Cuban Pumpkin Flan – Flan de Calabasa

This recipe for Cuban Pumpkin Flan (Flan de Calabasa) is based on a classic Cuban recipe that uses fresh pumpkin mixed in a creamy custard.

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Quick and Easy Cuban Pumpkin Flan Recipe – Flan de Calabasa

Many years ago my mother-in-law, who has Spanish-Cuban roots, shared with me her version of a Classic Cuban Flan. It is a wonderful mix of rich custard with a deep caramel base. And, believe me when I say this: it is to die for. It’s that delicious.

So that’s where I got my inspiration from to make another classic island favorite recipe: Cuban Pumpkin Flan.

My version uses the same basic recipe for flan as my mother-in-law’s but with the added touch of fresh cooked pumpkin. That being said, you can use canned pumpkin if you don’t have access to a baking pumpkin, but I prefer fresh roasted pumpkin** by far.

How to Bake a Pumpkin

It’s really easy to bake a pumpkin. It’s as simple as removing the top, scooping out the seeds and baking the pumpkin, top and all on a sided cookie sheet for about 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees F.

The secret to this recipe’s success is to bake the pumpkin the day before you plan on using the roasted pumpkin.

The reason is that pumpkin by it’s very nature has a tendency to be watery right after baking. So by allowing it to chill overnight, you actually allow the pumpkin to firm back up and become wonderfully rich and creamy to use for a variety of recipes, including pumpkin pie, pumpkin hummus, and even pumpkin pancakes–to name a few.

To begin:

You want to start this recipe by making the caramel first. This will lay the foundation for the flan.

Use two cups of granulated sugar in a stainless steel frying pan. Here I’m using my 10 inch All Clad frying pan.

Cooking Tip: Do not leave the stove for any reason, because too much heat and the caramel can bubble over. Not good for the stovetop. And, it also smells terrible–trust me.

Swirl fry pan gently as the sugar melts. If it seems as if the sugar is burning, turn the heat down to medium-medium low. Keep swirling until all of the sugar has melted.

Then, pour melted caramel into a baking dish, scrape out the extra caramel with a silicon spatula, and swirl caramel in the dish to coat the sides about 1/3 of the way up. (Note: I used my CorningWare 2.5 quart French White Baking Dish for this recipe.)

Now to make the custard:

You won’t need to use much much pumpkin for this recipe either. It takes just 16 ounces (2 cups) fresh roasted pumpkin or one 15 ounce can of 100% pumpkin.

Then add plenty of spice to bring out the delicious pumpkin overtones. And, blend away.

Finally, pop the flan in the oven and bake it low and slow in a bain marie (water bath).

You’ll know it’s cooked through when a knife or long toothpick comes out clean. Internal temperature, if you’re using a thermometer should read approximately 181 degrees F in the center of the flan.

It’s highly recommended that you chill the flan overnight. Be sure to cover it well.

The next day you will invert the flan. Use a larger sided dish for doing this process. (Note: I’m using my CorningWare French White Round Quiche Pan.) It fits nicely around my baking dish.

Flip carefully. And, whola! You have a beautiful flan.

As you can see, this Cuban Pumpkin Flan is definitely a wow factor for any family gathering.

Cut as you would a pie and serve immediately. Enjoy!

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**Recipe Link for roasting a baking pumpkin can be found HERE.

5 from 2 votes

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Cuban Pumpkin Flan Recipe - Flan de Calabasa

This recipe for Cuban Pumpkin Flan (Flan de Calabasa) is based off of a classic Cuban recipe that includes fresh roasted pumpkin mixed in a creamy custard.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cuban

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 184 kcal

Author Deborah L Melian

Ingredients

For the Caramel:

• 2 cups sugar

For the Custard:

• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk 14 oz each
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk
• 3 whole large eggs
• 3 large egg whites
• 15 oz 100% pure pumpkin canned, like Libbey’s, or 16 oz fresh roasted pumpkin (Recipe Link below in Recipe Notes)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

To Make the Caramel:

1. Cook 2 cups sugar in a dry stainless steel heavy frypan over moderate heat. Leave it undisturbed, but you can swirl the melted sugar gently to help the caramel assimilate the granular sugar. 

2. Once the sugar has melted and turns golden brown, immediately pour caramel into baking dish, tilting it to and fro to cover bottom and up the sides about 1/3 of the way up. 

3. Next, place the baking dish in 9x13 inch cake pan. You will add boiling water 1/2 of the way up the cake pan (approximately 6 cups) for the bain marie (water bath).

To Make the Flan Custard:

1. In a blender, add eggs, egg whites, spices, sweetened condensed milk, milk and salt. Blend for 1 minute. 

2. Spray the sides of the baking dish with non-stick spray. 
3. Then, pour custard into baking dish that has the caramel. 

4. Bake until golden brown on top and a knife or long toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/2-2 hours. 

   Note: If you check the flan around the one hour mark and it seems as if the flan isn't firming up, turn the oven higher to 350 degrees F. But, don't let the water bath boil. Otherwise, it will overcook the flan.

5. Carefully remove the baking dish from the water bath and transfer to a rack to cool. 
6. Finally, chill flan, covered for at least 6 hours—best if it is overnight or up to 48 hours.

To Serve:

1. Run a cake knife between the side of the baking dish and flan. This will loosen the custard. 

2. Shake dish gently from side to side. Then, place a sided plate over the baking dish and invert flan. It is normal for the caramel to pour out of the baking dish and around the custard. 

3. Cut and serve as you would a pie. 
4. Chill any leftover flan by covering it with an inverted bowl that’s larger than the flan. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

To make roasted pumpkin follow the directions here: http://wisconsinhomemaker.com/roasted-pumpkin-pie/

Cooking Tip: Always give the flan time to chill. 24 hours is the suggested minimum amount of time, although you can chill it for up to 2-3 days total before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Cuban Pumpkin Flan Recipe - Flan de Calabasa

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 184 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2g 3%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 44mg 15%

Sodium 94mg 4%

Potassium 147mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 38g 13%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 36g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 112.6%

Vitamin C 1.8%

Calcium 5.6%

Iron 3.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.