Persimmon Pudding

Steamed persimmon pudding is a classic American dessert that shows up at holiday tables across the Midwest and South. Dense, moist, and warmly spiced with cinnamon and rum, it’s closer to a British Christmas pudding than anything you’d call “pudding” in the modern sense.

The persimmon puree and baking soda get mixed first and set aside while you prepare the rest. This is a critical step: the baking soda reacts with the tannins in the persimmon, neutralizing any astringency and thickening the puree into a stiff paste. That paste gives the finished pudding its characteristic dense, sticky texture.

Two hours of steaming in a covered mold over simmering water cooks the pudding gently and evenly. The steam creates a moist environment that produces a texture you simply can’t get from baking. It’s soft, almost fudgy, studded with walnuts and raisins.

Chef Tips

• Use fully ripe persimmons. Underripe persimmons are extremely astringent and will make the pudding bitter and mouth-puckering. Ripe Hachiya persimmons should feel almost like water balloons.
• Make sure water circulates under the mold. A rack, trivet, or Mason jar ring on the bottom of the pot keeps the mold elevated.
• Keep the water at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Boiling jostles the mold and can make the pudding cook unevenly.
• Serve warm with hard sauce, whipped cream, or brandy butter.

Variations

• Use pecans instead of walnuts for a sweeter, more buttery nut flavor.
• Add a teaspoon of ground ginger or nutmeg alongside the cinnamon.
• Drizzle with warm caramel sauce instead of traditional hard sauce.