If you’ve been around here a while, you know I only every once in a while publish a dessert that is full indulgent. Usually I swap in maple syrup or coconut sugar and feel pretty smug about it. Or make it plant based which tends to be lower calorie. Not today. Crème brûlée is one of those desserts where the shortcuts show, so this one uses real heavy cream, real egg yolks, and real sugar. Still whole food from scratch, just a little different than what I normally mean by that. The topping especially needs plain granulated sugar, because coconut and brown sugar burn before they ever turn into that glassy crust. I’m making an exception on purpose, and trust me, its sooo worth it. I mean come on… we both know what we’re doing here on this page.
The pumpkin earns its place in this and give it a bite of that classic fall pumpkin flavor. A half cup of purée gives the custard a little more body than the classic version and a mellow, earthy sweetness that comes from squash in general. The cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves get warmed right in the cream, so the spice flavor runs all the way through instead of sitting on top like a dusting. The best part for anyone hosting is that the custards have to chill for at least four hours anyway, which means you can bake them the day before and look extremely put together when it’s time for dessert! Or if you’re like me, the night before while makeup-less in PJ’s. Aka my favorite vibe always.
The method is mostly about patience, and is otherwise simple. Heat the cream until it’s steaming but not boiling, then add it to the yolks slowly while you whisk, starting with just a splash. This is tempering, and it’s important to this– truly the difference between making a custard and making sweet scrambled eggs. Then strain everything through a fine-mesh sieve, even if it looks smooth already (it probably isn’t, which is very normal). The water bath keeps the oven heat gentle, and you’ll pull the ramekins when the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble, like Jell-O if you know what I mean! If you have a thermometer, 170 to 175°F is your target. Overbaked custard turns grainy, so start checking at 35 minutes!
Torching is the fun part and also the part where people get nervous. Blot off any condensation first, spread a thin even layer of sugar, and keep the flame moving in small circles a couple of inches above the surface until it goes deep amber. Give it a minute or two to harden, then hand someone a spoon and watch their face. No torch? The broiler works in a pinch, though it browns less evenly, so stay right there and don’t wander off to check your phone (I say this as someone who has absolutely wandered off to check her phone… whoops!).
Yes this is naturally gluten free, and you’ll have six egg whites left over, which freeze beautifully for meringues or a weekend frittata. Torch right before serving, since the crust softens in the fridge within an hour or two. And if you make these, don’t forget to snap a quick photo and tag me @herbyeater on TikTok or Instagram!
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
Equipment
- 6 ramekins (6 oz each)
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Large liquid measuring cup or pitcher
- 9×13-inch baking dish (or any dish that fits all six ramekins)
- Kettle
- Kitchen torch (or broiler, see Notes)
Ingredients
Custard
- 2 cups heavy cream 480g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon 3g
- ½ tsp ground ginger 1g
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 0.5g
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves 0.3g
- 6 large egg yolks 100g
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar 73g
- ½ cup pumpkin purée 120g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 4g
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt 1.5g
Topping
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g, about 2 tsp per ramekin
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Set the ramekins in the baking dish and start a kettle of water.
- Add the cream, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to the saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring now and then, until it’s steaming with small bubbles at the edges, about 5 minutes. Don’t let it boil. Take it off the heat.
- In the mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, and salt until smooth and slightly lighter in color, about 1 minute. Whisk in the pumpkin purée.
- Temper the yolks: slowly pour about ½ cup of the warm cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Once that’s combined, add the rest of the cream in a slow stream, still whisking. Stir in the vanilla.
- Strain the custard through the fine-mesh sieve into the measuring cup or pitcher, pressing the pumpkin through with a spatula. This step catches any cooked egg bits and stringy pumpkin, so don’t skip it.
- Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins. Pop any surface bubbles with a toothpick or a quick pass of the torch.
- Set the baking dish on the oven rack, then carefully pour hot water from the kettle into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly when you nudge the dish, like a firm Jell-O and not a liquid wave. An instant-read thermometer in the center should read 170 to 175°F (77 to 79°C).
- Carefully lift the ramekins out of the water bath and let them cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Right before serving, blot any condensation off the tops with a paper towel. Sprinkle about 2 tsp granulated sugar over each custard and tilt the ramekin to spread it into an even layer, tapping out the excess.
- Torch the sugar, holding the flame a couple of inches away and moving it in small circles, until it melts and turns deep amber. Let it sit 1 to 2 minutes to harden before serving.
Notes
Pumpkin pie spice: Swap the four individual spices for 2 tsp (5g) pumpkin pie spice. For a lighter custard, replace up to ½ cup of the heavy cream with whole milk. The custard will be a little softer and less rich. Sweetener: Granulated sugar or maple syrup can stand in for the brown sugar in the custard (use 3 tbsp maple syrup, about 60g). Stick with granulated sugar for the topping though, as coconut sugar and brown sugar tend to burn before they form a clean, glassy crust. Optional add-ins
A pinch of black pepper or cardamom with the other spices. Scrape half a vanilla bean into the cream while it heats, in place of the extract. Top with a few fresh berries or a crumbled gingersnap after torching. Practical tips
No torch method: Put the chilled, sugared ramekins on a sheet pan under the broiler on the top rack, 2 to 4 minutes, watching constantly. It browns less evenly and slightly warms the custard, so chill for 15 minutes afterward if you want the contrast. Overbaking is the main risk with this; If the center no longer jiggles at all, it’s gone too far and will turn grainy. Check at 35 minutes! With that, ramekin depth matters. Shallow, wide dishes bake faster (start checking at 25 minutes); deeper ones may need the full 45. Storage
Untorched custards keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Torch only right before serving. The sugar crust softens and weeps within an hour or two in the fridge, so torched leftovers will taste fine but lose the crack.