Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

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Say hello to this creamy pumpkin crème brûlée, a seasonal twist on a classic dessert. This delicious fall version of crème brûlée has a pumpkin custard spiced to perfection and topped with a caramelized sugar coating.

If you love pumpkin desserts like I do, I have some incredible recipes for you to try this fall. These pumpkin snickerdoodles are always a favorite and this pumpkin roll is a classic. My kids also love these cookies because of the cream cheese frosting.

Close side view of a spoon in a ramekin of pumpkin crème brûlée.The caramelized top is cracked into with the spoon. A pumpkin and cinnamon sticks are next to the ramekins.

What is Pumpkin Crème Brûlée?

This pumpkin crème brûlée is a pumpkin version of the world’s best dessert! Creme brûlée is made of eggs, cream, sugar, and vanilla, but this recipe has the addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice! It’s the perfect sweet and creamy fall dessert. It makes a delicious custard-like filling that you put into a ramekin and allow to set. Then the best part, sprinkle it with sugar and torch it to get that crunchy caramelized top!

Crème brûlée makes the perfect dessert for serving to guests because it can be made ahead of time and has such a beautiful presentation! If you’re looking for more desserts like this that impress your guests, make this gorgeous pie or this mind-blowing cheesecake.

Ingredients Needed

You only need six ingredients to make this incredible pumpkin crème brûlée! Anyone can make this, and EVERYONE will love it! It’s impressive for the holidays, so plan on making it this year. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a list of exact measurements.

Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is a must for achieving a custard texture. No substitutions here.
Egg Yolks: Using only egg yolks helps get that creamy rich texture. If you used whole eggs including the egg whites, then it would be too firm and set.
Granulated Sugar: This sweetens the custard! You will also use this for the topping to get that crunchy top!
Pumpkin Puree: Use pure pumpkin puree here and not pumpkin pie filling.
Vanilla: Enhances the sweetness of this dessert.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: The perfect spice to give it that pumpkin pie flavor!

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Recipe

Follow these directions closely then your pumpkin crème brûlée will turn out perfectly! It really is very easy to make so don’t be intimidated. Your guests will be complimenting you all night long!

Heat the Cream: In a small pot, heat the cream over medium until steaming and just beginning to bubble at the edges, but not boiling
Whisk the Egg Yolks, Sugar, Pumpkin, Vanilla, and Pumpkin Pie Spice: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
Add the Hot Cream to the Egg Mixture: Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Strain the Mixture/ Fill the Ramekins: Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture in the sieve, helping the liquid through and the pumpkin solids to strain out. Carefully ladle the strained mixture into 5, 7-8 ounce ramekins.
Place Ramekins on Baking Sheet/ Add Water Around Ramekins: Place the ramekins in a large baking dish or baking sheet with 1-2 inch sides. Place the pan in the oven and then add hot water to the pan, being careful to not splash water into the ramekins, until the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30-45 minutes until it’s mostly set but still has a little jiggle to it.

Chill and Brûlée

Chill Ramekins: Remove from the oven, carefully remove from the water bath then let cool to room temperature. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
Add Sugar Coating/ Torch the Sugar: When ready to serve, sprinkle each ramekin with 2-3 teaspoons of granulated sugar and tilt the ramekin around until the sugar touches the edges and is even across the top. Use a torch or a broiler to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately.

First photo of cream heating on the stove. Second photo of the pumpkin, sugar, egg yolks, and cinnamon in a bowl. Third photo of the hot cream added to the pumpkin mixture. Fourth photo of the custard being strained. Fifth photo of the custard pouring into the ramekins. Sixth photo of the water pouring around the ramekins on a cookie sheet.

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Tips

Let me show you the ways! Here are some tips and tricks for making this incredible dessert. I promise my tips will give you success!

Sweetness: If you prefer a less sweet crème brûlée, reduce the amount of sugar in the custard to 1/3 cup or even 1/4 cup.
Strain the Custard: The sieve step is technically optional, but it goes a long way to strain out the solids so your custard is silky smooth. If you choose not to strain it, the custard will have a little more texture as the pulp from the pureed pumpkin is thick and the pumpkin pie spice may add a slight bit of graininess.
Brûlée: Brûlée is also known as burnt cream. It’s the caramelizing of sugar on the surface of the custard. For a thicker layer of crème brûlée, do one layer of brûlée followed by a second layer. Brûlée the top layer darker than the first.
Ways to Brûlée: The most common way is to use a kitchen torch! If you don’t have one, you can broil the top in the oven for a few minutes but watch it closely.

Close top view of a spoon in a ramekin of pumpkin crème brûlée. A pumpkin and cinnamon sticks are next to the ramekins.

Tips For Making Ahead

The pumpkin custard can be prepared 2-3 days ahead of time, but the brûlée topping is best added right before serving. If you refrigerate the finished crème brûlée for too long, the brulee with soften and weep then won’t have that signature crack topping.

More Fall Desserts to Try

Fall is my favorite time to bake in the kitchen! It’s a perfect time for cozy delicious desserts full of the best fall flavors. I can never say no to a dessert with apple, pumpkin, or zucchini! I can’t wait for you to try some of my favorite go-to recipes.

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In a small pot, heat the cream over medium until steaming and just beginning to bubble at the edges, but not boiling
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture in the sieve, helping the liquid through and the pumpkin solids to strain out. Carefully ladle the strained mixture into 5, 7-8 ounce ramekins.
Place the ramekins in a large baking dish or baking sheet with 1-2 inch sides. Place the pan in the oven and then add hot water to the pan, being careful to not splash water into the ramekins, until the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30-45 minutes until it’s mostly set but still has a little jiggle to it.
Remove from the oven, carefully remove from the water bath, and let cool to room temperature. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
When ready to serve, sprinkle each ramekin with 2-3 teaspoons of granulated sugar and tilt the ramekin around until the sugar touches the edges and is even across the top. Use a torch or a broiler to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately.

Serving: 1dishCalories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 5gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 263mgSodium: 35mgPotassium: 176mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 6692IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.