This pumpkin flan is rich, creamy, silky, and loaded with all of your favorite warm and cozy autumn flavors! It is a wonderful seasonal twist on this classic custard dessert. Coated in a decadent homemade caramel sauce, what more could you want?
Pumpkin Flan Dessert Recipe
If you've never tried flan before, it is a sweet and creamy custard that is firm enough to hold its shape and topped with a delicious caramel sauce! It can appear to be somewhat intimidating to make, but it really isn't difficult!
This flan de calabaza recipe incorporates pumpkin puree for a fall-time twist! If you are wanting a dessert that will truly impress your guests, this one is it!
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If you love pumpkin desserts, check out all of my favorite pumpkin recipes! I have a ton of delicious pumpkin pie spice goodies, too!
🥘 Pumpkin Flan Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
This ingredient list is incredibly simple and loaded with common items! Make sure you pick up pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling!
- Sugar - ¾ cup of white granulated sugar for the caramel sauce.
- Water - ⅓ cup of water.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk(or try one of these substitutes).
- Evaporated Milk - 1 12-ounce can of evaporated milk.
- Pumpkin Puree - 1 cup of pumpkin puree. You can use canned (I like Libby's brand the best) or fresh!
- Cream Cheese - ½ cup of cream cheese.
- Eggs - 4 extra large eggs.
- Vanilla - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Orange Zest - 2 teaspoons of orange zest. This is about the same as the zest from 2 oranges.
- Cinnamon - 1½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
- Nutmeg - ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Pumpkin Flan
This pumpkin flan is not as difficult to prepare as you might think! Simply grab a saucepan, your stand mixer, and a cake pan and you are ready to begin!
This recipe will make one 8-inch round flan! It's enough for 8 people to enjoy a small piece.
Make The Caramel Sauce
Step 1: Preheat. To get started, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4).
Step 2: Combine the sugar and water. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix together your ¾ cup (150 grams) of sugar and ⅓ cup (79 milliliters) of water.
Step 3: Boil. Bring the mixture to a boil and swirl your pan (do not stir it) to dissolve the sugar. Then, cook at a low boil for 5-10 minutes until it turns a golden color and is 230°F (110°C) (*see note).
Step 4: Pour. Remove the caramel from the heat and immediately pour it into an 8x2 cake pan. Set it aside and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
Make The Flan
Step 5: Mix until smooth. While the caramel is cooling, add your 14 ounces (397 milliliters) of sweetened condensed milk, 12 ounces (340 milliliters) of evaporated milk, 1 cup (245 grams) of pumpkin puree, and ½ cup (113.5 grams) of cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
Step 6: Add remaining ingredients. Mix in the 4 eggs (200 grams), 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of vanilla, 2 teaspoons (4 grams) of orange zest, 1½ teaspoons (3 grams) of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of nutmeg.
Step 7: Pour. Once your caramel has finished cooling, carefully and slowly pour the custard mixture into the pan on top of the caramel so that they do not mix together.
Step 8: Prepare the water bath. Set the cake pan inside a roasting pan. Fill with hot water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
Step 9: Bake. Bake the flan on the middle rack of your oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 1 hour or until the flan has just set (*see note).
Step 10: Cool. Remove the baked flan from the oven and the water bath, transferring it to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely.
Cool & Serve
Step 11: Chill. Once cool, cover the flan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 3 hours (or overnight).
Step 12: Flip. Run a knife around the outside edge of the flan to separate it from the cake pan. Use a large serving plate with a slight lip to cover the cake pan. Flip them over together so that the flan transfers onto the plate with the caramel poured on top.
Step 13: Serve. Cut into slices and serve immediately with the caramel spooned on top.
Flan is a sophisticated and beautiful dessert that is typically enjoyed by itself. However, some people like adding extra toppings like Nutella, coconut, or nuts! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If you want to elevate your dish, swirl in ½ of a teaspoon of fleur de sel to your caramel after removing it from the heat!
- Use a candy thermometer to make sure your caramel is cooked to the perfect temperature!
- Make sure to keep an eye on your caramel because it can burn quickly!
- When done cooking, your flan should be firm but slightly jiggly. If you insert a knife, it should come out clean!
🥄 Make Ahead Options
Since flan requires chilling time, I like to prepare it the day before I need it and then let it chill in the fridge overnight. This gives it plenty of time to chill before I flip and serve it.
Unfortunately, flan does not freeze well.
🥡 Storing
Keep your flan stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Make sure it is in a sealed, airtight container.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Flan is topped with a sweet caramel sauce! As a base, this consists of sugar and water that are boiled together. However, some flan recipes add in some extra flavors like maple extract!
While these are both baked custards, there are a few differences. First of all, flan is flipped out onto a serving dish while creme brulee remains in the ramekin it was cooked in.
Additionally, creme brulee is topped with sugar that is then hardened with a torch whereas flan has a caramel sauce!
Flan needs to be completely cooled and then put into the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. However, I recommend leaving it there overnight! Then, you can flip it onto your serving plate!
🎃 Amazing Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Pie Without Evaporated Milk - This recipe is for a classic pumpkin pie, but without having to run to the store for evaporated milk!
- Pumpkin Dump Cake - Simply mix your ingredients and dump them into a baking dish for this sweet dessert!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies - For all the cookie lovers, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies will satisfy any pumpkin craving!
- Pumpkin Streusel Bread - This sweet and easy bread is topped with a wonderful, crumbly streusel topping!
- Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte - If you love coffee, check out this iced latte that is loaded with pumpkin flavors!
- Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins - These muffins are easy, moist, delicious, and super nutritious!
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📖 Recipe Card
Pumpkin Flan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (1 14-ounce can)
- 12 oz evaporated milk (1 12-ounce can)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 4 extra large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon orange zest (zest from 2 oranges)
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Make The Caramel
- To get started, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix together your sugar and water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and swirl your pan (do not stir it) to dissolve the sugar. Then, cook at a low boil for 5-10 minutes until it turns a golden color and is 230°F (110°C) (*see note).
- Remove the caramel from the heat and immediately pour it into an 8x2 cake pan. Set it aside and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
Make The Flan
- While the caramel is cooling, add your sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, and cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
- Mix in the eggs, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Once your caramel has finished cooling, carefully and slowly pour the custard mixture into the pan on top of the caramel so that they do not mix together.
- Set the cake pan inside a roasting pan. Fill with hot water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
- Bake the flan on the middle rack of your oven at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour, or until the flan has just set (*see note).
- Remove the baked flan from the oven and the water bath, transferring it to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely.
Cool & Serve
- Once cool, cover the flan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 3 hours (or overnight).
- Run a knife around the outside edge of the flan to separate it from the cake pan. Use a large serving plate with a slight lip to cover the cake pan. Flip them over together so that the flan transfers onto the plate with the caramel poured on top.
- Cut into slices and serve immediately with the caramel spooned on top.
Notes
- If you want to elevate your dish, swirl in ½ of a teaspoon of fleur de sel to your caramel after removing it from the heat!
- Use a candy thermometer to make sure your caramel is cooked to the perfect temperature!
- Make sure to keep an eye on your caramel because it can burn quickly!
- When done cooking, your flan should be firm but slightly jiggly. If you insert a knife, it should come out clean!
- To store: Keep your flan stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Rene Curtis says
Great recipe. Any tips on getting the cream cheese to blend.>It did mot dissolve well into the pumpkin mixture
Angela Latimer says
Hello Rene, did the cream cheese not blend well at the start or was the resulting flan a bit clumpy? The end result issue is a common one, so I just wanted to clarify how the flan turned out overall. Let me know so I can troubleshoot best. Thanks! ~ Angela