I imagine you are here, looking for pawpaw recipes for one of two reasons. Either you've come across pawpaws for the first time and are wondering what to do with them, or you have a giant haul and need to use them up.
I've gathered a whole bunch of pawpaw recipes for everyone - some use only a tiny bit of the fruit pulp, while others use 2 cups or even more. Some of recipes were enthusiastically contributed from chefs and experts in the pawpaw communities while others are from fellow bloggers.
I've also included a handful of my own pawpaw recipes, which I developed after receiving a couple crates of them from a fellow MidFex club member (a club for Midwest Fruit growers).
As a side note, I'm talking about the American pawpaw (Asimina triloba), not papayas (which are sometimes also called pawpaws, confusing the matter).
How pawpaw flavor interacts in different recipes
Pawpaws taste like a cross between banana and a mango with a naturally creamy texture. The flavors will differ slightly with each variety, just like any other fruit.
Their bright tropical flavor pairs great with lime, coconut, and even pineapple. Alternatively, you can lean into the banana flavor and the slight caramel flavor from really ripe ones and pair them with baking spices.
The delicate flavor easily shines in cream and custard based recipes. Add a hint of vanilla or lime to coax out specific undertones. When they are used in baked goods, the flavor is much more subtle and often not quite identifiable.
Since pawpaws are a treasured rarity in my house, relying on the generosity of fellow Midwest Fruit Explorer members that grow them, I prefer pawpaw recipes that highlight the flavor. I want to taste that unmistakable tropical flavor, especially if I am sharing it with friends who haven't tried the fruit before.
Now, let's get on to the recipes. As a side note, I'm using the pawpaw spelling from each recipe creator - so it will be inconsistent, but it's on purpose!
Tropical pawpaw pie
I made this recipe because I wanted to feature pawpaws at a dinner party. It's a custard-based pie with hints of lime to draw out the tropical flavors. The custard filling is based on the Kentucky State Pawpaw Cream Pie recipe (source).
Toasted coconut is added to the crust and sprinkled on top (which is optional, of course, but I thought it was pretty). Everyone enjoyed the pie as their first encounter with this unique fruit.
Cookies
The first time I used pawpaw for baking, I suspected the flavor would disappear in a pawpaw bread. Bananas in a banana bread are pretty muted, and so is pawpaw.
I hoped that baking them into a cookie might fare slightly better. Perhaps it did, but the flavor is still very subtle. You have to know what you are looking for to taste it.
But I had a plan! I was going to make some pawpaw frosting for the top, which worked out great. The flavor really came through - but I question if using the pulp in the cookies was worth it. Should I have made banana cookies with a pawpaw frosting to save a whole lot of work processing the pawpaws?
These are tasty cookies, to be fair. They are cakey, not gooey and not like a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe either.
Get the pawpaw cookie recipe.
Cream cheese frosting
I chose to make a cream cheese frosting for two reasons. First, I find it can more easily handle the addition of fruit better than a buttercream. Second, the tangy flavor paired nicely with pawpaws.
This pawpaw frosting can be used on the cookie recipe above, on a cake, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, or anything else you might frost.
Pawpaw bourbon creme brulée
This recipe is described as "Yes. You have died and gone to heaven." It makes 6 little ramekins of creme brulée. The recipe uses 1 cup of pureed pawpaw flesh, which is about 2 large ones or 3 smaller ones.
Pawpaws are often foraged in nearby forests, and this recipe was created by foraging expert Ellen Zachos. She has several published books and shares her knowledge across the country as various speaking events.
I've been emailing back and forth with her while working on this article and she is a thoughtful, encouraging person who genuinely wants to share her love of foraged food. You can find more of her work on Backyard Forager.
Paw paw cheesecake with black walnut crust
The custard-like texture of pawpaws seems too perfect for a cheesecake to pass up. This recipe uses 2 cups (1 pound) of pawpaw puree.
The crust is make up of black walnuts and graham crackers, which the author refers to more as a 'crumble.' One commenter made a coconut pistachio crust instead using "⅓ cup almond flour, ½ cup ground shelled pistachios, 4-6 tbs coconut oil (melted), 1 tablespoon coconut flour, and ⅛ teaspoon salt— mixed together and pressed into the dish." Both sound delicious!!
