This isn't the kind of recipe that you let natural release longer than the 7 minutes or just leave in the Ninja Foodi on keep warm for hours. Now, if you go over the 7 minutes by a few seconds, it's not a big deal at all. If you let the custard sit in the inner pot on keep warm for 25 minutes, you might overcook the custard. 

Can I make my own Pumpkin Pie Spice blend? 

Yes! If you can't find pumpkin pie spice in your grocery store or don't have all of the following ingredients, go ahead and make your own pumpkin pie spice blend. Here is how I made mine: 

Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Do I have to use canning jars to make this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Custard? 

No, you don't have to use the canning jars, but they are so easy to use and so cute! The canning jars I'm using are 4 ounce Ball brand canning jars that you can find in many places, like Walmart, Target, and even some grocery stores carry them. You can also find them on Amazon, but I think they are a little more expensive there. Here is the Amazon link, just in case you can't find them locally: Ball 4 ounce Quilted Jelly Jars

If you want to use another type of glass container, just make sure it has been rated for pressure cooking or there is a change it can shatter. If you want to use a silicone type of cup, you may need to adjust your time a little because silicone does not conduct heat as well as glass and it might take longer for the custard to cook. 

What I recommend when using anything other than the canning jars, is test your timing with 1 or 2 of the Pumpkin Custard Cups and that way, you won't ruin all 8 of them if your timing needs to be adjusted. 

Metal  or aluminum will conduct heat much faster than glass and I don't think it will be a great choice for this recipe. If you want to try it out, consider switching the pressure to low pressure instead of high. 

Since I have only tested this recipe using these 4 ounce canning jars, I cannot be more specific on times for other cooking vessels. 

The time will also be very different if you choose to make this in one large dish. You will need to increase your time and possibly decrease to low pressure as well. 

The idea is to balance the time and temp to get the custard cooked gently so the eggs don't become scrambled eggs and the cream doesn't curdle, so I really recommend using the glass jars for this reason. 

How to make Pumpkin Pie Custard in the Ninja Foodi

This is so easy, my friends. So easy. If you prefer to watch me make this pumpkin pie custard, I have a step-by-step video on YouTube: Pumpkin Pie Custard Cups in the Ninja Foodi

Gather your ingredients and measure them out. I like to use a mixing bowl that has a pour spout, this makes it even easier to fill those cute little jars! The one I use is the Classic Batter Bowl from pampered chef, but you can use any mixing bowl and ladle the custard into the cups or skip the hand mixing and just use a blender. 

Whisk 3 eggs with the sugar. Add pumpkin and spices. Whisk. Add vanilla extract, heavy cream, & half and half, whisk. 

Pour into 8 (4 ounce) canning jars. Each jar will have about ½ cup of the liquid custard. 

Place the lids on the jars and just hand tighten them. 

 

Pour 1 cup water into the inner pot. Place the jars in the basket. You can fit 5 jars in one layer and then put the 3 jars on top of the 5 jars. 

Place the pressure lid on and turn the black valve to seal. Set the Ninja Foodi to high pressure for 7 minutes. 

When the 7 minutes pressure cooking is complete, allow the Ninja Foodi to naturally release the pressure for 7 minutes. 

After the 7 minutes of natural release, manually release the remaining pressure. 

Remove the lid and carefully remove the jars. 

Allow to cool on the counter for about 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 4 hours. 

Top with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. 

Serve & Enjoy! 

For more great Fall recipes, be sure to grab your copy of my new cookbook: Flavors of Fall~Ninja Foodi Cookbook by The Salted Pepper