This Gorgeous Pumpkin Dessert Tastes Even Better Than Pumpkin Pie

The only time you’ll find me carving a pumpkin is to make sangkaya faktong, a traditional Thai dessert in which a hollowed-out kabocha squash is filled with a creamy pandan-scented coconut milk custard. While we call it a squash in North America, kabocha in Japanese means pumpkin, which is translated to faktong in Thai. In this recipe, the whole gourd is cooked until tender and sliced into wedges like a pie. It’s traditionally steamed, but I find that baking it at a steady low temperature is easier, tastes better, and results in a prettier pumpkin for showing off than when steamed—it's the perfect dramatic centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table or any festive occasion.

While sangkaya faktong’s show-stopping presentation might give the impression that it is challenging to make, my version is actually relatively easy to assemble and cook (aside from its lengthy hands-off baking time). It's a true “low effort, high reward” recipe that’s ideal for serving to guests. Here’s how to guarantee a silky set custard encased in a tender, perfectly baked pumpkin every time.

Selecting the Right Pumpkin for Sangkaya Faktong

Can You Substitute Kabocha for Another Squash?

People have asked me if they can make sangkaya faktong with a different winter squash than a kabocha. I’ve been around the pumpkin patch enough times in my life and really do think kabocha is best suited for this dish. It’s sweeter than other squashes (with a lovely chestnut note) but has a denser texture than, say, a sugar pumpkin, which might fall apart before the custard sets due to its thinner, less dense walls. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the striking contrast between kabocha's deep green rind and bright orange flesh that’s showcased once sliced.

The Best Pumpkin Size for Sangkaya Faktong

Many sangkaya faktong recipes aren’t exactly foolproof—telling you to adjust ingredients and cooking time depending on the size of your pumpkin. Fortunately, grocery stores and farmers markets have scales, and I recommend you use one to find a small kabocha that’s about two pounds. If you follow my instructions below with a roughly two-pound kabocha, you’ll get a perfectly cooked and seasoned pumpkin and custard filling with little room for error. 

Baking vs. Steaming Sangkaya Faktong

Traditional sangkaya faktong recipes, along with recipes for many other Thai desserts like kanom tuay and kanom chan, call for steaming the custard-filled pumpkin as the cooking method because ovens weren’t common in households back in the day. While older generations of Thai cooks are still less likely to cook with an oven (my mom uses hers for storage), I, a modern Thai-American cook, embrace my oven. I find that baking sangkaya faktong at a low steady temperature gets better results. 

Steaming can cause the pumpkin flesh to get waterlogged and split—one of the main reasons people think this dish is a pain to make. Steaming on the stovetop also requires constant monitoring and more care to keep a steady heat level. While baking takes longer, it’s more hands-off and results in caramelized and buttery pumpkin flesh that's wonderful when eaten with the slightly sweet and creamy custard. Baking the custard inside a pumpkin also insulates it behind the kabocha’s thick, moist walls, so there’s minimal risk of overcooking the custard. Whether steamed or baked, the custard is protected from drastic temperature changes inside the pumpkin.

Once the pumpkin is baked, you’ll be tempted to tuck into it right away, but it’s important to wait at least 30 minutes before slicing into this masterpiece so the custard has time to cool and set properly. This guarantees the perfect wedge of tender, creamy squash filled with rich custard. This dessert is equally delicious warm, at room temperature, and chilled—some people think it tastes best cold, so if you have any leftovers, just enjoy them straight out of the fridge.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). In a small saucepan, combine coconut milk, palm sugar, pandan leaves, and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture gets slightly frothy, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let it boil. 

In a medium bowl, lightly whisk eggs and while whisking, gradually add rice flour until well combined. Still whisking, slowly add hot coconut milk mixture and whisk until well combined. Let sit while you prepare the kabocha squash. 

For the Squash: Using a paring knife or pumpkin carving knife, remove the top of the pumpkin in one piece by cutting a 3-inch wide circle or pentagon around the pumpkin stem to form a lid (see notes). Remove the lid and set aside. 

Carefully run edge of a large spoon (a Chinese soup spoon, particularly a metal one, works well here) along the cavity of the kabocha to loosen seeds and stringy pulp, then use spoon to scoop them out and scrape the cavity clean. Using the paring knife or edge of spoon, scrape seeds and pulp from the lid as well. Discard seeds and pulp or reserve for another use.

Place the cleaned and prepped kabocha on a rimmed baking sheet. Hold a fine-mesh strainer over the kabocha opening and pour custard through the sieve directly into the squash. Fill until the custard just reaches the top of the inside cavity. (You may have a little extra custard; if so, pour into a ramekin and bake separately for a little treat for yourself.) 

Wrap the kabocha lid in foil and place it on the baking sheet next to the filled pumpkin. Bake until custard puffs up and is just set to the touch, with a slight jiggle in the center, 60 to 90 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 175°F (80°C) in the center of the custard. 

Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Carefully remove the foil from the kabocha lid and set back into top of the kombucha, enclosing the custard until ready to serve. Slice into 6 or 8 wedges. The dessert can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled. 

Special Equipment

Chinese-style metal soup spoon, fine-mesh strainer, baking sheet, instant-read thermometer

Notes

Pandan leaves can be found at many Southeast Asian markets and are often sold frozen. If you don’t have pandan leaves, add 1 teaspoon (5g) clear pandan extract or vanilla extract after tempering eggs. Alternatively, you can omit it altogether, though pandan is well worth seeking out for its captivating aroma and flavor. 

The best substitute for palm sugar is a combination of 1/3 cup (66g) light brown sugar and 1/3 cup (71g) granulated sugar.

If you don’t have rice flour, substitute 1 tablespoon (7.5g) all-purpose flour.

To steam sangkaya faktong instead of baking, place a steamer insert in a large pot and fill with water until it’s just under the steamer. Place the custard-filled pumpkin on the steamer, cover steamer with a lid, and steam over medium-low heat for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The pumpkin custard will keep for 3 to 5 days covered in the refrigerator. Don’t bother heating it up; some people say it tastes even better cold.