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–+ servings
Close up of styled pepitas on Pumpkin Flan
Author: Neyssa
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4.37 from 38 votes

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Flan

This pumpkin cream cheese flan combines pumpkin, warm spices, and the silky caramel flavor of traditional flan with the softer, creamier texture of flan de queso. Make it the day before serving for an easy holiday dessert.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling & chilling 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes

Equipment

  • 9-inch round flan pan or cake pan
  • Large, deep roasting pan
  • Medium light-colored saucepan
  • blender
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Rimmed serving plate

Ingredients
 

For the caramel

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water

For the pumpkin custard

  • 4 ounces cream cheese (completely softened)
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 can evaporated milk (12 ounce)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 small pinch ground cloves
  • 1 small pinch fine salt (less than ⅛ teaspoon)
  • 5 large eggs (room temperature)

Instructions

Prepare the oven and pan

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the 9-inch pan inside a larger, deep roasting pan. Make sure both pans are completely dry before preparing the caramel.

Make the caramel

  • 2. Add the sugar and water to a clean, light-colored saucepan. Stir gently before placing it over medium-high heat.
  • 3. Once the mixture begins simmering, stop stirring it with a spoon. Occasionally swirl the saucepan by it's hand so the sugar cooks evenly.
  • 4. Continue cooking until the caramel reaches a medium amber color. Watch it closely because it can change from amber to burned very quickly.
  • 5. Immediately pour the caramel into the dry flan pan. Carefully tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly across the bottom. Carefully tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly across the bottom. The pan and caramel will be extremely hot.
  • 6. Set the pan aside for approximately 10 minutes while you prepare the custard. The caramel will cool and harden; this is normal.

Make the pumpkin custard

  • 7. Add the softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pumpkin purée, eggs, vanilla cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to a blender.
  • 8. Blend until the custard is smooth and completely combined. Avoid blending longer than necessary because excess blending incorporates air, which can create bubbles or small holes in the finished flan.
  • 9. Allow the mixture to rest briefly so the bubbles can rise to the surface. Skim away any excess foam, then pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into the caramel-lined pan.

Prepare the water bath

  • 10. Place the nested pans on a slightly pulled-out oven rack. Carefully pour hot water into the outer roasting pan until it reaches approximately halfway up the side of the flan pan. Avoid splashing water into the custard.
  • 11. carefully slide the rack into the oven. Bake the flan uncovered for an hour, or until the edges are set and the center moves with one cohesive, gelatin-like wobble when the pan is gently shaken. The center should not ripple like liquid or appear completely rigid.

Cool and chill

  • 12. Carefully remove the flan pan from the water bath and place it on a cooling rack. Allow it to cool at room temperature for approximately 1 hour.
  • 13. Once cooled, cover the pan without allowing the covering to touch the custard. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Unmold and serve

  • 14. Run a thin knife around the outside edge of the chilled flan.
  • 15. Center a rimmed serving plate over the pan. Hold the plate and pan firmly together and invert them in one confident motion.
  • 16. Allow the inverted pan to rest briefly before lifting it away. Spoon any remining caramel over the flan, slice, and serve chilled.

Notes

Make it ahead: Refrigerating the flan overnight in its baking pan is recommended. The longer chilling time helps it set completely and makes unmolding easier.
Pumpkin purée: Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains additional sugar, spices, and other ingredients that can alter the flavor and texture.
Cream cheese texture: The cream cheese creates a softer, richer, and creamier flan. For a firmer, more traditional custard, omit it. Because the version without cream cheese may set sooner, begin checking it earlier and rely on the visual doneness cues.
Avoiding cream-cheese lumps: The cream cheese must be fully softened. Blending it with the condensed milk before adding the remaining ingredients helps create a smooth custard.
No blender: One reader shared that she gently mixed the custard by hand to avoid incorporating excess air. If making the cream-cheese version by hand, whisk the softened cream cheese and condensed milk completely smooth before adding the remaining ingredients and eggs. Strain the custard before pouring it into the pan.
Caramel color: Remove the caramel from the heat at medium amber. It will continue cooking from residual heat. Very dark caramel will taste bitter.
If the caramel burns: Do not pour hot caramel into the trash or down the drain. Allow the pan to cool, fill it with water, and let the hardened caramel dissolve. Once it has dissolved completely and the liquid is cool, dilute it with additional water and pour it down the kitchen drain while running water.
Hardened caramel: The caramel will harden in the baking pan before you add the custard. This is expected. It will liquefy again while the flan bakes.
Water temperature: Use hot water for the water bath, but it does not need to be vigorously boiling.
Bake uncovered: This recipe was tested without foil. Covering the flan while it bakes can trap condensation, allowing water droplets to fall onto and mark the delicate surface.
Flan height: The final height depends on the diameter and capacity of the pan. This recipe is tested in a 9-inch pan; using a wider pan will produce a thinner flan.
Storage: Store the flan covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep it refrigerated when it is not being served.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 5344IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 296mg | Iron: 1mg
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