With three different cultural backgrounds in our family (Puerto Rican, French Canadian, and Thai), our holiday dinner table is a global fusion of flavors. For the last few years, I’ve re-created my coconut flan recipe and turned it into a pumpkin flan to add a bit of autumnal spices for the fall and winter season. Pumpkin flan is so easy to make and because of the flan mold lid, it is easy to transport to holiday parties too! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Easy-To-Make Pumpkin Flan
This pumpkin flan is an easy last-minute dessert to whip up for parties or guests (or even just a weeknight treat … no judgement here!) with just a few items in your seasonal pantry. You’ll need a can of pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, a pinch of salt, and pumpkin pie spice. I like to decorate it with a handful of toasted walnuts to add a bit of texture and extra flavor to every bite. The instructions for toasting the walnuts are included in the recipe below.
Why Use A Flan Mold?
So what is this magical flan pan I keep mentioning? You could technically make flan in a ramekin or pie plate, but a stainless steel flan pan mold with a lid makes it so easy to refrigerate and transport. It also gives it a nice shape, and it takes the guess work out of cooking size and time since it’s the perfect capacity for a traditional flan. While it might look like it will be difficult to release the flan once it is baked, the caramel sauce actually makes it pretty easy and non-stick since the custard is essentially sitting in a sweet liquid. And if you’re bringing pumpkin flan to a holiday get-together or party, the mold with latching lid makes it so easy to transport. Seriously, it’s like my favorite holiday dessert for this very reason. Well, that, and it’s delicious.
Stainless Steel Flan Mold With Latching Lid
One Final Tip
One last tip I would give you is don’t skip the caramel sauce! It only takes a little extra time and the added flavor is so worth it. If there’s no sauce, it’s not flan. It’s just custard. And a sad custard at that. LOL! Plus, it makes it easy for the pumpkin flan to fall out of the pan once it’s done. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Flan
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (13.5 oz) canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Add sugar to a medium sauce pan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring continuously to keep it from burning and sticking to the pan. When it's done (approx. 7-10 minutes), it will be melted and caramel colored.
- Carefully pour melted sugar into flan pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer (or stand mixer like KitchenAid), beat eggs until well blended, then pour in sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and mix on medium speed until all ingredients are well blended.
- Pour pumpkin flan mixture into flan pan on top of the melted sugar, then set flan pan into a larger baking pan. Fill larger pan with 1 inch of hot tap water.
- Bake uncovered for 55-70 minutes until sharp knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- While flan is baking, add chopped walnuts to a dry pan and toast on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the edges start to brown a bit. (Tip: You could also add a tsp of cinnamon and a tsp of sugar to make candied walnuts). Set walnuts aside to use as garnish when serving.
- Once flan is done baking, carefully remove it from the oven and let it cool.
- Secure flan mold lid on top and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of the flan to loosen it from the side. Invert the pan onto a serving plate and garnish with walnuts.
Notes
You could also use pecans instead of walnuts.
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE!
- Coquito Tres Leches Cake
- Pistachio Coquito
- Cranberry Tart
- Welsh Gingerbread
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Wonderful recipe! Love flan and this is perfect for fall.
Quick, easy and DELICIOUS! Love this!
Yum!!! Fall is here!!
I made your recipe pumpkin flan for Thanksgiving dessert and everyone enjoyed it and had 2nds…simple and delish TU
Rachelle I made this as the dessert for Thanksgiving day…and it was a hit….TU
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of our favorites. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving, Carmen!
It’s creamy and not super sweet. So it was perfect!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
How far in advance can I make
This for thanksgiving dinner
Hi Dawn!
This will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
What size is the flan pan? Can you use the pan lid as a plate to put it on for serving?
Hi Errol! Most flan pans or flan molds are around 8″ in diameter. As for using the lid for serving, I wouldn’t recommend it as there is a lot of caramel that will likely overflow the lid. I usually overturn the flan into an oversized plate like the one pictured.
Can you still use a pie plate?
Yes! Absolutely. I just use a flan pan for the shape and portability.
Hello.
I’m thinking about making pumpkin flan with a pie plate. Which pie plates do you highly recommend using and what size does this recipe equal to this large vessel?
Hi Mari!
The flan pan I use is closest in size to an 8″ cake pan. You could use an 8″ pie plate too. But larger than that, it might be a bit thin.