A beloved Cuban dessert, Flan de Calabaza transforms the rich, earthy essence of pumpkin into a silky, indulgent custard. This traditional sweet delicacy marries freshly pureed pumpkin with a luxurious blend of eggs, sugar, condensed milk, and vanilla, creating a dessert that captures the warmth and culinary heritage of Cuban cuisine.
Yield: 12 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
Caramel
- Sugar – ¾ cup
- Water – ¼ cup
Flan
- Butternut squash (peeled and cut into 2-inch square pieces) – ¾ lb
- Water – 2 cups
- Eggs – 4
- Powdered whole milk – ¾ cup
- White sugar – 1 cup
- Salt – 1/8 tsp
- Cornstarch – 2 tsp
- Vanilla – 1 tsp
Instructions
- Place the squash in a medium pot and pour in 2 cups of water.
- Boil the squash over medium flame for 15 minutes, or until the squash is easily pierced by a fork.
- Strain it through a colander and reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Discard the rest.
- Mix the ingredients for the caramel in a small saucepan and heat over a medium flame, stirring occasionally until the sugar browns and thickens, about 10-15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and working quickly, pour the caramel into a bundt pan, making sure to coat the sides.
- Place the pumpkin, 1 cup of the liquid in which it was boiled, and the rest of the flan ingredients into a blender.
- Blend for 2-3 minutes on medium speed, until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the bundt pan, over the caramel.
- Place the pan in a large pot halfway filled with water and cover.
- Simmer for 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
- Let the flan cool in the bundt pan for one hour at room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator to cool for at least another 2 hours.
- Invert it onto a plate and serve immediately.