This pumpkin flan dessert is smooth and creamy with a glossy caramel sauce that's rich and sweet. Each bite has a melt-in-your-mouth texture filled with pumpkin pie flavor, cinnamon, and a caramelized, fall-inspired finish. You'll love how this homemade custard dessert brings a comforting and indulgent treat, topped with caramelized sugar, to your table. Pin this recipe now so you can keep a cozy fall favorite ready for every occasion.

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WHY IS THIS THE BEST PUMPKIN FLAN RECIPE

This is an easy recipe for an impressive dessert. Mix the canned pumpkin with spices and frothy milk, then pour it into the pan and bake in a water bath. That's all there is to it!

This homemade pumpkin flan is delicious! The combination of smooth, creamy pumpkin and caramelized sugar on top makes this a treat that will delight any pumpkin spice lover. The contrast between the creamy pumpkin pie filling and the rich caramel is sublime. You won't want to stop at one serving!

The ingredients for this pumpkin flan are common and easy to find. You likely have most of the simple ingredients for this easy creamy pumpkin flan recipe already in your pantry, and a quick trip to any grocery store will provide the rest.

The ingredients for this easy flan recipe are inexpensive. Sugar, milk, cinnamon, canned pumpkin, and eggs - these are super cheap ingredients!

This pumpkin spice flan might just be your new favorite dessert! With thick canned pumpkin mixed with frothy milk and a rich caramelized topping, this simple flan is always a big hit!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THE BEST PUMPKIN FLAN RECIPE

Equipment

• Stand mixer - Make sure you keep this on a low speed. You can also use a hand mixer, but it's a little tricky to get the texture right that way.
• Cake pan - You'll make the flan in a round cake pan. You will be heating it on the stove before baking the flan, so the cake pan must be able to withstand direct heat.
• Roasting pan - This is for the water bath. It must hold about one inch of water and should be large enough to hold the cake pan with enough room for water water to surround it on all sides.
• Egg separator - You will use some eggs whole, but some will need to have the yolks separated from the whites.
• A small pot - This is needed to heat the milk.
• Can opener - To open the can of pumpkin.
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients
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 See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Sugar - This is to sweeten the flan. You may be able to use maple syrup or honey, but I've personally never tried anything other than plain white sugar and can't speak to whether it will work or not.
• Milk - This is the base of the flan. I recommend whole milk.
• Eggs - You need eggs to turn the sugar and milk into custard. You can't make this dish without eggs.
• Egg whites - You will have to separate the yolks from the whites and use only the whites.
• Pumpkin puree - You want 100% pure pureed pumpkin for this recipe. Do not use pumpkin pie filling or any pre-spiced pumpkin.
• Ground cinnamon - This gives the flan a pumpkin spice flavor rather than just the plain pumpkin flavor.
• Vanilla bean paste - I like vanilla bean paste because it's concentrated vanilla extract with crushed up vanilla beans mixed in. It has a stronger and more pleasant vanilla flavor. It is easily available on Amazon, but if you're in a pinch, you can use an equal amount of pure vanilla extract.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST FLAN RECIPE

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat a kettle of water and set it aside. You'll need it later.
2. Pour ½ cup sugar into a 9-inch round cake pan. Shake the pan to distribute the sugar evenly. Cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and turns light brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. You will hear it crack as it cools. That's totally normal.
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3. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and remaining ½ cup sugar over medium heat. Stir frequently. When the mixture is hot and frothy, turn off the heat.
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4. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, blend the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Very slowly, add the hot milk to the pumpkin mixture while keeping the mixer on a low speed. This can be tricky. If you pour the hot milk in too fast, you'll cook the eggs and have to start over.
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5. When the flan mixture is well combined, pour it over the now-cooled caramelized sugar.
6. Place the cake pan into a roasting pan. When the kettle of water is very hot, pour it into the roasting pan about an inch deep. Put the whole thing in the oven and bake for 60-70 minutes, until a knife stuck in the center comes out clean. The flan will still be jiggly at this point, so don't mistake a slight jiggle for a sign that it's not done.
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7. Remove the cake pan from the water and set it to cool on a wire rack. When it's no longer warm, run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the pan and invert the flan onto a serving platter. All of the wonderful syrup from the bottom of the pan will pour out over the top of the flan.
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8. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Serve chilled.
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The steps are very similar to how you make traditional flan, which you can check out over here.

SUBSTITUTIONS & VARIATIONS

There aren't a lot of substitutions to make in this recipe because all the ingredients are important. You can't make flan without milk, sugar, and eggs. Maybe you can make a dairy-free or egg-free or vegan flan, but I don't know how, and this particular recipe won't work in any of those cases.

You can use maple extract or almond extract in place of or in addition to the vanilla bean paste.

You can add a small amount of espresso to the sugar before you caramelize it.

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You can bake your flan- in ramekins for single serving portions. Small flans will cook much faster than the large one, so make sure you start checking them around 30 minutes. You don't want them to burn.

Top with candied pecans, whipped cream, a sprinkle of sea salt, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

STORING LEFTOVERS

Cover the flan tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or transfer slices to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

I don't recommend freezing flan. It doesn't thaw well.

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CHECK OUT MORE DELICIOUS PUMPKIN RECIPES

• Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
• No-Bake Turtle Pumpkin Pie
• Glazed Pumpkin Spice Donuts
• Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream - No Churn Recipe
• Praline Pumpkin Pecan Pie with Pecan Topping
• Pumpkin Dump Cake

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