This Pumpkin Flan recipe is a great addition to your Thanksgiving table! A crowd-pleasing holiday dessert with the silky, creamy texture of a baked custard and the festive taste of pumpkin pie!  

Another pumpkin recipe. #Sorrynotsorry.

Can we agree that nothing screams fall more than pumpkin and pumpkin spice!? Fall marks the start of harvest and pre-holiday cheer. And, if you’re from a Latin background you know this is the start of flan season. No party or family get together is complete without a flan on the table.

Flan is a Latino dessert tradition and a delicious sweet treat that is easy to prepare! There are many different kinds of flan, like coconut, caramel, vanilla, rum, rompope, coffee, chocolate– you get the idea.

And then there is pumpkin flan which might not be a super traditional flan flavor but definitely one of the best I have tried! I can’t think of anybody who did not fall in love with this pumpkin flan after the first bite.

What makes this pumpkin flan so special:

Seriously, how amazing would this pumpkin flan be as the final note to an intimate Thanksgiving gathering?

It’s elegant, lighter and far more imaginative than the standard pumpkin pie that we’ve all had about a million times throughout our lifetimes, am I right?

I love the idea of individual servings if your Thanksgiving table has say, 8 guests or less. Any more than that and you’re just asking for a mild panic attack- and no one wants that.

But for a smaller affair I think serving individual mini flans is a fine idea. It makes people feel special when they receive their own fancy little pumpkin dessert!

Bonus: It’s even easier to make than pumpkin pie! And since this is basically just a pumpkin pie filling of sorts minus the crust, no one will even miss the traditional standby. Plus, with a yummy built-in caramel sauce, your guests will surely shower you with ooohs and ahhhs.

Tips for making this pumpkin flan:

• Do not walk away from the stove when you’re making the caramel or your caramel might over brown and burn. Do not be tempted to turn up the heat and hurry the caramelization process. Be patient, the sugar will melt and turn a perfect golden brown.
• To prevent a grainy texture strain your mixture through a mesh sieve.
• Check your oven temperature with a thermometer. Cooking your flan at too high a temperature can cause the custard to curdle and result in graininess.  Low and slow  is the key to a silky smooth flan and DO NOT forget to cook it in a water bath.
• As soon as you see your pumpkin flan has set around the edges with a slight jiggle in the center, turn off the heat and let it cool.

Variations on this Pumpkin Flan recipe:

• I chose to decorate my pumpkin flan with pretty jewel-like pomegranate seeds, but don’t stop there. Fresh whipped cream with cinnamon or toasted pumpkin seeds would also make delightful accents.
• You can turn this into a Pumpkin Chai Flan by using chai spice mix instead of pumpkin spice.
• Feel free to add some orange zest to the flan mix to make this an orange pumpkin flan.
• Instead of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg you can use 1 3/4 tsp pre-mixed pumpkin spice.