Cracker Barrel Pumpkin Custard N’ Ginger Snaps

Cracker Barrel Pumpkin Custard N’ Ginger Snaps is a seasonal offering at the Cracker Barrel Old Country store. Looking for something other than pumpkin pie? This is a rich and creamy homemade custard with a ginger snap topping and a dollop of pumpkin pie spice-infused whipped cream.

If you aren’t near one of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, you can still sample the flavor of this dessert with this copycat recipe.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is known for its seasonal offerings, one of which is Pumpkin Custard N’ Ginger Snaps. This delectable dish is a rich and creamy custard with a topping of ginger snaps and a dollop of whipped cream infused with pumpkin pie spice. This is the perfect dessert if you are looking for something other than pumpkin pie, and you can make it at home with this copycat pumpkin pie recipe.

Pumpkin is a wonderful fall flavor, and this pumpkin custard recipe became one of my favorites after I first tried it for one Thanksgiving dinner. I honestly don’t know why we don’t prepare more dishes with pumpkin, which can be made sweet or savory. This dish has delicious and complex flavors, and you can prepare it as one large family-style dessert or in individual custard dishes.

• Click here for more copykat pumpkin recipes.

If you have never made a custard, don’t let this stop you from trying. Custard making isn’t too complicated. This pumpkin custard recipe begins as a stovetop pumpkin custard cooked in a double boiler before it gets baked in the oven. If you don’t have a fancy double boiler, simply take a medium-size pot, fill it with a couple of inches of water and place a heatproof metal or glass mixing bowl on top.

Custard Making Basics

Custard is a rich, thick, creamy dessert that can be sweet or savory. Its basic ingredients are eggs or egg yolks, cream or milk, flavorings (nutmeg, vanilla, etc.), and, optionally, sweeteners (e.g., sugar or honey). Basic custards use eggs alone for thickening and setting. Some custard recipes use a small amount of starch for more thickening power – cornstarch, flour, tapioca, arrowroot, potato starch. 

Custards can be prepared in two ways:

• Stirred: Gentle cooking on the stovetop 
• Baked: In the oven (in this recipe, the stovetop pumpkin custard is followed by baking in the oven). 

After cooking, custards are allowed to cool to gel further.

Custards can comprise an entire dessert such as cheesecake, crème brûlée, and flan, or be part of a dessert-like a pastry cream for éclairs or cream puffs.

How to Store Custard

The custard needs to be refrigerated. After cooking, let the custard cool for about 5-10 minutes. Take a piece of plastic wrap big enough to cover the custard and pierce it in about a dozen places with a toothpick. Place the pierced wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate it to set. The wrap should touch the custard’s surface to prevent milk proteins from forming a thin crust on the top. The custard will keep it this way for 2-3 days. You can even freeze custard – click here to read how.

Cracker Barrel Pumpkin Custard with Gingersnap Crust

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

• Egg yolks
• Pumpkin puree
• Heavy whipping cream
• Granulated sugar
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Vanilla
• Ginger snap cookies
• Butter

How to Make Pumpkin Custard

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk egg yolks until they are creamy.
2. Add pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk until well-blended.
   
3. Cook custard mixture in a double boiler, stirring until the custard has thickened and a spoon remains coated when inserted into the custard.
4. Pour the custard into ramekins or a baking dish.
5. Bake the custard at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes for ramekins or 30 to 35 minutes for baking dish, until a spoon is inserted comes out clean.
6. Combine crumbled gingersnaps and melted butter.
7. Halfway through baking, sprinkle the crumb mixture over the custard.
   
8. Allow the custard to cool to room temperature.
9. Just before serving, combine whipping cream and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until the cream is thickened to firm peaks.
10. Serve the pumpkin custard with pumpkin pie spiced whipped cream.

Love Cracker Barrel desserts? Try these delicious copycat recipes!

• Banana Pudding in a Jar
• Chocolate Cobbler
• Chocolate Coca Cola Cake
• Old Fashioned Carrot Cake
• S’more Dessert
• Strawberry Shortcake

Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

• Better than Starbucks Pumpkin Bread
• Layered Pumpkin Dessert
• Olive Garden Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Latte Starbucks
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pie Dip
• Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Check out more of my Thanksgiving dessert recipes and the best copycat Cracker Barrel recipes here on CopyKat!