Milk Pudding with Dried Figs and Cinnamon

Introduction

Finely grated dried figs give this milk pudding body and texture, while a short 10-minute bake sets it just enough to hold in individual bowls. You serve it cold with ground cinnamon, which makes it a practical make-ahead dessert for a small dinner or a simple fridge dessert for the week.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup (240 g) white granulated sugar

4 cups (900 ml) milk

1 cup (240 g) finely-grated dried figs

Ground cinnamon

Instructions

Stir sugar into milk, bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Gradually add figs, stirring continuously.

Pour into earthenware serving bowls and bake in moderate oven (350°F or 180°C) for 10 minutes.

Chill and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Serve cold.

Variations

• Use whole milk for a richer pudding with a softer, creamier finish, or use 2% milk for a lighter result that sets a bit firmer.
• Replace up to half of the finely-grated dried figs with finely-grated dried dates for a darker sweetness and a slightly smoother texture.
• Reduce the white granulated sugar to 3/4 cup if your dried figs are very sweet; the pudding will taste less sweet and the fig flavor will stand out more.
• Bake the pudding in ramekins instead of earthenware serving bowls if that is what you have; the texture stays the same, and smaller ramekins may chill faster.

Tips for Success

• Grate the dried figs finely so they distribute evenly through the milk instead of sitting in chewy pieces.
• Bring the milk just to a boil, then remove it from the heat right away to avoid scorching or a cooked-milk flavor.
• Stir continuously while adding the figs so they do not clump when they hit the hot milk.
• After the 10-minute bake, the edges should look set and the center should still have a slight wobble; it will firm up more in the fridge.
• Chill the pudding fully before sprinkling with ground cinnamon if you want the cinnamon to stay dry and defined on top.

Storage and Reheating

Store the pudding in its serving bowls covered tightly, or transfer it to airtight containers. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezing is not recommended. The milk base can separate after thawing, and the fig texture becomes grainy.

You do not need to reheat this pudding. Serve it straight from the fridge, or let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes if you want a less chilled texture.

FAQ

Can you use fresh figs instead of dried figs?

Not directly. Fresh figs add extra moisture, so the pudding will be looser unless you cook the figs down first.

Do you need earthenware serving bowls?

No. Any small oven-safe bowls or ramekins work as long as they are similar in size.

Why did the pudding turn grainy?

The milk likely boiled too hard or stayed on the heat too long. Stop at the first boil and bake only until lightly set.

Can you make this with non-dairy milk?

You can, but the texture will be looser and less creamy because dairy milk sets differently. Full-fat oat milk gives the closest body.