Looking for a delicious and simple dessert for the coming holidays? This Pumpkin Flan Recipe will stop your search! This delightful dessert is made with a combination of creamy custard and rich caramel. If all this is not impressive enough, the custard has the amazing flavors of the fall like pumpkin puree and hints of spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. Every bite of this Pumpkin flan will satisfy the sweet tooth of the most demanding guests. And did I mention your dinner table will look amazing?
Pumpkin Flan Recipe
Flan is a very popular dessert in Hispanic households. This is one of my favorite desserts. It is a winner at all times, especially on Thanksgiving night. This recipe will guide you step by step on making this amazing flan. I show you simple instructions on how to accomplish making the caramel which can be one of the most challenging steps when making a flan. However, in my opinion, is one of the best parts of the recipe. I like to make enough caramel sauce so when its time to serve I can drizzle this perfectly sweet sauce on every bite and make everyone happy 🙂
What is a flan?
It is a sweet creamy custard that is complemented with a delicious caramel sauce. I made a video where I show you how to make a simple flan, please visit my youtube channel and when you are there please don’t forget to give me a thumbs up. I will highly appreciate it :).
There is so much I want to say about this Pumpkin Flan, however, there are no words that will describe the flavors of this dessert, it is amazing. Give this a try and let me know what you think. The flan is sweet but not overwhelming. I like to make a lot of caramel sauce as it is my family’s favorite part of this recipe, every piece you serve can be drizzled with the flavorful caramel. Think no more and grab the simple ingredients I promise you will not regret it!
Ingredients
To make this Pumpkin Flan you’ll need:
- Granulated sugar
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure Not to confuse with pumpkin pie mix
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Evaporated milk
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg or Pumpkin Spice
How to Make Pumpkin Flan:
Making a flan is simple, however, there are two very important things to take into consideration to accomplish this delightful dessert, The steps to make the caramel sauce and the baño de maria which is an essential part of making the flan custard.
First, Making the Caramel Sauce: There are many different ways to make the caramel. I have found that when adding a little bit of water to the sugar to dissolve ensures a very rich caramel sauce and my favorite part is that I end up with a good amount of caramel :). When making the sauce it’s highly recommended to stand by. Although is a very simple process it is also very easy to ruin the caramel and burn it and that my friends will ruin the whole flavor of the flan. I want to show you through these images how the caramel should look like from beginning to end result.
To make the caramel sauce add 1 cup of granulated white sugar into a saucepan. Then add 3 tablespoons of water and place on the stove over medium-high heat. You will start to notice the sugar dissolving or sometimes it is needed to stir once to help the process.
Then, the sugar will start to look bubbly and with a pale white color like this.
Next, you will start to see the transformation. The pale white color starts to look amber, much like the color of honey. This is your signal that the caramel sauce is ready. Make sure to have your baking dish nearby.
Proceed to pour the caramel into the baking dish. To make this recipe I use two 6 inch baking pan. I’m doing this because I want to share one of those with a family member. However, you can use a 9-inch cake pan to make just one Pumpkin Flan. As fast as possible pour the caramel into the baking pan. In my case, I have two 6 inch pan so I divided the caramel equally between them.
Carefully tilt to coat the sides of the baking pan with caramel sauce. Then place them into a large enough for the sizes of your baking pan and set aside. Just for you to have an idea, I use my turkey baking pan as is big enough to put my two baking pans.
How to make the Pumpkin Flan Custard:
Preheat the oven to 350°f.
In a large mixing bowl combine 3 large eggs (room temperature), and ½ cup pumpkin puree,1 teaspoon cinnamon, and1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Slightly whisk to combine.
Then, add 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 (12 oz) can evaporate milk, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg, or pumpkin spice and whisk until all ingredients are well combined.
Next, pour the custard mixture into the baking pans with the caramel (in my case equally divided into two). And now the other important step, please don’t skip this: The baño de maria which is pouring enough hot water into the large baking sheet to come halfway to the top. This is an essential part of making the flan.
