These gingerbread maple pots de creme are a festive, spicy, and lightly sweet holiday dessert. They’re delicious and creamy on their own, or you can also add a dollop of your favorite whipped topping!
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Thank you to my friends at Celestial Seasonings for sponsoring this post (originally published in 2014).
You know what just screams the holidays to me? Gingerbread. It’s one of my favorite seasonal flavors, and I enjoy it this time of year in everything from drinks to baked goods.
I recently realized I didn’t actually have any gingerbread-related recipes here on the blog, though – blasphemy! Time to change that. Let’s mix it up from the standard cookies though, shall we? Introducing: Gingerbread Maple Pots de Creme.
Maple Pot de Creme with Gingerbread Spice
Have you heard of pot de crème before? It’s a French dessert, very similar to custard, but a bit looser. The name translates to “pot of cream.” Fun, right? These are decadent, luscious, and oh so flavorful!
My variation on these cute desserts feature my current favorite holiday tea, which is Gingerbread Spice. (Matt’s favorite, in case you are wondering, and my runner up, is Candy Cane Lane. Although Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride is pretty epic as well.)
How to Make Pots de Creme
These pots de crème are easy to throw together. They make a super cute (and refined flour/refined sugar free) dessert for a holiday party! The gingerbread flavor is unexpected and festive, and pairs well with the sweet maple syrup.
Pots de Creme Ingredients
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- milk (2% or whole milk work best, in order to make that creamy consistency)
- pure maple syrup
- Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread Spice tea bags
- egg yolks
- vanilla extract
You might also love this cinnamon maple latte!
Start by preheating your oven to 300 degrees F. On the stovetop, combine milk, maple syrup, and tea bags over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes, then take out the tea bags.
Separate 4 egg yolks from their whites, and place into a large bowl with the vanilla extract. Pour the milk mixture into the egg/vanilla mixture while whisking together. (Do this slowly to avoid curdling the egg yolks!).
Once everything is combined, pour equal amounts of the mixture into small, oven-safe jars or ramekins. (I used four 8-oz jars).
Put the jars in a shallow baking dish and fill the dish with hot water. Make sure the water reaches halfway up the sides of the jars. Cover the entire dish with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the custard is set (barely jiggles when shaken).
Place the jars in the fridge (uncovered) until cooled. Once cool, enjoy! Or, store in the fridge for up to 3 days. (If storing for longer than an hour, put lids on the jars while they’re in the fridge).
If you like, serve them with a dollop of whipped cream for garnish, which will offer a nice contrast to the sweet, spicy custard. I used this recipe for coconut whipped cream, sweetened with 2 tablespoons maple syrup.
I hope you love them, too! The full gingerbread maple pots de creme recipe is at the bottom of this post.
What’s your favorite gingerbread-related food/recipe?
Looking for more dessert/holiday-inspired recipes? Check these out:
- Gingerbread Pecan Butter
- No Bake Vegan Lemon Bars
- Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Quinoa Bars
- Chocolate Coconut Almond Energy Balls
- Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Sweet Potato Muffins with Coconut
Here are a few other fun Celestial Seasonings tea-inspired holiday recipes for you to check out:
- Candy Cane Lane Tea Cupcakes & Icing
- Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Oatmeal
- Tea Glazed Chocolate Gingerbread Loaf
Maple Gingerbread Pots de Creme
This simple, spicy, and lightly sweet maple gingerbread pots de creme makes a great holiday dessert, and it's refined sugar free and flour free, too!
Ingredients:
- 1 & 1/2 cups milk (2% or whole)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread Spice tea bags
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine milk, maple syrup, and tea bags in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then remove the tea bags.
3. Place the egg yolks and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the egg yolks very slowly while whisking constantly to avoid curdling the egg yolks. Once all the milk is incorporated, divide the mixture into four 8 oz jars or ramekins.
4. Place the jars in a shallow baking dish, then fill the dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the jars. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the custard is set and barely jiggles when shaken.
5. Remove the jars and place in the fridge, uncovered, until cool. Serve when cold or cover with a lid and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
