Description
This Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée recipe uses real pumpkin and fall spices to flavor a rich custard base that is topped with a hard shell of caramelized torched sugar. The pumpkin custard is baked in mini pumpkins for an extra festive fall touch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups heavy cream (470g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 5 egg yolks (95g)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, more for topping (67g)
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree (160g)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- tiny pinch ground cloves
- 3–4 small-medium pumpkins, 5 ½ inches wide, 3 inches tall, washed, tops cut off, hollowed out
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Tear off sheets of foil, scrunch them up into rods and form into rings that the pumpkins will sit on. Place these on top of a large baking sheet with a lip spaced out 3-inches apart.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste to a medium saucepan. Cook until simmering (185°F-205°F), then remove from heat. In a large heat-proof bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together with a whisk or beaters until lightened in color and the mixture leaves a trail when the whisk is pulled up. Whisk in the pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
- Slowly dribble in some of the warmed cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking constantly. Continue this until all of the cream mixture is in the egg yolk mixture and whisked together thoroughly. Divide this mixture evenly between the pumpkins. Do not overfill. Place the pumpkins on the prepared foil collars on the baking sheet. Fill the baking sheet with boiling or very hot water up to the top of the foil collars, but not touching the pumpkins.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until centers are barely set and jiggly. The pumpkins insulate the custard so it bakes much slower than crème brûlée made in ramekins. If making this in ramekins, only bake for about 30 minutes. Cool completely. Refrigerate for at least four hours and up to a couple of days.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle a very thin layer of granulated or caster sugar on top of the crème brûlée. Torch this layer until melted and lightly caramelized. Sprinkle another even thin layer of sugar on top of this layer. Torch again until melted and lightly caramelized. I like to do 2-3 thin layers to achieve an even, crackable caramel.
Notes
- You may find it easier to fill the bottom of the pan with water after it has been placed on the oven rack, just before closing the door.
- Tie your hair back and remove any fabric or flammable items before torching!
- I like to use a serrated knife to carve the pumpkin tops.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 crème brûlée
- Calories: 388 kcal
Keywords: pumpkin, crème brûlée, dessert