Easy No-Bake Pawpaw Pudding

Even if you live in an area where they are common, you might not know about Pawpaws. The tropical-looking fruit is native to the eastern, southern and Midwestern United States, growing on small (35 feet or under) trees in shaded, fertile areas, usually among mixed hardwoods and most often on or near the bottoms of stream drainages. The leaves of the pawpaw tree are large and grow in symmetrical clusters at the ends of the branches. The tree blooms in early spring, and the fruit matures all through the summer. Pawpaws produce the largest fruit of any of our native trees, with mature examples often measuring six inches long and resembling a large baked potato in shape.

What does a pawpaw taste like? The flavor is most often described as a cross between mangos and ripe bananas, and that is pretty close. The texture is smooth and creamy, almost like a custard. What can you do with them? Pretty much anything you can do with bananas. We have made fried hand pies, homemade ice cream, pawpaw nut bread and cookies. One of my favorites is this easy, no-bake pawpaw pudding. Made just like banana pudding, it goes together quickly and is the perfect finish to a warm fall evening.