Looking for a fantastic flan recipe to spice up your Thanksgiving dessert table? This delicious pumpkin flan is based on a flan de calabaza that I enjoyed in Valencia, Spain. It's perfect for the holidays!
If you're looking for other Spanish-inspired fall desserts, you won't want to miss my recipes for crustless pumpkin cheesecake or this apple olive oil cake!
Introduction
Spanish pumpkin recipes are split evenly between sweet and savory. On the savory side, there are creamy pumpkin soups and calabaza asada (grilled pumpkin). In the dessert category, there are light and airy pumpkin donuts (buñuelos de calabaza) and pumpkin-filled pastries.
One of my favorite Spanish pumpkin dessert recipes is pumpkin flan. This dessert is hard to find in Spain, but is more common in Valencia, where many regional recipes use the local pumpkin.
This flan recipe is based on one of the most classic and simple Spanish flan recipes and substitutes some of the liquid with pumpkin purée. The result is a creamy and delicious pumpkin flan, enhanced with pumpkin pie spices such as nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon.
Ingredients
Fortunately, this Spanish pumpkin flan doesn't take any fancy ingredients! Here's what you need to get started.
- Pumpkin Purée: I like use homemade pumpkin purée for the best flavor, but you can also use a good quality canned purée as well. (In the US, Libby's is the best canned brand, in my opinion!)
- Sugar: You'll need some regular white granulated sugar to sweeten the pumpkin custard and also to make some caramel for the top.
- Eggs: Choose 4 large eggs that are at room temperature. That will help the custard come together more smoothly.
- Spices: In Spain, the spices are very mild, and would only include a dash of cinnamon or a few cloves. I like to add more traditional North American baking spices to serve this as a Thanksgiving dessert.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pumpkin Flan (Flan de Calabaza)
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Stir the water and ½ cup (100g) of granulated sugar together in a saucepan set over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. (image 1)
- Let the caramel bubble and boil until it has turned a rich golden brown, being careful not to stir it, or it will crystallize. Immediately pour the caramel into a 4.5 cup baking mold and swirl it around so the base and sides of the mold are covered. (image 2)
- To make the custard, combine the milk, sugar, pumpkin purée, spices, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Let it cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (image 3)
- Whisk the eggs until they're broken up, then gradually add them to the cooled pumpkin custard, whisking constantly. Be sure the custard is not hot, or it will scramble the eggs. (image 4)
- Pour the custard into the prepared flan mold and set it in a roasting pan with sides. Fill the pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the flan mold. This creates a bain marie, which will help the flan cook evenly without cracking. (image 5)
- Bake the flan at 325°F (163°C) for 1 hour, or until it jiggles slightly and has an internal temperature of 175°F (79°C). (image 6)
- Allow the flan to cool completely, then cover it and chill overnight, or for at least 4 hours. Then, run a knife around the edge and turn it out on to a plate. (image 7)
- Enjoy this beautifully creamy pumpkin flan with a garnish of mint and a side of whipped cream if desired. (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
A flan is a custard that's cooked with caramel on the bottom, then is refrigerated until the caramel liquifies and turns into a sauce. Then, the flan is turned out onto a plate, and the caramel sauce sits on top.
A plain baked custard doesn't include the caramel sauce, and isn't presented "upside down" like a flan is.
Flan makes a great Thanksgiving dessert since it can be made at least a day in advance, and is easy to make. Plus, it looks so beautiful and impressive with its golden caramel sauce!
In the US, cans of pumpkin pie filling are often sold right next to cans of pumpkin purée. Although they sound similar, they're not the same thing! Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar, spices, and flavorings mixed into it, while pumpkin purée is literally just plain cooked pumpkin. Be sure to use pumpkin purée for this flan.
Serve
This recipe is perfect for a holiday dessert after a classic Spanish lunch, and would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving spread (if you celebrate!). Round it out with other Spanish Thanskgiving recipes or sweet treats like my sherry-spiked pecan pie.
Expert Tips
- Pumpkin flan is best when made with fresh pumpkin purée, or an excellent quality canned purée.
- You can make this dessert a couple of days ahead of time and keep it tightly covered in the fridge.
- You'll need to use a water bath (bain marie/baño maría) to make this flan. It's really easy, and you can read about it here.
Other Spanish Desserts You'll Love
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Pumpkin Flan (Flan de Calabaza)
Ingredients
For the Caramel
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
For the Pumpkin Custard
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
Making the Caramel
- Stir the water and granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it's dissolved, then stop stirring. Let the mixture boil until it turns a rich golden brown. This will take several minutes, but watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Be sure not to stir it after the sugar is dissolved, or the caramel will crystallize.
- Once the caramel is ready, quickly pour it into a 4 ½ cup baking mold and swirl the caramel around to make sure that it coats the bottom and sides of the mold before it hardens.
Making the Custard
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Pour the milk, sugar, pumpkin purée, spices, and vanilla into a saucepan and whisk over medium heat until simmering. Cook until all of the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is heated through.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes, stirring every minute or two.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Making sure that the milk and pumpkin mixture is sufficiently cool so that it won't scramble the eggs, whisk in this mixture little by little until it all is incorporated.
- Pour the custard mixture into the prepared mold.
Baking the Flan
- Place the flan mold into a large roasting pan with deep sides. Fill the roasting pan with enough water to go halfway up the sides of the flan mold to create a bain marie. This ensures that the flan will cook evenly without cracking.
- Bake the flan at 325°F (163°C) for about 1 hour, or until it jiggles slightly and has an internal temperature of 175°F (79°C).
- Remove the mold from the pan of water and allow it to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
Serving
- When you're ready to serve the flan, run a knife around the edges of the mold. Place the serving dish on top, and quickly flip the flan over. Lift off the mold and the flan should slide right out, covered in a golden caramel sauce.
- Enjoy the pumpkin flan on its own, or with whipped cream!
Notes
- Pumpkin flan is best when made with fresh pumpkin purée, or an excellent quality canned purée.
- You can make this dessert a couple of days ahead of time and keep it tightly covered in the fridge.
- You'll need to use a hot water bath (bain marie/baño maría) to make this flan. Otherwise, the flan mixture will boil in the oven, and the flan will crack on top.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Sel Runn
Hi Lorene, another beautiful recipe, i am so glad to get this one, and i will be experimenting with the different flavors of fall. Cannot wait for the turron recipe
in the USA/ origins in Santander Sel.
EVA
How long do you bake it if you use the small individual serving size dishes?