Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée is the ultimate fall dessert, combining a silky, warmly spiced pumpkin custard with a crackly, torched sugar shell. It looks and sounds like a restaurant-quality treat, yet it comes together with just eight simple ingredients and about twenty minutes of hands-on work. The custards bake gently in a water bath, chill until perfectly set, and are finished with a caramelized sugar top right before serving for that iconic spoon-tapping moment.
Equipment
- 6 (4-ounce) ramekins
- Medium saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Large roasting pan or baking dish for the water bath
- Whisk
- Kitchen torch (optional) can use oven broiler instead
- Wire rack for cooling
- Plastic wrap for chilling
- Paper towel for blotting moisture
- Measuring cup or bowl for straining custard
- Kettle or pot for boiling water
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream 480ml
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 67g, plus more for the brûlée topping
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed, 25g
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree 120g, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- fine sea salt pinch
For the Brûlée Topping
- 1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar per custard, for topping
Optional Serving Suggestions
- whipped cream lightly sweetened, for serving
- candied pecans for crunch
- caramel sauce for drizzling
- ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange 6 (4-ounce) ramekins in a large roasting pan and set a pot of water to boil.
- Warm heavy cream and pumpkin pie spice in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steam rises and small bubbles form, about 4-5 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and rest 10 minutes.
- Whisk egg yolks, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin puree, vanilla, and salt; whisk until smooth.
- Slowly drizzle about a third of the warm cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Then whisk in the remaining cream until fully blended.
- Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Divide evenly among ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. Bake 35-40 minutes until edges are set but centers still jiggle slightly.
- Remove ramekins from water bath and cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
- Blot moisture from custard surfaces. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar evenly over each. Torch in small circles until melted and deep amber. Let harden 1 minute and serve immediately.
Notes
- Whisk eggs and sugar gently to avoid creating too much foam on top of the custard.
- Always strain the custard base, even when it looks smooth, for the silkiest texture.
- Do not skip the water bath; it protects the custard from curdling in the oven.
- Use a thin, even layer of sugar for the topping so it caramelizes evenly instead of burning in spots.
- Let ramekins cool at room temperature before refrigerating so they don't fog up under the plastic wrap.
- Make ahead: bake and chill custards up to 3 days in advance, then torch sugar right before serving.
- No kitchen torch? Caramelize sugar under the oven broiler, watching closely and rotating as needed.
- For maple pumpkin variation, swap 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for pure maple syrup.
- For bourbon pumpkin variation, add 1 tablespoon bourbon to the custard base.
- For mini version, use 2-ounce ramekins and reduce bake time by about 10 minutes.
- Do not freeze; the custard texture breaks down and becomes watery once thawed.
- Torched leftovers should be eaten within a few hours for the best texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1RamekinCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 5gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 240mgSugar: 17g
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