Pumpkin Maple Creme Brulee
Silky smooth pumpkin creme brûlée is sweetened with maple syrup and filled with warm spices. This elegant (yet easy) dessert will leave your holiday guests wanting more.
Today we are throwing a surprise virtual bridal shower for a special friend!! Nora from A Clean Bake is getting married next month and a few of her online buddies are showering her in bridal desserts and well wishes, wishing we could celebrate with her in person! If you don’t know Nora, she is one of the sweetest and nicest bloggers out there and her passion for clean baking is so inspiring. I love her blog and recipes. She is a baking rockstar!
I found out recently that Nora and I have one more thing in common (you know, besides our love for baking!!). She watches Scandal and makes sweet treats to enjoy while watching! I’ve had a weekly Grey’s night with my girlfriends for as long as I can remember. It’s our time of the week to get together, to catch up, eat and watch our favorite shows. It started with Grey’s, then Private Practice and now Scandal!! With only two of us still in the same city, our tradition hasn’t died and I still bake for us every week.
A few weeks ago, I made this pumpkin maple creme brûlée for us to enjoy as we watched the season premiere of Scandal. This seasonal pumpkin maple creme brulee is a creamy silky custard with warm spices and sweet maple syrup that’s just so indulgent.
I love creme brulee and I am so happy I tried making it at home. Making creme brulee is very easy as I found out a few months ago when I tried it for the first time in this vanilla bean creme brulee. It’s just whipping up a basic custard (egg yolks, cream and sweetener) and baking it until set. In this case, I added some pumpkin puree, spices and maple syrup to the custard. Chill custard overnight and when ready to serve, sprinkle with sugar.
Using a kitchen torch, you melt the sugar for that classic crunch topping. See? Easy! But don’t get carried away with the flame and burn your sugar (like I did!!). The result is a creamy, sweet and spiced custard full of pumpkin flavor!
Nora, I hope you can try this sometime (with coconut milk!). Congratulations on your wedding in advance!! Wishing you a beautiful and special day 🙂 You are going to be a beautiful bride!! Many many happy years to you and the hubs!
Pumpkin Maple Creme Brulee
Silky smooth pumpkin creme brûlée is sweetened with maple syrup and filled with warm spices. This elegant (yet easy) dessert will leave your holiday guests wanting more.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream (or 2 cups full fat coconut milk) 6 large egg yolks ⅓ cup maple syrup ½ cup pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ⅛ teaspoon cloves ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg Topping: ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream (or 2 cups full fat coconut milk)
- 6 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Place the heavy cream in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until cream starts foaming around the edges. Do not boil. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whip the egg yolks and maple syrup until pale yellow in color and slightly thickened. Whip in the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and spices. While stirring constantly, gradually add the hot cream mixture into the eggs mixture. Add the cream slowly to avoid cooking the eggs. Mix until combined.
- Pour equal amounts into 4 ramekins (6 ounces each). Transfer ramekins to baking pans (9-inch or bigger) and fill baking pans with hot water about halfway up the sides of ramekins.
- Bake custards until set but still jiggly in the center, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve (and only then), sprinkle each ramekin with about 1 tablespoon granulated or turbinado sugar. Using a torch, melt the sugar until golden brown. Or using an oven set to broil, broil for 30 seconds to a minute to melt the sugar. Be careful not to burn the sugar.
- Let cool until the sugar hardens.
Thank you Meriem for organizing this for Nora!! Here are all the wonderful ladies celebrating Nora today. Be sure to check the out and stop by A Clean Bake to congratulate Nora!
Toasted Almond Granola Bars from Chez Catey Lou
Best Granola Recipe for Fall and GF, DF, Apple “Pie” from Baking A Moment
Vanilla Dark Chocolate Macarons from Bethcakes
Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Milkshakes from ImmaEatThat
Aww, congrats to Nora!!! And too cute that you have weekly viewing parties! i do the same with a friend here for Gracepoint. We are ALSO adding this MTV reality show (Are You The One?) to the mix because one of our classmates is on it. When you are given a chance to watch a classmate make a fool of themselves on national television, you just don’t pass that up!
Oh my gosh that’s so cool! I wish I knew someone in tv lol!
Yum this creme brûlée looks amazing! It’s one of the dishes that I’ve never attempted at home that I really really want to try. I remember working on a restraint through college and the creme brûlée was always the one dish the head chef would prepare all by himself instead of leaving to the sus chefs. You make it look like something I can do. Thanks for sharing and happy virtual bridal shower Nora!!
It’s really not complicated. Just making sure you temper the eggs well and that’s it! You can do it!!
Gosh I want some of this for breakfast! The top is absolutely perfect!!!
Thanks dear!!
Wooooooow, that looks incredible! The flavor combination! Love it so much. I’ve never made creme brulee and it’s one of those fancy desserts that intimidates me, but I should totally try it. If nothing else but to play with the kitchen torch. Eek, I’ll be careful. Haha. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Sarah you can totally do this. So easy! And the torch is fun 🙂
Okay so if y’all are already way into Scandal and Grey’s, you definitely need to continue your trip through Shondaland and start watching How To Get Away With Murder. SO. GOOD.
