Pumpkin Creme Caramel Recipe

If you saw last week's dessert recipe, you know I made a French-style pumpkin flan for my husband Lulu. He had asked me to make a flan, which in his mind meant crème caramel, but instead I made a flan pâtissier (French pie crust with pumpkin custard). I always try to keep my promises, so here's the pumpkin crème caramel, which Lulu loved.

His favorite part is the caramel at the bottom of the cup. You could serve it as is, or flip the dessert onto a plate so the caramel drips all over the "flan". I photographed it in both serving styles so you can decide which you prefer.

Three days to Thanksgiving (or four days to Black Friday, depending on your priorities )!

French Pumpkin Flan Recipe (Flan Patissier)

My husband Lulu loves it when Thanksgiving rolls around, because it's usually the time of the year when I experiment with new desserts. He often makes suggestions, and always selflessly volunteers to be the taste-tester.

His latest suggestion was a pumpkin-flavored flan. Lulu tends to forget that I was born French. A "flan pâtissier" in France is a pie crust called "pâte brisée" filled with custard made of egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla beans. So that's what I made, with the addition of pumpkin, of course.

I told Lulu he would be eating flan for dessert. Once he finished it in the evening, he smiled and said: "All day long, I was looking forward to pumpkin-flavored crème caramel. I loved this French-style pumpkin custard pie, but can I have a pumpkin crème caramel tomorrow?" I hope my daughter doesn't end up so spoiled! And in case you were wondering, I am going to make the crème caramel today...