Description
This vegan Pumpkin Flan offers a creamy, velvety custard infused with warm pumpkin pie spices and a rich caramel base. Made with plant-based ingredients like oat milk, vegan butter, and pumpkin puree, it’s a perfect autumnal dessert that combines traditional flan techniques with a dairy-free twist. The flan sets beautifully in individual molds, with a luscious caramel sauce that complements the smooth pumpkin custard, making it an elegant, comforting treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Caramel
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Custard
- 200 g evaporated oat milk
- 20 g cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon agar agar powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 200 g pumpkin puree
- 200 g vegan whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 60 g vegan butter, cold and cubed
Instructions
- Prepare molds: Place your flan molds on a tray and set aside. The recipe uses six molds, each about 13.5 cm (5 inches) in diameter.
- Make caramel: Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and avoid stirring from this point. Watch carefully as the sugar boils, bubbles, and caramelizes. When it turns a deep amber color, remove the pan from heat.
- Pour caramel: Quickly pour the hot caramel into the flan molds. Work fast as caramel sets swiftly. Let it cool and harden at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Prepare custard mixture: In a saucepan, whisk together evaporated oat milk, cornstarch, agar agar powder, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Stir in pumpkin puree, vegan whipping cream, and vanilla extract.
- Cook custard: Heat the mixture to a simmer while continuously whisking. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until the custard thickens, stirring constantly to prevent sticking or burning. Alternate whisk and spatula to ensure even cooking. Remove from heat.
- Incorporate butter: Place cubed vegan butter in a large bowl. Pass the hot custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl with butter. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, whisking every 5 minutes to prevent skin formation.
- Fill molds: Divide the cooled custard evenly among the caramel-lined molds. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to set completely.
- Unmold flan: Just before serving, warm a shallow layer of water in a saucepan. Place the flan molds in the hot water briefly to loosen edges. Carefully run a sharp knife about 1 inch deep around the inside of molds to release custard.
- Serve: Place a small plate on top of each mold and quickly invert to unmold the flan. The custard should come out cleanly with caramel sauce flowing over it.
- Store: Best served within 1-2 days of setting. Keep flans refrigerated and do not unmold until ready to serve. Ideally prepare one day in advance for optimal texture and flavor.
Notes
- The pumpkin pie spice can be substituted or adjusted according to taste preferences.
- Use cold vegan butter to better incorporate it and achieve a creamy custard texture.
- Keep a close eye on the caramel as it can burn quickly if unattended.
- Passing custard through a sieve ensures the smoothest possible texture by removing any lumps.
- Running a knife around the mold before unmolding helps prevent breaks in the custard.
