Pumpkin Flan with Chai Whipped Cream

I’ve made a number of pumpkin flan recipes with textures that were a bit too eggy or pumpkin-pie-like for my taste, so I set out to create the most heavenly, smooth version of this classic Autumn custard, and boy oh boy, this is it!

I also have a bunch of other tasty pumpkin spice recipes to keep you busy from September to December! You’ve gotta try my rich pumpkin risotto and my shockingly delicious pumpkin spice carrot cupcakes with rum raisins and salted caramel-cream cheese frosting! (I went a little overboard with those). And if you want a gorgeous cocktail to serve at your elegant Halloween party, you must try my “White Pumpkin” Cocktail.

How to Make Pumpkin Flan – Step by Step

Warning: You’ll be making a “ban marie,” which is adding water to a pan and placing it in the oven. When you remove it, it will be scolding hot so remove with caution. The caramel will also be very hot, so be sure there are no small children or pets in the kitchen while you make this dessert.

1. Lay a tea towel into a deep baking sheet and place 6 ramekins on top. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 325 F. (165. C) In a small sauce pan over MEDIUM heat, add 1 cup white granulated sugar and 3½ tablespoons water. Give it a little mix with a wooden spoon to make sure the water is evenly distributed. The caramel process should take about 10-11 minutes from when you turn on the heat to when you pour the caramel.

3. Note: do not mix sugar while it boils and bubbles. After 5-7 minutes you’ll start to notice the color changing and a smell of caramel. Let it continue to bubble without mixing for at least 2-4 more minutes.

4. When the sugar is starting to look like the color of warm caramel, pick up your pan and give it a swirl. It will keep cooking once you remove the pan, so watch the color carefully. See #4 for the correct color.

Note: If you don’t have a white pan to help you easily see the color, use a spoon to drip a few drops onto a white plate and check that the color is a warm caramel color.

5. Pour caramel evenly into the bottom of ramekins.

6. In a medium mixing bowl, add 3 large eggs, 6 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, ½ cup pumpkin puree and 1 tablespoon whisky (optional). Use a standing blender or immersion blender to combine. Blend for 1-2 full minutes. Set aside.

7. In a medium pot, add 1½ cups whole milk and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Turn your heat to MEDIUM. Heat for 3-5 minutes, or until a small amount of steam begins to rise, stirring occasionally.

8. Very slowly and steadily, pour egg mixture into heating vanilla milk, stirring/whisking the whole time you pour. If you don’t stir, the eggs may cook unevenly and get chunky. Once added, slowly stir for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

9. Evenly pour pumpkin custard into ramekins, over the caramel.

10. Place pan in oven, and use a tea kettle to fill the pan half-way up the glasses with water (or you can fill the pan with water first and carefully place in the oven, but I find this to be a little tricky to do without spilling).

11.Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until the edges of your flan are slightly brown.

12. Very carefully remove the pan and remove the ramekins with a towel or oven mitt. (Be careful not to spill hot water!) When they’re cool enough to touch, cover them with cellophane and place them in the fridge to set for a minimum of 5 hours. Ideally, 24 hours.

To Make Chai Whipped Cream

1. Add a ½ cup heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar to a clean sauce pan. Empty 2 chai tea bags into the cream.

2. Simmer on LOW (don’t boil) for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir and let it steep for an extra minute.

3. Strain the tea out of the cream and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The cream won’t whip if it’s warm.

4. Pour cream into a food processor or blender and blend for about 10-20 seconds until whipped.

When you’re ready to serve, simply use a pairing knife to cut around the top edges of the flan, and insert the knife down one side. You should be able to simply flip the ramekin onto a plate and it will fall down on its own, with all the luscious caramel dripping down the sides. Top with chai whipped cream.

A Few Tips

1. Again, be careful! That sugar and water gets hot!

Although this pumpkin flan appears simple enough, you’re creating some very hot melted sugar caramel, and a single drop on the skin can be quite painful.

You’re also creating a “bain-marie;” filling your baking pan with water up to the middle of the ramekins. This will make your pan quite heavy and full of scolding hot water when removed from the oven, so make sure the kids and pups are nowhere near the kitchen when you make this recipe.

2. How to tell when you’re caramel is just right:

It can be tricky to see the exact color of your caramel if you have a dark pan. Your caramel can go from perfect to burned in just a few moments, so your ability to see color is key.

If you don’t have one, no worries. Just make sure to have a white plate or bowl handy so you can drip a little from time to time to check the color while it cooks.

3. The color of your caramel determines a lot about your flan’s flavor.

If you want your flan to taste lighter and more delicate, you’ll want to stop cooking your sugar when it’s a light caramel color (about 8-10 minutes), and if you want it to be more rich and “bourbon” tasting, let your sugar cook until is a warm mahogany color (about 10-12 minutes).

I like to see my color looking like the sugar dot above the lighter one in this picture.

More Sweet Autumn Treat Inspiration

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