For those of you who like a fruity sauce over the top, the original author used wild blueberries and some mint, while one of his readers used an elderberry syrup.
The recipe is from Minnesota-based chef Alan Bergo, who describes himself as a little Anthony Bourdain and a little Indian Jones because he hunts wild plants as his full time job.
Paw-paw pudding & pastry cream
A pawpaw pudding is a great way to enjoy the fruit's flavor without it getting overshadowed with other flavors or spices. This is another recipe from chef Alan Bergo, who explains this is basically a pastry cream that could also be used in eclairs and other desserts.
The pudding recipe uses 1 cup of pawpaw puree. It makes four 1-cup ramekins of pudding.
Paw paw ice cream & sorbet
A classic use of pawpaws is to add them to a rich ice cream. Their flavor comes through and is instantly recognizable in a basic ice cream or sorbet. But don't let that stop you from making ice cream with complementary flavors - like caramel.
I've found several different pawpaw ice cream recipes:
- Classic vanilla-pawpaw ice cream
- Pawpaw ice cream from America's Test Kitchen (might be a paywall)
- Salted caramel pawpaw ice cream with cashew praline crunch
- Pawpaw sorbet
For the easiest pawpaw dessert ever, scoop out some flesh and put it in a bowl. Top it with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy.
Sautéed chicken breasts with pawpaw cream sauce
For an easy weeknight meal, cook some chicken breasts in your favorite skillet along with a standard white-wine & heavy cream based sauce. The sauce is simply flavored with pawpaw and spicebush berries (allspice could likely be substituted, or even just black pepper).
For an ultra-smooth sauce, you might want to run your pawpaw puree through a fine mesh sieve. Otherwise, it should still turn out great - especially if this is just for a random Wednesday dinner.
This recipe is from Darrin Nordahl who became interested in flavors native to the United States. His excerpt titled, "Identity Crisis," illustrates just how few foods we regularly consume are native to the US. He still eats imported banana, mangos, and coffee, but makes an effort to seek out native foods as well.
Seared scallops in a pawpaw buerre blanc
This is another recipe from David Nordahl, along the same lines as the sauteed chicken breasts. The sauce is similar, using white wine, heavy cream, and pawpaw puree.
The sauce uses just a ¼ cup of fruit puree. Even the smallest amount of leftover puree from any other recipe can be set aside for a use like this. The flesh holds well in the fridge (covered) for a few days and also freezes well.
Get the seared scallops recipe.
Pawpaw bread
A popular recipe for using this fruit is in a quickbread, which turns out similar to banana bread. The flavor is muted as well, and not easily identified after baking.
I'm not alone in this assessment - author Michael Judd of "For the Love of Pawpaws" explains "The challenge is that baking with flour often masks the pawpaw flavor subtleties and can leave only a vague banana-like taste."
Because of the diminished flavor, I prefer pawpaw recipes that highlight the fruit's natural flavor, or recipes that use complimentary flavors that won't overpower it.
However, people do seem to really enjoy pawpaw breads, so if you want to give it a shot, go for it! Save a little extra fruit pulp to mix with butter just in case you find yourself wanting a little more of that distinct flavor.
- Pawpaw spice cake (pictured above) from Coconut & Lime who grows pawpaw trees in her backyard
- Pawpaw bread from Alexandra Cooks. It's a double recipe, so you can either cut it in half, or if add mashed banana if you don't have 3 cups of pawpaw puree.
- Pawpaw bread with pawpaw butter (mixes pawpaw puree with butter, instead of using the fruit spread)
Macarons
Another great way to highlight a pawpaw's natural flavor is with a ganache filling on a delicately flavored macaron cookie. This pawpaw macaron recipe is from Stacey at Mincoff Cafe, fellow foodie living in the Midwest.
Preserving with jam & fruit butter
For those of you lucky enough to be overwhelmed with too many pawpaws, preserving them in a jam or butter form is worth the effort.
Pawpaw butter cooks down into an apple butter consistency that is even smoother and creamier. 1 pound of pawpaws makes about two half-pint (8 ounce) jars. If you don't think you'll use it fast, preserve them in 4 ounce jars instead.
The author of this pawpaw butter recipe describes the taste as "banana, pineapple, mango and sometimes you detect a melon flavor, and a hint of strawberry. It’s a very magical fruit."