Place them in the oven for about 50 to 60 minutes.
How do I know when the flan is ready?
One trick to know if the flan is ready is to insert a toothpick in the center of the baking pan, if it comes out clean, that is a very accurate signal that the flan is ready to come out of the oven.
After 50 minutes have passed, remove from the oven and out of the large baking pan with hot water. Place them in a cooling rack or as I did on two kitchen mittens over the counter and let them cool down completely. Then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
This is a recipe that I prefer to do the night before any celebrations. The flan tastes much better when chilling so it is ideal to place it in the fridge overnight. I understand it’s a lot of waiting for this dessert but Trust me it is worth it!
When ready to serve, use a small knife to carefully loosen the edges of the flan. Then, carefully invert into a serving plate, ideally with edges or big enough, as there is a lot of caramel. Did I mention that’s my favorite part 🙂
Now it’s time to Enjoy!!
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy every bite of this delicious dessert. I know my family is just waiting for me to finish taking these images of the flan, to eat it all. Let me know in the comment section down below if you make this flan and don’t forget to visit me at my youtube channel where you can find more tips on how to make a homemade Spanish Flan. Also, make sure to use the #asimpletweakrecipes to share your creations with me.
Below you will find a convenient printable recipe card. Please, feel free to leave any comments and/or suggestions.
Pumpkin Flan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg or pumpkin spice
Instructions
How to Make Pumpkin Flan:
- To make the caramel sauce add 1 cup of granulated white sugar into a saucepan. Then add 1/3 cup of water and place on the stove over medium-high heat. You will start to notice the sugar dissolving or sometimes it is needed to stir once to help the process. The sugar will start to look bubbly and with a pale white color.
- Next, you will start to see the transformation. The pale white color starts to look light amber, much like the color of honey. This is your signal that the caramel sauce is ready. Make sure to have your baking dish nearby.
- Proceed to pour the caramel into the baking dish. To make this recipe I use two 6 inch baking pans. I'm doing this because I want to share one of those with a family member. However, you can use a 9-inch cake pan to make just one Pumpkin Flan. As fast as possible pour the caramel into the baking pan. In my case, I have two 6 inch pans so I divided the caramel equally between them.
- Carefully tilt to coat the sides of the baking pan with caramel sauce. Then place them into a large enough for the sizes of your baking pan and set aside. Just for you to have an idea, I use my turkey baking pan as is big enough to put my two baking pans.
How to make the Flan Custard:
- Preheat the oven to 350°f.
- In a large mixing bowl combine 3 large eggs (room temperature), and ½ cup pumpkin puree,1 teaspoon cinnamon, and1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Slightly whisk to combine.
- Then, add 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 (12 oz) can evaporate milk, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg, or pumpkin spice and whisk until all ingredients are well combined.
- Next, pour the custard mixture into the baking pans with the caramel (in my case equally divided into two). And now the other important step, please don't skip this: The baño de maria which is pouring enough hot water into the large baking sheet to come halfway to the top. This is an essential part of making the flan.
- Place them in the oven for about 50 to 60 minutes.
- After 50 minutes has passed, remove from the oven and out of the large baking pan with hot water. Place them in a cooling rack or as I did on two kitchen mittens over the counter and let them cool down completely. Then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, use a small knife to carefully loosen the edges of the flan. Then, carefully invert into a serving plate, ideally with edges or big enough, as there is a lot of caramel. Did I mention that's my favorite part 🙂
Notes
One trick to know if the flan is ready is to insert a toothpick in the center of the baking pan, if it comes out clean, that is a very accurate signal that the flan is ready to come out of the oven. Tip: This is a recipe that I prefer to do the night before any celebrations. The flan tastes much better when chilling so it is ideal to place it in the fridge overnight. I understand it's a lot of waiting for this dessert but Trust me it is worth it!
Nutrition
*Nutritional Disclaimer: Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment, rate it, and do not forget to tag your pictures to follow me on Instagram.
Until the next one…
More Pumpkin Recipes:
