Let me show you how to make a creamy, delicate, delectable pumpkin flan caramel, and also the traditional vegan egg-free Dominican Flan de auyama, a pumpkin pudding that is almost fool-proof. Neither requires an oven or fancy preparation, and both taste heavenly.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Nov 22, 2011
Why we ❤️ it
Let us set aside the linguistic confusion in the name of this pumpkin flan recipe for a moment and admire the creamy texture, delicate flavor, and combination of spices in this dessert. This is an easy-to-make dish and can be made in several ways, some closer to the classic flan, some more creative.
Enjoy one of my favorite desserts.
What's flan de auyama?
In the Dominican Republic, the best-known pumpkin is auyama (West Indian pumpkin). A vegetable that has many uses in our cuisine: from desserts to rice dishes, from food coloring to filler in stews. Auyama is recommended as baby food in our country. It is also a good substitute for root vegetables for diabetics.
This is a less-common presentation, but no less delicious. It's a traditional dish that may be considered halfway between pudding and flan. The recipe gives you several variations for you to try.
Flan de auyama (pumpkin pudding).
Variations
The classic Dominican flan de calabaza is traditionally egg-free; mine is just the one I know from childhood. I also include a way to make it closer to the classic flan.
Caramel pumpkin flan
Most flan de auyama recipes are cooked in a caramel-coated mold in the same manner as traditional flan. The caramel is made in a heavy saucepan and poured into the ramekins. You can see how to coat the mold with caramel by following the instruction in this coconut flan recipe with video.
I do not use an oven for this recipe, but cook the flan in a hot water bath on the stove.
Dominican flan de auyama
For the egg-free Dominican flan de auyama I prefer to forego the caramel coating and save myself some time and some sugar for a lighter, easier version with a custard-like consistency. I also haven't liked the final result.
For the Dominican pumpkin flan, I either serve in a ramekin or pour them into oil-coated silicone molds or small ramekins for individual services.
Top tips
- Auyama substitutes: If you can't find auyama, kabocha squash works just as well. Try to find one that has a deep orange color, as they are more flavorful and have a better texture. Another acceptable substitute is canned pumpkin purée.
- Low-carb: For a diabetic-friendly version of Dominican flan de auyama: Use the equivalent quantity of your preferred sweetener instead of sugar. This will not work with the caramel pumpkin flan.
- Vegan: For a vegan Dominican flan de auyama, use coconut milk, which is one of the traditional options for this recipe.
- Decoration: You can garnish the Dominican flan de auyama great with a dollop of whipped cream (optional), served with some guava sauce (or thinned-down marmalade, like strawberry or cherry). You can also garnish the Dominican flan de auyama with some fruit slices; there are limitless fruits to choose from, like slices of strawberries, mango, blueberries, etc.
- With condensed milk: You can switch sugar and milk with a mix of 1½ cups of sweetened condensed milk and ½ cups of evaporated milk.
About this recipe
What is pumpkin flan made of? Well, there isn't just one recipe, as you can imagine, but the traditional Dominican version does not contain eggs. This recipe was also inspired by one sent to us by Amalfi, one of our readers from decades ago.
There seem to be many choices when it comes to spices in the Dominican flan de auyama. Many of the people I have consulted and the books I reference below call for some of these: cinnamon, allspice powder, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, raisins, and even almonds!
You can add or leave out any of my recommendations listed in the recipe.
Recipe
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Flan de Auyama (Pumpkin Flan Recipe)
Ingredients
To make caramel pumpkin flan
- ½ cup sugar (white, granulated)
- 1 pound kabocha squash, or auyama [0.450 kg]
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup sugar (white, granulated)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
To make Dominican flan de auyama
- Spray oil , (to grease the mold)
- 1 pound auyama, [0.450 kg]
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup evaporated milk, or coconut milk
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar , (white, granulated)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins, (optional)
Instructions
1. Prepare the molds
- For the caramel pumpkin flan: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and a tablespoon of water and cook over medium heat until a thick, light-brown caramel syrup forms. Pour carefully into four 1-cup ramekins and move it around to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside to cool down until the caramel hardens.For Dominican flan de auyama: Grease four 1-cup ramekins with a fine mist of spray oil.
2. Boil auyama
With a pairing knife, peel the pumpkin and cut it into small pieces. Place in a medium pot or saucepan and add enough water to cover it, plus an inch above [2.5 centimeters]. Add salt and cinnamon sticks.Bring it to a boil over medium heat and cook until it is fork tender. Drain the water, discard the cinnamon sticks, and let the auyama cool down to room temperature.
3. Blend
- For the caramel pumpkin flan: Once cooled, lightly crush the auyama to make into a pumpkin puree.In a blender or with an immersion blender, blend the purée, eggs, sugar, milk, and vanilla.For Dominican flan de auyama: Once cooled, lightly crush the auyama to make into a pumpkin puree.In a blender or with an immersion blender, blend the purée, cornstarch, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Pour this mixture into a pot or saucepan, and add the raisins.
4. Cook
For the caramel pumpkin flan: Pour the mixture into the caramel-coated. Place them in a large pan, and pour enough water to reach right below the rim of the ramekins. Place in the stove and bring to a very gentle boil over medium-low heat.Simmer for an hour, adding boiling hot water if ever necessary to keep the same level. Once the hour has passed, let it rest in the water until they come to room temperature.For Dominican flan de auyama: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it becomes a custard-like mixture, thick enough to stick to the spoon, and has the consistency of thick yogurt (about 10 minutes)Remove from the heat. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oil-coated ramekins or molds, tap to release bubbles and level it. Cover them with a clean tea towel and let it cool to room temperature.
5. Chilling
- Once at room temperature, chill for at least 8 hours, or until shaken lightly it jiggles like jello.
6. Garnishing and serving
- For the caramel pumpkin flan: Loosen the edges of the flan with a toothpick, then flip each ramekin in a small plate that can hold the caramel sauce. Shake a little bit to loosen it if necessary.For Dominican flan de auyama: Invert them on small plates or serve in the ramekins. Garnish them with cream, fruit, or fruit sauce of your choice (optional).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More auyama recipes
In our collection, we have all the auyama recipes, such as Mazamorra (pumpkin puree), Buche Perico stew, Sopa boba soup, and many more.
Similar but non-traditional auyama dessert recipes I like, and are just as easy, are this sweet pumpkin bread, and this Vegan "eggnog".
References
- Amanda Ornes, Cocina Criolla. Sto. Dgo.: Ed. del Caribe, 1962. Pag. 521
- Ligia De Bornia, (1959) La Cocina Dominicana Sto. Dgo, 2001. Pag. 213
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