I found a few different jam recipes for you to try out too:
- Pawpaw jam with white sugar & no additional flavors - this will highlight the pawpaw fruit's flavor
- Pawpaw jam with brown sugar & spice bush berries (or all spice) - this will have more fall and caramel notes, which all pair well with the fruit's natural flavor.
- Pawpaw jam from Kentucky State (a good reference for safe canning ratios)
Sauces
When ripe, pawpaw flesh is creamy and doesn't hold it's shape. Because of this, you won't find it diced up nicely to add to the top of a salad or garnish a meaty main course. The fruit's flavors can still play a role when turned into a sauce.
- Fermented pawpaw hot sauce
- Paw Paw barbeque sauce recipe from Friends Drift Inn (or buy a bottle from Lindera Farms)
- Banana pawpaw ketchup
- Pawpaw chutney
- Pawpaw salad vinaigrette (added to a summer pasta salad in the recipe)
Drink & cocktail recipes
One of the easiest uses for pawpaw puree has to be adding it to a drink or cocktail. For an extra smooth texture, be sure to run it through a fine mesh sieve.
You might be able to source a pawpaw liquor, which would be super fun. However, I only gathered recipes that use fresh pawpaws.
- Pawpaw lassie by Sara Bir from The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook
- Pawpaw daiquiri recipe on Reddit
- The Appalachian Martini - marries pawpaw with elderflower and citrus
- The Mabon - a cocktail with spiced rum, elderflower, pawpaw, and ginger beer.
- Pawpaw whiskey sour from Native Flavor
- Pawpaw shrub and Pisco sour (2 recipes at the bottom of the article from Modern Farmer)
- Pawpaw milkshake and pawpaw punch - two recipes under the miscellaneous section of Kentucky State's pawpaw recipe collection.
For other recipe ideas, add the puree to a pina colada, a margarita, a mule, a mimosa, or a bellini.
Pawpaw wine & beer
You can make your own (or buy some) pawpaw wine and beer. First, let's look into the types of beer made by professional craft brewers to give you some ideas.
Craft brews
The supply of pawpaws from the handful of larger growers across the country is often bought up by craft beer producers. It's still extremely niche, but gaining popularity. The beers are always seasonal, so be on the lookout starting in fall.
I've seen pawpaws in a bunch of different types of beer, including sour ale (from Upland Brewing), wheat ale (Jackie O's Pub & Brewery), weizen (Little Fish Brewing), hazy IPA (Fullsteam), saison (Farmhouse Ale), and so many more.
If you're really interested in trying some, head to a state pawpaw festival. The one in Ohio put together a list of breweries from a previous event, with some really interesting selections.
Professionally produced wines are even more rare, but can be found if you hunt around for it. I haven't tried it myself (yet!) so I can't speak to the flavor. Wildside Winery is one of the produces I've found to have a consistent supply.
Make your own
I've never made my own beer or wine, so I don't have advice to offer. However, I do have a couple recipes to share, and HomeBrewTalk.com appears to have a few different forum discussions with advice.
- Tropical paw paw beer from Foraged
- Tropical paw paw wine from Foraged
- Paw paw wine recipe from "Making Homemade Wine and Beer" and a forum on WineMakingTalk
More resources
It's hard to come by pawpaw resources since they are still a niche fruit. I've tried to gather a bunch of things to fuel your curiosity.
Kentucky State's list of pawpaw recipes can be found here along with other helpful information on growing your own trees.
There appear to only be two cookbooks on the subject:
- For the Love of Pawpaws - A book about growing pawpaws that also includes 19 recipes. Two of the recipes are also in this article, contributed from Ellen Zachos (creme brulee) and Alan Bergo (cheesecake). Amazon reviewers seem to unanimously agree the growing information in this book is excellent, and I personally appreciate the knowledge he shares about different varieties.
- You can actually buy just the recipe chapter for just $2.00 on Permies.com
- You can also take a course based on this book from the author, Michael Judd
- The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook - I've read the book, which is about half information on the fruit, and half recipes. The collection has 39 recipes that include instructions on storage (refrigeration, freezing, etc). There are no pictures, so if you are looking for visual inspiration, this isn't it. (Affiliate link).
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