Name: Pumpkin Pie Crème Brûlée
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream; 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice; 1/2 cup pumpkin puree ((NOT pumpkin pie filling)); 4 egg yolks; 1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for brûlée topping); 1 tsp vanilla extract; pinch salt

Pumpkin Pie Crème Brûlée – change things up with a delicious spin on the classic pumpkin pie! Creamy pumpkin spice custard and a crunchy sugar crust make this the ultimate decadent dessert! It’s also a lot easier to make than you would think and is sure to impress dinner guests!

Ohhh myyy goodness this dessert is to die for.

Have you been enjoying the all things pumpkin spice that comes every fall? I’ll be honest, I’m not really that big on the typical pumpkin spice latte but I do enjoy the spicy fall flavors in other forms. Like pumpkin spice pancakes. Muffins of course too. Can’t forget about liqueur. And obviously pie. (Notice these are all super sugary things? I can’t help it, I’ve got a major sweet tooth…)

However…this is the BEST way to enjoy pumpkin spice, you guys. It’s a little bit different from your classic pumpkin pie. It’s so creamy and decadent. It feels fancy. And if I do say so myself, a burnt sugar crust is waaaaay better than your typical pie crust.

Who’s with me?

Crème Brûlée has got to be one of my favourite desserts. If it’s on the menu when I am ordering dessert, it’s almost always what I will pick. I love how the flavour options are pretty much endless with this classic French dessert. It can be customized by season or preference! Really, whatever flavour you want, you can probably make into a crème brûlée.

The creaminess of the custard in contrast with that crunchy, sugary crust is just divine. One of the best things ever is cracking into the crust; I could do it over and over (and also eat crème brûlée over and over too). Does anyone else feel this way? It’s so satisfying, and then you get to enjoy an amazing dessert right after. Literally what dreams are made of.

Feel intimidated to try and make this? Don’t be! It’s much simpler than you would think, and you can even make it without a kitchen torch! That’s right – you can use the broiler setting of your oven to make these if you want. Just heat that oven up, stick them under the broiler, carefully remove (they will be HOT) and stick in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to cool before serving. (Note: I do prefer making it with a torch myself as I found using the broiler didn’t give exactly the same level of caramelization, but it was still delicious done that way!)

I’ve got to say, it sure is fun using a kitchen torch. I’m going to have to look into other uses for it so I can have fun with it more often!

I made these for some guests we had for dinner over the Thanksgiving weekend and it was loved by all! These would be great to make anytime over the fall or winter months for you and your loved ones to enjoy. If you make it for guests, they are sure to be impressed by your amazing cooking skills!

You can prepare this crème brûlée a day ahead or in the morning of the day you plan to enjoy it. Make sure to give it a few hours in the refrigerator so that it can set! When ready to serve, caramelize the sugar, serve and watch for the looks of delight when they take their first bite.

If you try this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Crème Brûlée please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, post on the Zest & Simmer Facebook page or share photos on Instagram using the hashtag #zestandsimmer. I’d love to see it and I always love hearing from you guys!

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Crème Brûlée

Change things up with a delicious spin on the classic pumpkin pie! Creamy pumpkin spice custard and a crunchy sugar crust make this the ultimate decadent dessert! It's also a lot easier to make than you would think and is sure to impress dinner guests!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar plus more for brûlée topping
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange 6-8 ramekins (see recipe notes) inside of a baking dish and set aside.
In a small saucepan on medium heat, add cream and pumpkin pie spice and bring to a light simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt. Slowly add cream mixture to pumpkin mixture while continuing to whisk until thoroughly combined.
Pour mixture into ramekins, filling 1/2 - 3/4 of the way. Add enough boiling water into the baking pan (NOT in with the pumpkin mixture) to go halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35-45 minutes. The mixture should be just set but still jiggle a little. Remove from oven and baking pan and allow ramekins to cool down to room temperature.
Cover ramekins with plastic wrap and put into the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Shortly before serving, remove from fridge. Add an even layer of granulated sugar over the top of each ramekin, about 1 - 2 tbsp of sugar each. If using a torch, heat the sugar until it melts and starts to crisp up. Alternatively, you can place the crème brûlées under the broiler for a few minutes until the sugar is bubbling - watch carefully to ensure it does not burn! If using the broiler, place them in the freezer afterwards for 5-10 minutes to cool ensuring you are careful as the ramekins will be quite hot to touch (see recipe notes).
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

The number of ramekins you will need will depend on how big or deep your ramekins are. When I made mine I ended up using 4 smaller sized ramekins and 3 slightly larger ones.

Using the broiler - I prefer using a torch as I found using the broiler didn't give exactly the same level of caramelization, but it was still delicious done that way!