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Flan de Calabaza served on a white and black patterned plate with caramel sauce around.
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5 from 1 vote

Flan de Calabaza (Puerto Rican Pumpkin Flan)

If you love pumpkin pie, you'll want to make this Flan de Calabaza! It's smooth, creamy, and made with pumpkin for a delicious twist on traditional flan.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cuban, Puerto Rican
Servings: 8
Calories: 148kcal
Author: Catherine Arena

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan to make the caramel sauce
  • Blender to mix the ingredients or use a hand whisk and large bowl
  • 2 baking molds one for the flan and one for the water bath

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Flan Mixture

  • 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
  • 1 14 ounce can condensed milk
  • 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° degrees.

Make the Caramel Sauce

  • Add the sugar to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir every few seconds with a spoon. Once the sugar starts to melt, lower the heat. The sugar may get clumpy at first, this is normal. It will smooth out as it continues to melt.
    Note: Keep a close eye on the sugar and don't walk away from the stove. It can burn quickly, and you will have to start over again if it does.
  • Once the sugar has completely melted, carefully pour it into your flan mold before it hardens. Swirl and tilt the mold to coat the bottom and the sides with the caramel.
    Caution! The melted sugar is extremely hot and can cause serious burns if it splatters. Handle it carefully when pouring.

Prepare the Flan Mixture

  • Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend until smooth.
  • Pour the mixture into the caramel-coated mold and cover it with aluminum foil.
  • Place the flan mold inside a larger baking dish. Carefully pour enough hot water into the larger dish to reach halfway up the sides of the flan mold.

Bake

  • Carefully place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
  • Insert a toothpick into the center of the flan. If it comes out clean, it's ready. If not, bake for another 15-20 minutes, then check again. Carefully remove the flan from the oven and lift the mold out of the water bath.
  • Allow it to cool on the kitchen counter for 1 hour.

Refrigerate

  • After the flan has cooled some, cover it with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until completely chilled and set.
  • Once the flan has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator. Run a butter knife or thin spatula around the edges of the mold to help loosen the flan.

Serving

  • Place a serving plate over the flan mold. Holding the plate and mold firmly together, quickly flip them over. Gently shake the mold to help release the flan, then carefully lift it off.
  • Cut the flan into individual slices and spoon some of the caramel sauce over each serving.

Notes

Recipe Tips:
  • Flan de calabaza tastes best made a day in advance from when you are planning on serving it. This allows all the flavors to really blend well and the texture to set properly.
  • When making the caramel sauce, be patient when melting the sugar. Do not be tempted to turn up the heat. Patience is key here. *Do not walk away while melting the sugar as it is prone to burn. If it burns, you will have to start all over again. You want the sugar to have an ember golden hue.

Nutrition

Serving: 8 | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 208g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 931mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 417mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 203g | Vitamin A: 1526IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 6mg