Pumpkin Creme Brulee Recipe

If you’re looking for an impressive, decadent dessert for your Thanksgiving dessert table, this pumpkin creme brulee is for you. It’s velvety smooth, creamy, and I think it tastes like pumpkin pie in creme brulee form. (Not quite saying it’s a sub for the classic pumpkin pie, though:) Another reason why I think it’s a great dessert for thanksgiving is because it’s a perfect make-ahead dessert. You can easily make it the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight. Right before serving, all you have to do is brulee the top. (Whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon pair beautifully with the bruleed top, BTW) Or, just do whipped cream and cinnamon without brulee-ing; that’ll also work. If you make this creme brulee, please let me know how it turned out; I’ll be looking forward to hearing your review!

Pumpkin Creme Brulee Recipe

 

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This pumpkin creme brulee is smooth and creamy, and looks and tastes so impressive with it's crisp bruleed top and a dollop of whipped cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Serves: 6-8 ramekins

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup granulated sugar (plus extra for caramelizing)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. If you're using homemade pumpkin puree that's lumpy, blend it a little more to make it an extra fine puree.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla until combined.
4. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until almost simmering, stirring frequently to prevent burning on the bottom.
5. Slowly add heavy cream to egg mixture while whisking;* adding it too quickly can result in scrambled eggs, which is not good!
6. Strain the cream/egg mixture through a strainer into a medium/large bowl with a pouring lip.
7. Whisk in pumpkin puree and cinnamon.
8. Divide the mixture evenly among 6-8 ramekins and place into a 9x13 in baking dish and another small dish if they don't fit.
9. Pour boiling water into the baking dishes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 min. (or more depending on the size of the ramekins) The creme brulee should barely wiggle when you move the pan.
11. Remove the creme brulee from water bath and let cool to room temperature or until a little warm. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
12. The creme brulee must be at room temp or chilled to caramelize the top. You have to caramelize right before serving, not in advance, otherwise the sugar will melt. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar on top of the creme brulee, and torch the tops in a circular pattern until the sugar has caramelized and is a beautiful amber color. If the sugar starts to burn or becomes too brown, decrease the torches' heat and/or move it farther away from creme brulee.
13. Dollop with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

*When tempering eggs, you're just slowly bringing up the temperature of the eggs to the temperature of the cream. The reason the eggs curdle if you add the cream too quickly is because the eggs and cream are two different temperatures, so adding the cream too quickly is a temperature clash, resulting in scrambled eggs. So it's important to get the eggs used to the cream's temperature, and then you can start adding the cream more quickly.

3.5.3228

Recipe adapted from  Natasha’s Kitchen