Pumpkin AND maple?! Yes please. Immediately.
Oh you bet I am hooked already! Viola Davis is a fire ball!!
This is just beautiful! And how sweet of you guys to throw a virtual bridal shower?!
Congrats to Nora! All those recipes sound so yummy! And I love Creme Brûlée! Can’t wait to try your autumn version 🙂
Thanks Alyssa!!
Scandal!!! I am a season behind but am binging like crazy to catch up for this season 🙂 What a fun Shonda Rimes tradition you have. And this pumpkin brulee needs to be in my belly immediately. I also never knew that I needed a kitchen torch until now. So awesome!
Oh I loved last season!! Take your time 🙂
YESSSSS. This crème brulee is definitely what I want to enjoy while watching Scandal! Someone should organize a virtual Scandal viewing party sometime, like a Google hangout type thing. That would be legit.
Yes!! I’m gonna have to get on that scandal virtual viewing party. There is just too many of us that love it!!
Yay, congrats to Nora! This creme brulee looks gorgeous! Love pumpkin and maple and that crunchy top looks perfect! 🙂
Thank you so much Zainab! Now that I know a creme brulee can be made with coconut cream, I can become a creme brulee eater again! Woohoo! I love your Scandal-watching party tradition and if the other treats you make are anywhere near as appealing as this, well those are some very lucky ladies. You’re a great friend – but then again, I already knew that from personal experience. 😉 Thank you again so much for making this beautiful recipe for the shower and for adapting it for my finicky stomach!
PS: I 110% second Meriem’s suggestion above!!!
Even the name of this dessert sounds fantastic!! YUM!!! 🙂
I’ve been wanting a fire torch for FOREVER! I have this vision of me making nachos with it…which is weird I guess but so it goes;)
Hahah that’s actually a great idea. Must try 🙂
Congrats to Nora! Also, I love that you added maple to this. I think it gets totally underrepresented in the fall!
Thanks Erin!!
Beautiful brulee, Zainab!
Girl you made this dish, looks amazing!
Thanks girl!!!
What a fun night you have with your girlfriends, Zainab. And daaaaaamn this pumpkin brûlée looks incredible – so rich ‘n silky ‘n creamy! You wielded that blowtorch like a pro, lady – that topping is perfect! I need to buy a torch so that I can try this myself.
Hahah thank you! The hubs was kinda scared with me working with the torch and he supervised :p
Ooh, I’m loving the maple and pumpkin combo! And ps I kinda like it when the sugar’s a little burnt 😉
This creme brûlée sounds so good!
i’ve never made it before, but you’ve inspired me to give it at go 🙂
And a girls night in with a series sounds so fun!! love it!
lovely post 🙂
Bec {Daisy and the Fox}
Oh my GOSH so I love Scandal and I love creme brulee–basically I wish I could attend these epic Scandal/baking sessions!!! This sounds so so amazing–like I could seriously eat five. LOVE this!!!
They look sooo goood!
Man, I sooooo want a blow torch!! love this pumpkin maple creme brulee!!!
Looks so good! I wish someone made it for me 😀
Anyone who loves scandal has got to be a great person. Love the pumpkin brulee.
Awww congrats to Nora! She deserves all the sweets in all the world and this creme brulee is just amazing. I want to make it for dessert tonight! Darned wedding diet getting in my way of happiness and delicious dessert.
Oh my gosh, I just love my Thursday night TV. My girlfriends and I usually watch together. And now I’m addicted to How to Get Away With Murder! These creme brûlée look amazing. I’m a sucker for anything with maple syrup!
Yum!! I’ve burnt a few marshmallows with my torch… 🙂
Hhaha me too 🙂
This looks SO heavenly! I have to try this soon!
Congratulations Nora!!! What a beautiful dessert you’ve whipped up, Zainab!
I’ve never made creme brulee before but it is sooo good and I can only image how fabulous pumpkin maple must be! ^_^
xo
You have to try it Tammy!! It’s so good 🙂
How decadent! What a special treat that you’ve put together for this celebration! I can just imagine all of the explosion of flavors going on in the recipe!
Thanks Renee 🙂
This is such a wonderful idea, Zainab! I have always wanted to make creme brûlée, but I don’t have a kitchen torch. I love all the great fall flavors you added to this one. And what a fun treat to eat during Scandal! I started watching season one awhile ago, but never finished just because I don’t have a lot of time for Netflix. I totally need to catch up on it though!
You need to go back and finish it! It gets so much better with season two…trust me 🙂
Love the pumpkin maple combination! This looks wonderful!
Thanks Jessica!!
It’s been so long since I’ve made creme brulee. I am loving this with pumpkin and maple!
What a sweet celebration and what a gorgeous dessert! Love it Zainab!
Thanks Ahu!!
Now this is some serious looking creme brulee! Totally legit and amazing! And you get to use one of my fave kitchen toys… the torch!!!
I love the torch!!
Hello, I don’t see in the directions when to add the pumpkin puree. What do you recommend? Thanks.
The pumpkin puree goes in with the spices. Sorry about the confusion. Hope you enjoy the recipe!